Meta-Farm Units

Meta-Farm Units are dwellings in glass green house proposed by SKM Architects. The cutting-edge agricultural technology (aquaponics) of Manna CEA has been applied to present a future rural residential system for a forward-looking and innovative new lifestyle. It is easy to control the temperature and humidity inside the glass greenhouse, so the residence inside it does not require a separate function to block wind and rain.

Since ancient times, farmer’s huts have been built as simple spaces to store farm equipment and take a rest. The Meta- Farm Unit was deve loped to turn these simple huts into living spaces. The spaces divided by function, such as the bedroom and the kitchen, are naturally conn ected to the outdoor space. Breaking away from the convention of an entire family all living together in a single small house, the functions are divided into two units —a living unit and a bed unit—based on the size of a small rural house. In addition, the two units are connected by a deck that reinterprets the daecheong maru (exposed floor made of wooden planks) in a traditional Korean hanok.

Moreover, the greenhouse can also be expanded according to the size of the dwelling. Depending on the makeup of the family and their needs, greenhouses and dwellings of various sizes can be freely combined. If another living unit is added to one set of the dining unit, the residential system can be expanded to have one, two, or even three bedrooms. While 25 to 30 greenhouses and rural houses form a village, an outdoor space, including small community facilities formed by programs such as a spa, fitness club, or café can be organized at the center of it. A village consists of about 24 houses. If five or more villages are clustered near each other, large community facilities such as a playing field or cultural facility can be planned at the center of some 120 houses. Within a 4km radius of such community facilities, a larger village could be formed by about 360 houses, which are 10 minutes away by bicycle.