The Common

Ground
Graduation Project Thesis
Mariam Omar

10203011

Abstract
Social cohesion is a concept that includes values and principles which aim to ensure
that all citizens, without discrimination and on an equal footing, have access to
fundamental social and economic rights.
(the Directorate General of Social Cohesion of the Council of Europe)
In our society we face different kinds of social segregation , economically , socially ,
educationally which reflects greatly in the fabric of our society and in this project I
try to reach social cohesion through the usage of public space and also reaching
minor aims of sustainability ( environmentally and socially)

Hypothesis
The agriculture as a catalyst for social cohesion through the usage of public space
Introduction
In case of the site ( Geziret e Dahab ) being an agro-economic zone , the main
source of income is coming from agriculture and mainly certain crops in the late
years as corn , trefoil which are mainly used for the cattle as their source of food
and recently sesame seed ,which showed exceeding results and an acceptable
amount of profit which led to increasing the plantation of that crop in the island ,
with the presence of some farmers who have the financial ability to grow fruits and
vegetables including lettuce , eggplants , cucumbers and tomatoes .

Recently due to economical factors that include the relatively high expenses of
transportation due to the lack of any sources of transportation except the ferry
which comes as a burden to some of them , and the lack of assistance from the
government in supplying them with pesticides with reasonable prices , the new
generation switched to working outside the island and just assisting their parents or
the elderly ones in their families who have no other work opportunities but to grow
food for their cattle and some families sold their lands and moved out of the island
due to the previously stated reasons .
The aim in here is to gather all of the resources and upgrading the conditions of this
island and focusing on agricultural as a main source of income by increasing the
productivity of the yields and introducing the farmers to modern methods of farming
mainly (organic farming and vertical farming using aquaponics methods) which will
result in the increasing yield production (state percentages),
The second stage of this project will be using the profits from this project to upgrade
the island by building the planned future extension including primary school , rural
hospital and youth center which will help in achieving one of the previous stated
keywords of the project which is social sustainability.

Site selection

Geziret el dahab ben el baren unique

location between the low middle class area of
geziret el dahab and near the elite maadi
district makes it an interesting candidate for
the project due to the difference in social and
economical levels. Also the unique
environment of the island itself.
As for the location inside the island it was
chosen due to it intermediate location near the ring road , between two different
zones on the island , being near the only road on the island ( north-south axis) and
being near to the already present ferry ( in this case faloka ) terminal
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Site size excluding area under the bridge (42,000 sq. m)

Site size including the area under the bridge )60,000 sq.m)

7-2000
11-2010

Sustainability (Social , Economical and Environmental)

of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the
resource is not depleted or permanently damaged(merriam webster)
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sustainability is divided into 3 sectors : social , economical and environmental

sustainability
Social sustainability
This definition is supplemented with a list of corresponding principles, including:
equity of access to key services
equity between generations
a system of relations valuing disparate cultures
political participation of citizens, particularly at a local level
a sense of community ownership
a system for transmitting awareness of social sustainability from one
mechanisms for a community to fulfill its own needs where possible
political advocacy to meet needs that cannot be met by community action

Social sustainability
The community center offer more facilities than any other normal center due to its
acquired role in forming the cohesion between the residents of the island and the
outside visitors offering needed spaces to be used by both types of users fulfilling
their needs and making use of participatory design to reach the final acquired
outcome cohesion
The prposed program includes (mainly a farmersmarket which is related to many
other factors as economical and environmental sustainability ), the community
garden which ensures the continuous visits to the area in order to take good care of
the personal space cultivated by the users , and will ensure the interaction between
different visitors
And will also be ensured by the usage of the island residents as it will offer them
missing facilities that they need on the island presented in the clinic and nursery .
Finally the exhibition will be the space where the idea of the project will be fully
explained to the users making sure that the experiment taking place in the project
is transmitted to other areas By the users themselves as people are the best culture
representatives.

Environmental sustainability

-by minimizing land usage in built area , using organic farming whuch helps in
strengthening the soil and producing healthier food free of pesticides and synthetic
materials .
-by paying respect to environmental conditions and orientations in designing the
buildings , in order to minimize the needed amount of electricity for lighting and
cooling .
-using the area under the bridge in hydroponics farming to compensate the loss in
produced amount of yields due to the using of land In built up areas .

Economical Sustainability
By creating the market depending on the organic farm , the production facilities and
the barn , a stable amount of job opportunities is created for the residents of the
island which will ensure maintaining of the process in the project

Public Space
The program includes multiple public spaces that could be used both daytime and
nighttime to keep the building alive
The public spaces are mainly located outdoor due to the nature of the site (pleasing
environment /agriculture /river bank), the spaces used are community garden ,
forming an outdoor intermediate zonefor users from both the island and

Closed-loop system :
The system will be implemented in multiple spaces in the farm first in the vertical
farming area through the aquaponics and the water recycling in the fish tanks which
will also supply the vegetation with the need nutrients.
The compost area , which will involve 3 methods for supplying nutrients to the
farm , first by using the concept of the Abokashi bin and using all the food leftovers
from the restaurants and facilities in the farm to extract liquid concentrated natural
nutrients needed in the organic farm , second by the green waste from the leaves
and yields of the organic farm and third by the waste from the dairy barn .

User involvement:
-Leaning about organic farming and sustainable agriculture inside the agriculture
classes and actually experimenting this in the training plot.
-learning more about the vertical farming and the aquaponics technique with the
opportunity to experiment the method in small scale by the users in their private
property after learning the method and getting seeds form the seed bank .
-Passing through the barn, the dairy production lines and the agricultural production
line to get to know more about the process
-The opportunity to rent a plot in the community garden and actually practice the
organic agriculture method to supply their families with the necessary greens and
fruits (21m), which could act also as a family activity
-Getting to enjoy the final outcome from the farmers market and also getting to
learn how to cook those products (the rural way)in the culinary school
-Experiencing the unique site in the waterfront area as it will combine the massive
amount of green space and vegetation with the river banks (over 90% of river banks
on the island are free access )

The involvement of the island residents

The residents of geziret el dahab will be affected by the project in various ways
starting with benefiting from the nursery and the clinic which were of the
requirements deduced from our previous surveys , the project will offer multiple job
offers for the residents of the island , first of all as workers in the production
facilities which will offer a source of income without the need to leave the island ,
they will work in the market in selling the products and they will also work in
agriculture both organic and hydroponics , which will give them a stable source of
income in what they already know agriculture, this will also help in the process of
accepting the project and its services as part of their community as the workers will
help in transmitting the image and the process of the project to their families and
relatives better than any kind of advertisement that might be used.

Children involvement in the project

One of the main focal points in the design of the project will be designing places of
interaction between the children of the island and the visitors to teach them about
equality and make them get used to the presence of those who are not of their
same social level , first at the childrens urban park under the bridge wich will be
located between the nursery and next to the parentsarea which will involve group
activities where all children can participate , second in the childrens community
garden , all the children will get to learn more about agriculture and practice with
their own hands , it will help them get the idea , act as an outdoor activity where
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they get to mimic the actions of their parents and finally it will increase their sense
of belonging to the space as they will have their own plants griwn over there and
will have to pay weekly visits to take care of them till they reach the final product .
Agriculture
What is organic farming?

"Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system which

promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity,
biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It emphasises the use of
management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, taking into
account that regional conditions require locally adapted systems. This is
accomplished by using, where possible, agronomic, biological, and
mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic materials, to fulfil any
specific function within the system." (FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius
Commission, 1999).

Why?
The targeted stakeholders from outside the island will be attracted to the quality of
products offered by the method of organic farming due to its health benefits and
absence of pesticides and grey water in agriculture , accompanied by the activites
connected to agriculture , will help in reaching the final aim of the project .

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Hydroponics :

The hydroponic lettuce growing was conducted in a controlled indoor environmental

lab, using Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) hydroponic channels to grow out the lettuce
crop. Nutrient Film Technique is a growing system that constantly re-circulates a
continuous stream of water through grade PVC thermoplastic channels which
delivers nutrients to the crop (Figure 1). A baby gem romaine lettuce variety
(Lactuca sativa: v. Green Star), was used with a targeted maturation size of 170
grams or six ounces. 6 heads of lettuce per channel were grown out for a forty five
(45) day duration for each lamp test condition. The geometrically balanced
fertigation system was set at a nutrient flow of 8-10 ounces per minute which is the
common industry standard

Seeds were germinated in pre-moistened Oasis expanded foam soil-less media XL

1X 1X 1 cubes in dilute (600ppm) nutrient solution for four (4) weeks (Figure
2).
Seedlings were then transplanted into the NFT channels (figure 3) and grown out for
the full forty-five (45) day period. Each grow tent temperature was maintained
between 68 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit with 40 percent humidity and CO2 at
ambient levels. The nutrient solution used for ideal plant health and growth was
supplied by Smithers-Oasis Co. CWP indicators and probes (CWP Instruments by
Marco Industries) were installed in each solution tank to continuously measure PH,
PPM, and solution temperature. The pH was maintained at 6.0 by the addition of
dilute phosphoric and citric acid. PPM was maintained bet 800-825 by the addition
of concentrated fertilizer solution and source water. Solution tanks were manually
mixed with R.O. (reverse osmosis) water and fertilizer. Tanks were cleaned weekly
and fresh nutrient solution was utilized.

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Ring road
The ring road acted as a penetration
factor in the middle of the island
making some sort of division and
resulted in an unused land under the
whole length of the bridge. to get
over that point , the area under the
bridge will act as the entrance to the
project , starting from the ferry which
acts the only access point to that part
of the island ( used by both island
residents and visitors) , reaching to
the entrance plaza which acts as an
entrance to the urban park and public
events area , also the structural
system pf the bridge (Wide long span box girder system) which might have been
thought of as a negative aspect was used as a source of the used grid to design the
landscaping of the nearby activity spots , also the rest of the area under the bridge
will be used for the hydroponics agriculture which will not acquire direct sunlight
because of the used pvc cells placed directly in the southern direction.

Under the bridge

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(property of baladilab , cairo desgn studio)

Program
A) Organic farm
-Closed loop farm which produces organic products free from any
synthetic elements and the process will include making use of grey
water and waste management in order to achieve sustainability.
-will include multiple (food) production lines to upgrade the industries
on the farm .
Sesame food products
Fruits packaging
Vegetables packaging
-Vertical farming for maintaining and possible increasing the
targeted yield from the land

A-1- Community garden

Will be connected to the organic farm and it contains number of small
squares of land (3*3
or 6*6m) that share the same place and to be rented
on an annual basis by users from inside or outside the island that will
produce organic crop that belongs to the user

B) Cattle breeding
Contains barns of milk producing cows and a production line for
organic milk and dairy products

C) Market
Stalls to sell the organic products from the farm and the cattle
breeding facility to the locals and the users form outside the island
and will be attached to number of activity regions
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D) Community center
The center will be mainly to increase the cohesion between the locals
who are living on the island to fulfill their needs that they are currently
lacking on the island and as an additive it will be as a meeting area for
them to publicly discuss matters concerning the island
The facilities wil include:
Rural hospital
Nursery
Business center for financial affairs concerning their agricultural lands
The community center will act as an entrance point as the
visitors will get there an overview about the concept, aim and
strategy of the project.

E) The marina
The marina will be mainly dedicated to the users who visit the island
with their private boats and will act as a space for fishing and will be
connected to the market to let them enjoy the experience of being
part of the rural life for a day

For an estimated number of 11,000 residents

Family of 5-6
The community center will receive up to 2000 people
The organic farm /market / community garden will target 500 daily visitors
and will reach 1000 on days of special events (both visitors and island
residents)

A)Organic farm
activity

Core activity
sesame seed production
line
Sesame peeling machine
Sesame (tahini )Production
line
fruits and vegetables
packaging area
cleaning and packaging

No of users

area

350m
250m

700m
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refrigerators
+ve temp

18m*18m

-ve temp
Loading deck
Services
Group office
Entrance area
Washing facilities and toilets
Electro mechanical room
Spare parts room
area for compost
Total

18m *18m
130 m
65 m
75 m
170 m
15 m
30 m
190 m
2620 m

Hydroponic farming

2520m

B) Cattle breeding
activity
Core activity
Barns (60 dairy cows)
The stall (1.2m*2.3m)
hay storage (low level silo)
Machine shed
Added value
Dairy production area
Manure/dung store
Services
Storage area
Washing facilities and
toilets
Electro mechanical room
Ancillary space
Cold room
Total

area
790 m
85 m
360 m
985 m
235 m
100 m
100 m

20 employees

36 m
2.5*20=50 m
20 m
2760 m

C) Market
activity
Core activity
Kiosks (stall market)
Added value
Children playground
festival plaza

area
50 stalls

(3m*3m) 450m
200 m
500 m
15

market office
cooking stall
culinary training
Services
Day to day storage area
Washing facilities and
toilets(for workers)
toilets (for visitors)
Mechanical room
Receiving deck
Cold room
security
Total

5 stalls
20 student

50 m
(20*4)=80 m
11*20=220 m
220 m
100 m
80 m
20 m
200 m
50 m
20 m
2200 m

D) Community center
Activity
Core activity
exhibition
Lobby

No. of users

area
390m

100

2000 m
300 m

50 pupils

Total 665 m
220 m

Added value
Educational center
Classrooms (new tech in
agri.)
Staff room
Meeting room
Multipurpose room
Lounge/lobby
Offices
Nursery
with access to the garden to
make them learn about
agriculture
-external playing area
2 activity rooms(common
room)
Play room
multipurpose room
supervisor
administration
sleeping room
kitchen
WC

80 m
50 m
185 m
74 m
285m
0.6*50=30 m

25 child from age 3-5 in

each

(3*25=75 m), (*2)=150

m
165 m
20 m
10.5 m
15 m
16 m
13 m
10 m
16

staff WC
playing equipment storage
cleaner(janitor)
Offices
Directors office
Group offices including retail
office
Cafeteria

7 m
11 m
2.5 m
11 m
50 m
410 m

Services
Kitchen
Toilets
Mechanical room
Entrance area
Equipment Storage

180 m
240 m
36 m
150 m
25 m
4409 m

Total
E) Community Garden
activity
Core activity
Community garden
Kids area ( learning about
agriculture)
Added value
Space for public seminars
Services
restaurant
toilets
Kitchen
security
Total

area
60 plot
200 user

3700m
400m

500 user

400 m

400 user

900 m
240 m
150 m
20m
5610 m

F) The Marina
activity
Core activity
Marina for private boats

Added value
Kiosk ( fishing supplies)
Services

area
20 boats

100 m , land 90 m
200 m/boat
Total (4000 m)
20 m
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toilets
Kitchen
security
pontoons
Winter storage
Total

60 m
15 m
20m
220m
500 m
6235 m
4500 m ( in water)
1735 m ( land)

Facts And Figures

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The case from the media

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. 1969 1998
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Sesame Production

Photo taken for

existing sesame yields
on geziret el dahab

25

FAO statistics (20032013)

Effect of natural compost in organic farming on the increase of production yield

- leading to using up 14691 m(3.63 acres) of agricultural area , which could

produce(using traditional farming without adding organic manures or using
synthetics for increasing production) :

Product

Average yield

Ton/acre

Total yield of 3.63

26

acres
Sesame seed

13,333 HG/HA

0.595 ton/acre

2.16 tonne

Tomatoes

400,750 HG/HA

17.87 ton/acre

64.861 tonne

maize(corn)

77,333 HG/HA

3.4 ton/acre

12.34 tonne

fruit(primary)

211,262 HG/HA

9.4 ton/acre

34.122 tonne

Cabbage

346,494HG/HA

15.45 ton/acre

56 tonne

Reference (2013 FAOSTAT)

HG/HA (hectogram/hectare)

Given the potential of fall rains in many regions, it is probably best to plan on timely harvest of the
crop. Sesame harvest is usually begun about 90 to 150 days after planting

Hydroponics Farming
Te-Chen Kao
Taichung District Agricultural Improvement Station
Tatsuen Hsiang, Changhua, ROC on Taiwan, 1991-06-01

24 panels in each buikding , 4 buildings are designed , if a 40 day crop is cultivated the
resultant will produce
3840 plant every 40-45 days , year round production .

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