ARCHITECTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VERTICAL FARMS IN UKRAINE

The paper states that the need for vertical farming arises as conventional agriculture faces global challenges, including its negative environmental impacts, population growth, urbanization, and climate change. Vertical farming is proposed as a solution that uses a controlled environment to ensure year-round crop production, regardless of external conditions. This practice is actively developing not only globally but also in Ukraine, which is particularly valuable as a response to the negative influence of the ongoing war on the country's agricultural sector. The study highlights the lack of relevant architectural research in the field, particularly in the practical exploration of the national market. Thus, nine local vertical farms were identified and classified into three main types: container farms, greenhouse-integrated, and building-integrated vertical farms. Five specific examples were further analyzed to define their main architectural and functional characteristics. Among them area a Kyiv-based farm (4.5 t/year of salad and arugula) and Vertical Field Ukraine (1.1 t/year of leafy greens), both integrated into 40-ft DC container modules (30 m², 2.6 m height). The next type, a pre-fabricated steel structure greenhouse Green Wave Organic, is the largest system in the study (1200 m², 7.2 m, 550 t/year of herbs, microgreens, and greens), combining both hydroponics and aeroponics. Finally, the paper examines innovative underground farms, such as Happiness Health (500 m², 4.2 m, 70 t/year of micro- and leafy greens) and the laboratory-farm Green Future (300 m², 5 m, 6 t/year of salad and basil), which offer both security and productivity in the current Ukrainian context. The compactness and modularity of the architectural solutions, the efficient use of space and passive energy, and the relocation of production underground are the main architectural characteristics of the three respective types of vertical farms. In turn, their main functional features include hydroponic technology and varying production capacities, along with the cultivation of greens, which are mostly supplied to restaurants and supermarkets. These solutions reflect the effective adaptation of facilities to the existing environmental and military conditions in Ukraine, while also aligning with the purpose and objectives of production.