RED MEAT

A BETTER LIFE AND DEATH FOR CATTLE

RED MEAT
A BETTER LIFE AND DEATH FOR CATTLE

November 2017
Msc. Thesis

UNIVERSITY
Eindhoven University of technology
Department of the Built Environment
Den Dolech 2
5612 AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands

GRADUATION STUDIO
The Farm
February - November 2017
Master of Architecture, Building and Planning
Chair of Rational Architecture

COMMITEE
Prof. ir. P.J.R. (Paul) Diederen
ir R.P.J. (Ruurd) Roorda
ir. B.A.H.L. (Bram) van Kaathoven

AUTHOR
E.J. (Erik) Brouwer
Student ID: 0864453
RED MEAT
A BETTER LIFE AND DEATH FOR CATTLE
|
ABSTRACT
No country in the world that
has been plowed and rebuilt
so often: The Netherlands:
Fertile clay soils for cultivating
potatoes, onions and beets.
Grassland for livestock. Perfect
climate control for tomatoes and
peppers. Superefficient intensive
agriculture combined with talent
for transportation and logistics.
2.3th of the country consists of
agricultural land. Small farms
have taken place for a tightly
ordered farmland. From small
and inefficient to large with a
maximum yield. The upscaling
has been successful, even if it is
with less farmers. The farmers
that remain are growing and
creating the ideal conditions for
mass production.
Whereas greenhouses for
peppers and tomatoes, are
concentrated on a small surface.
It is very different from grass for
cattle breeding. 50% of the total
agricultural land consists of
pastures.
A new way has to be found: even
bigger or just back to small-
scale agriculture? Or should new
techniques answer this question?
The choice is for people who dare
to divert from the beaten paths.
This thesis questions the future
of agriculture, while facilitating
an idea on how we might find a
solution to the problems within
agriculture and its future. Hence
the challenging question: ‘How
can the various stages of an
agricultural production chain be
combined within one architectural
object?’
||
|||
PREFACE
This book, as a part of the
Graduation Project ‘The Farm –
Mutant Typology’, is the final result
of a research towards agriculture,
the role of architecture within
agriculture and my answer to
the questions and problems I
encountered on the way. The
studio’s aim was to research and
design agricultural typologies
from the viewpoint of a changing
society and a corresponding
architectural culture within the
agricultural industry. In order
to understand the field that is
initiated to work in, the collective
research attempts to give insight
in the agricultural industry by
means of different angles from
which the agricultural industry is
approached, whereas this work
of design, under the name ‘Red
Meat’, reflects the ability of the
current trends in production,
animal welfare, sustainability and difficult and moral discussion
more, to convince the public that of the food industry, which has
this is one of the ways forward. become a complex debate in all
layers of society.
The accomplishment of this
work has been a road of both The agricultural world has
cheer and consternation. The surprised me and opened my
field of agriculture has been eyes. I realize that our findings
hardly touched by architects. during the excursions are based
The subject of agriculture is on momentary situations. But I
experienced as rather hidden am confident that the collection
for those who do not participate of corresponding situations and
in the industry. Therefore, views in combination with our
gathering the information for this research have given us a true
design was a discovery of a whole image of the agricultural world.
new world. It is an industry of
both impressive innovations, that My hope is that this publication will
go beyond innovations of other be read with as much excitement
sectors. Yet, it is also an industry and moral sentiments as I have
that has to oppose animal welfare experienced during the research,
and receives critique for being designing and writing of it.
a burden to climate change. It
is both confronting, as well as
revealing, and illustrates the
 |V

‘THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO AVOID CRITICISM:

DO NOTHING, SAY NOTING AND BE NOTHING’
– ELBERT HUBBARD
V

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION 10 3.0 ANALYSIS 80

1.1 GRADUATION STUDIO 12 3.1 AGRAIC PRODUCTION NUMBERS 82

1.2 CONTEXT 14 3.2 SUPPLY AND DEMAND 84
1.3 JOINT RESEARCH 16 3.3 NUMBERS 86
1.4 MOTIVATION 20 3.4 TYPE STUDIES 90
1.5 RELEVANCE 22 3.5 PRODUCTION 92
3.6 PROGRAM 100
2.0 RESEARCH 22 3.7 CHECKLIST FOR PLANNING DAIRY SHEDS 104
3.8 LOCATION 106
2.1 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 26
2.2 PRODUCT CHAIN 28 4.0 CONCEPT 108
2.3 CATTLE WELLFARE 58
2.4 CATTLE BEHAVIOUR 60 4.1 TARGET 110
2.5 LIST OF PROS OF LARGE SCHALE FARMING 68 4.2 PROGRAM 112
2.6 LIST OF PITFALLS OF LARGE SCHALE FARMING 70 4.3 GLOBAL SITE DIVISION 116
2.7 REFERENCE PROJECT 72
2.8 SUSTAINABILITY 74
2.9 HOUSING SYSTEMS 76
 V|

5.0 DESIGN 112

5.1 SITUATION 124

5.2 GROUND FLOOR PLANS 130
5.3 FLOOR 1 HUB + ROOF 134
5.4 STABLE TYPES 136
5.5 SECTIONS 138
5.6 LOCAL ELEVATION 144
5.7 NATIONAL ELEVATION 150
5.8 ROUTING 156
5.9 CONSTRUCTION 162
5.10 MATERIALIZATION 164

6.0 VISUALIZATIONS 166

7.0 REFLECTION 194

8.0 LITERATURE 198

1.0 INTRODUCTION
14 INTRODUCTION

1.1 GRADUATION STUDIO

In this architectural graduation Agriculture developed as a grown from 5 million to 7,4 billion
studio, tutored by prof. ir. Paul means of survival, being able people (Population connection,
Diederen, ir. Ruurd Roorda and ir. to take care of the society and 2017). In the current situation,
Bram van Kaathoven, the subject being less dependent of nature. mankind dominates the earth’s
The Farm: Mutant Typologies With the rise of agriculture men ecosystem, influencing its natural
is investigated. A collective started to artificially influence processes significantly. The
preliminary research is executed the natural ecosystem by agricultural unit has developed to
that sets out the architectural sowing seeds and domesticating a purely functional unit, appointed
qualities within agriculture. The animals. The domestication of to an efficient production of food
definition of the term ‘farm’ is plants and animals favoured the to feed the world’s population
complex, for it is broad in content. life of hunters-and-gatherers for and adapting the environment
Due to activity in many fields, it gave more guarantee for food. to its production. Therefore, the
each individual can have an own Gradually, men developed towards agricultural sector does not only
perception of this concept. The a permanent settlement, shaping influence the industry of food-
studio’s aim is to give meaning to villages and cities (Mazoyer & production, but also on a larger
the question of the agricultural Roudart, 2006). scale. In fact, it has become a topic
typologies. embedded in all levels of society,
At the dawn of agriculture, taking a position in political,
In order to get hold of the creation the influences of men on the economic, climatological and
of the term farm, a historical environment were scarce; philosophical debates (Mazoyer &
research has been conducted. however, the control over food Roudart, 2006).
This history plays a crucial role in production led to an increase in
understanding the overall picture population. Since 12.000 years
of the farm. ago, the world’s population has

[1] Effiiciency of food production

INTRODUCTION 15
16 INTRODUCTION
1.2 CONTEXT
In the current state of the art,
the agricultural areas seem to
be in despair, with the world
population increasingly living in
cities. Motor to this development
is the global economy, with better
chances of earning a living in
the city. Moreover, agriculture
has developed into a scale-up
globally, with fewer companies
(mono-) cultivating more and
more land, and with more
advances techniques that need
fewer laborers.
As a result, rural areas are left in
a pitiful and ecologically emptied
state, without many possibilities of
establishing economic prosperity,
and because of this, without the
ability to connect to the speeding
culture of the city: the opposite
of its Arcadian promise. Amidst
of these developments, the
agricultural production living unit, objects that are analyzed and
and its development in time, is the figured out. These analyses
object in this case. Traditionally, contribute to the awareness of
agricultural typologies evolve the rural appearance. Based on
from sheer economy, but at the these analyses, conclusions were
same time offer an outlook on the drawn that serve as guidance for
genius loci and the picturesque this personal design study.
(Roorda, 2017).
The current state of the
countryside has been examined
in the research. These areas
are translated to the field of
our studies, architecture, by
visualizing the entire process.
A selection has been made of
products, which are traced to
their origin. This process creates
a logical story that creates a link
to relevant typologies. The link
concerns an exploration that
focuses on the current state of
the art in one of the processes
specifically. This results in
[2] Wheatfield, a Confrontation
INTRODUCTION 17
18 INTRODUCTION
1.3 JOINT RESEARCH
The purpose of this research
was to investigate which
architectural qualities are present
in the contemporary agricultural
landscape of the Netherlands.
To answer this question,
understanding contemporary
agriculture with its historical
developments in Europe and
creating an overview of distinctive
buildings of this landscape is
necessary. A literature study
on the developments of the
agricultural landscape in Europe
resulted in a division of six distinct
categories within contemporary
farming. These are Agriculture,
Horticulture, Horticulture under
glass, Livestock farming with
cattle, Livestock farming with
grazing animals and a Livestock
farm aimed at dairy. These subjects
serve as the foundation to continue
acquiring knowledge over the type
of buildings that belong to the is chosen. A product with, for and design principles. This will
countryside. Also, the literature example, the highest production provide the final answers on the
study showed the complexity of value or the highest export value main research question: program,
agriculture; Therefore, to maintain in the Netherlands is considered volume, circulation, rhythm,
the quality of this research it was as most significant. Each of these structure, openings, interior,
chosen to focus on agriculture in selected products are visualized systems and materials. Insight is
the Netherlands. The Netherlands on a timeline that depict every gained in these stables in relation
has an outstanding documentation building a product encounters to the architectural functionality
of agricultural data that is easily before arriving at the consumer. and their design principles. This
accessed. In order to get a grip One of the buildings on the provides the final answers on the
on different perspectives of complete overview is selected for main research question:
agriculture, this research is made further inspection. In this case,
up of several layers. Although this the cow barn was chosen, in which
research explores different angles six unique types were specified:
of the concept of agriculture, it is the tie-up stall, hoarding stable,
only a very small part of the reality stall barn, conservatory stable,
of agriculture. The other parts free range stable and roundhouse
and sides of agriculture can be
researched through a subsequent An architectural analysis was
research. conducted on these six stables
to acquire the architectural
On the basis of data provided by qualities of the stable. Insight is
CBS, the most significant product gained in the stable in relation
within each of this six categories to the architectural functionality
 INTRODUCTION 19

‘WHICH ARCHITECTURAL QUALITIES ARE PRESENT IN THE

CONTEMPORARY AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE?’
20

[3] the Netherlands from above

21
22 INTRODUCTION
1.4 MOTIVATION
Agriculture has been in existence
for a long time and has undergone
many developments. In addition,
the concept of agriculture has
also become an extremely
broad concept. Agricultural
practice has experienced an
explosive development over the
past 200 years as a result of
industrialization. It has become
an industrialized process where
people have lost connection to
food production. The production
of food was a concern for each
family, but has been transformed
into a system that is hidden in the
countryside and far away from
people living in cities. Agriculture
has evolved from simple survival
to an intertwined subject with
regard to political, ecological,
climatological, economic,
philosophical and social issues.
Therefore, it has been transformed
into a debate of complexity, which
makes food production an ethical
concern. Due to these enormous
developments throughout history,
agricultural systems, that are
still recognizable today, have
emerged. It is hardly possible
to realize what an agricultural
product passes trough before
it is consumed. All products
share a striking amount of
transportations between locations
that is combined with a diversity
of type of buildings. It shows the
complexity of creating one single
product. This leads to a great
opportunity for future research
to improve this complexity by, for
example, compacting a process.
The typology of the farm is driven by
its functional use that is supported
by pure building technology and a
generic appearance. Agricultural
buildings have to be inexpensive
and practical. An aesthetic
choice is essentially the addition
by the farmer or an obligation
from the municipality. However,
a returning typology seems
to be dominant on the Dutch
countryside, in which agriculture
has developed into an industrial
world of mass food production
in which architecture seems to
have been forgotten. A continually
repeated image that dominates
the architectural quality at the
countryside. Therefore, the
Dutch countryside contains many
opportunities to manipulate the
present architectural quality.
 INTRODUCTION 23

‘BY NOW, ALL THE PARADISE ISLANDS DEAR TO

LITERATURE AND TO OUR HOPES HAVE ALREADY BEEN
DESCRIBED, AND THE ONLY POSSIBLE DISCOVERY OR
JOURNEY SEEMS TO BE THAT OF DISCOVERING THE
DISCOVERY ALREADY MADE.’
-LUIGI GHIRRIZ
24 INTRODUCTION
1.5 RELEVANCE
The agricultural world is very self-
contained and few farms were
open for visitors. Only farms with
high animal welfare, progressive
systems or extra public functions
were prepared to receive us
as visitors. However even at
these farms it was a selective
accessibility. In addition to the
attitude of the farmers, also the set
up and intensity of farms is causing
an amplification of the barrier
between farmer and civilian. This
probably is a result of the romantic
image the agricultural world has,
as viewed from society. This is the
image of the traditional farm on
which food is produced and the
animals roam freely. This is an
image which is not in accordance
with reality. Farms are buildings of
mass production which endeavor
to achieve the largest yield and in
which all processes are maximized.
Animals are held in accordance increasingly are showcasing and
to the minimum of the desired promoting biological products.
quality regulations. Within these The amount of advertising by
facilities the animals are grown convenience stores rose with 118
rapidly for a maximum profit. percent in 2015 relative to 2014
This efficient industrial attitude (Wakkerdier, 2017). Meanwhile
is not visible in the expression biological meat seems to have
and communication of the farms. an out of proportion popularity in
The aesthetics committee and convenience stores. A quick look
the farmers are holding on to in one of these stores revealed
the traditional architecturalthat almost a quarter of the shelf
expression of a farm. A farm has was dedicated to biological meat
a pitched roof and commonly used whilst the amount of biological
materials like: brickwork and meat sold only covers 4,3 percent
wood. Through the conservation of of the total amount of meat sold in
these outer features the romantic convenience stores (Bionext, 2017).
image of the farm is maintained. This difference between societal
behavior and the consumer was
This whilst, behind that traditional
façade, a big change has taken confirmed by the farmers. Civilians
place. say they want the most sustainable
and biological meat whilst the
The romanticizing of the consumer acts differently.
agricultural world is adopted by
the convenience stores. The stores

The research and the excursions
have concluded that meat is an
adaptable product. Animals can
be considered products which can
be handled and produced. The
process from birth till slaughter is
fully controlled. Farmers can meet
all possible demands set by the
product chain. Meat, therefore has
become a product which can be
altered and produced on demand
like any other product.
Characteristic for the adaptability
of meat, is the systems used by
farmers. The animals are adapted
and changed to suit a system.
That animals are considered and
treated as products is visible
in their treatment. A farmer
wants its animals to be healthy,
mostly because healthy animals
produce the predicted production.
The production is an important
INTRODUCTION 25
incentive within the farm as a industrialized and maximized. All
company. Interventions done mechanisms already need to be
by farmers, increasing animal highly efficient to feed only just the
welfare, mostly originate from a western world. A footnote for this
financial argumentation. high efficiency is that the terms
animal welfare and mass meat
The substantial production of production do not yet suit each
food shows big similarities to other very well.
the industrial world. The food
production in the Netherlands
is highly efficient and seems to
receive the maximum yields. It is
a world in which quotas need to
be achieved and large quantities
produced. Behind the traditional
facades and appearance an
efficient industry is located in
which products are handled.
In these factories vegetables,
fruits and animals are treated as
similar products. When viewed
form human food demand, it is
explicable that the agricultural
world has become highly
2.0 RESEARCH
28 RESEARCH
2.1 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Against the backgrounds
of the, in part, autonomous
transformation processes, one
has to wonder what spatial and
architectonic characteristics in
rural areas should be developed
and maintained. The wider
urbanization of the countryside
and the arrival of new programs
centralizes the agricultural
sector as a design task which
brings me to the following
research question: ‘How can the
various stages of an agricultural
production chain be combined
within one architectural object?’
How might architecture become
a tool for rethinking issues raised
by production in the agricultural
sector? A precondition for any
design, and for change through
design, is the cultural visibility
and clear conceptualization of
a given issue. (Bolchover, Lin, together, combined within one tell whether production or the
& Lange, 2016) A design with architectural object. effect on the animals within this
the aim to develop an innovative chain is seen as more important.
a linked production process, ‘Which stages of this chain
are suitable to be involved for
paying attention to sustainability, ‘What does this contribute to
human wellbeing, animal and process combining [intensifying/ the effects on pollution and
environment, management, compacting]?’ Research in the emission within this production
landscape design while creating shape of an elaborate scheme chain?’ In order to get hold of
a positive influence for the of the different stages and its which sustainable and profitable
surrounding community. production value within this development is happening
production chain will tell whether within the agricultural sector, t
In order to achieve the goal to which stages are to be seen as will be necessary to investigate
answer this main question, the suitable. the development by means of
following Sub-questions are literature study whether these
defined: ‘Which agricultural ‘What does this contribute to activities fit into an intensive way
production chain [within animal the effects on animals ant the of farming.
husbandry] is most suitable for products within this production
process combining [intensifying/ chain?’ In the course of the
compacting]?’ With the help of research and its design process,
the previous collective research it will clear up the fact of how
in combination with written animals will react on the effects
literature I will find which of densifying within a production
agricultural production chain chain. These effects will have to
is most suitable for working be weighed together in order to
 RESEARCH 29

‘How can the various stages of an agricultural production

chain be combined within one architectural object?’
30 RESEARCH
2.2 THE PRODUCTION CHAIN INDIVIDUAL PENS
After the calf is born, the calf is
separated from their mother in
forty-eight hours after birth and is
put into an individual penn. These
separated hutches are placed
under one roof in a barn. (Creij,
2017) The newborn calves stay
up to eight weeks locked up in
these individual pens. (PennState
Extension, 2017)
Nearly all male calves are
sold as veal calves after ten to
fourteen days. (Taylor, 2013)
The Netherlands is the largest
producer of veal in the European
Union with approximately
one million calves alive in the
Netherlands. (CBS, 2016) the
other part of the heifer calves
being born in the Netherlands
remain at the farm and continue
their lives as a dairy cow.
[4] Individual calf pens
31
32 RESEARCH

YOUNG CATTLE BARN

If the calf is old enough, it moves the cow gets extra products, such
to the young cattle stall. The as beet pulp and soybean residue.
young cattle are classified by age (Creij, 2017)
and stay in this stall until they
get their own calf. A few days
before childbirth, they enter the
childbirth stall. From day five to
week four, the calf receives milk
and power feed. From week four
to three months, its diet consists
of milk, power feed and roughage
(grass and corn). After three
months, the calf only gets power
feed and roughage. In addition,

[5] Young Cattle barn

33
34 RESEARCH

DRY STALL

When the cow gets pregnant and

is no longer allowed to give milk,
it needs all its rest and energy for
the last stage of its pregnancy.
(Kaamps, 2017) The cow enters
the dry stall forty-five days before
childbirth. A few days before birth,
the cow is led to the childbirth
stall. (Creij, 2017)

[6] Dry stalls

35
36 RESEARCH

CALVING STABLE

A small stall with a floor covered (Wilkins, 2012)

with straw. It is possible to have
more cows in one hutch. It is
important that it needs to be a
draft-free place with a roof. On
average, a cow will deliver a calf BULL CALVES
SOLD FOR VEAL OF BEEF
every 400 days. Forty-five days
before childbirth the cow moves HEIFER CALVES
FOR REPLACEMENTS OR SALE

to the dry stall. (Creij, 2017) It COW LACTATING

took many generations to tame
MATING & GESTATION
cows, as bovine animals are
very aggressive. Researchers
call it a miracle that people have
CALVING
succeeded to domesticate cattle.

DRY
COW

[7] Calving stable

37
38 RESEARCH
DAIRY STABLE
This stable houses cows that
provide milk. In the Netherlands,
17.000 milk farms are located with
a total of 1,8 million cows that
give 14 billion kilograms of milk
each year. The cow will remain
in this place for 300 to 355 days.
In this stable, the cow is milked
two to three times a day by a
standard milking parlor, carousel
or robot. Cows on a farm with a
robot can be milked independently.
This way, the cow can be milked
whenever it wants. (Kaamps,
2017) A cow keeps producing a
certain amount of milk, but this
decreases gradually. Therefore, it
is most efficient for a cow to have
a calve each 400 days. The cows
get categorized by their production
of milk to determine what ratio of
food the cow needs to receive for a
stable milk production. (Creij, 2017)
The expectations of spotting cows
on a field is still very characteristic
for the Dutch landscape. The
grazing stable, in which they are
the remainder of the time, is an
open regulated stable. The cows (RVO, 2017)
are being milked between 2 and 4
times a day by milking machines.
(GDdiergezondheid, 2017) Cows
can live around five years and give,
in the intensive dairy industry and
give milk for approximately three
years. (MelkMoetNiet, 2017) A cow
uses approximately 100-150 liters
of water, 55 kilograms of roughage
and five kilogram of concentrated
food a day. (TheDailyMilk, 2017)
This results in a total of twenty-five
cubical meters of droppings a year.
[8] Dairy Stable
39
40 RESEARCH
DAIRY FACTORY
Every three days, milk is
transported from the farm to the
dairy factory. It is important that
the milk is cooled at the farm. It
is checked for residual veterinary
medicine, the amount of bacteria,
fat and protein content. The higher
the fat and protein content, the
higher the price the farmer receives
for his milk. Eighty percent of the
milk in the Netherlands goes to
the factory of Friesland Campina.
(Creij, 2017) The factory processes
the milk into different products.
First, they pump the milk into
large storage tanks in which they
standardize the fat content. This
means that a centrifuge extracts
milk fat from the milk. The fat will
be added again until the desired
fat percentage is reached. The fat
percentage will determine if it is
full, semi-skimmed or skimmed
milk. The milk is then pasteurized
to kill bacteria. In the factory they
squeeze the milk through little
holes in order to make for smaller
fat globules in the milk. This makes
the fat more soluble. This is called
homogenization and ensures that
fat is not going to float on the
milk. (FrieslandCampina, 2017)
Dutch dairy cows produce about
12.2 billion liters of milk annually.
(Nieuweoogst, 2016) 35% of the
Dutch milk is consumed in the
Netherlands, the other 65% goes
abroad. (Voedingscentrum, 2017) In
1950, the average of milk per year
was 4,000 liters per cow. In 2016,
this is increased to 8000 liters per
cow. (Stoop, 2017)
[9] Dairy factory
41
42 RESEARCH

FATTENING FARM

In months, the cattle is fattened and fresh air. (Voedingscentrum,

to full-fledged meat cows. The 2016).
fattener checks the cows health
for symptoms of diseases. All
cows in the same batch are
transported together to the
slaughterhouse with the help of
large animal trucks. Within a few
days after the cattle have left, the
stable is completely drained and
cleaned to make it ready for a new
batch of cows. This cycle repeats
itself every couple of months. The
stables often have no natural light

[10] US size feedlot Fattening Farm

43
44 RESEARCH
ABATTOIR
After five years, or if the cow is in
a bad condition, it is transported
to an abattoir. This happens when
they are old, have a low production
or are in pain. Every year, this
is approximately twenty-five
percent of the total amount of
cattle. These cows become meat
for human consumption. When a
cow dies on a farm, it is not used
for human consumption, but will
be given to a meat processing
company. (Creij, 2017) As soon
as the milk production or health
of a dairy cow deteriorates it will
be rejected and transported to
the butcher for animal or human
consumption. (CIWF, 2017)
In the Netherlands, we bought
roughly 16.6 kilos of beef per
person in 2012. That’s about 50
grams a day. About half of that (8
kilo a year or 22 grams per day) we
actually ate. (Voedingscentrum,
2017)
[11] Bolt stunning of a cow
45
46 RESEARCH

CUTTERY

From the slaughterhouse, if not

baught by a butcher, the meat is
transported to the meat cutting
plant. It is cut into smaller parts,
such as steak. These pieces then
are cooled and go to wholesale
and retail. Sometimes the meat
goes to a meat processing plant
to edit the meat.

[12] Cutting line at cuttery

47
48 RESEARCH

DISTRIBUTION CENTER

The distribution center is part want to present their own brand:

of the supermarket chain. The that means an anonymous milk
factory transports the dairy flow. This way, they can negotiate
products to the distribution more with their milk supplier.
centers of the supermarkets. (Nicholson, 2012)
The distribution center divides
the product between different
supermarkets. Sixty-five percent
of the milk produced in the
Netherlands is exported. (Creij,
2017) It takes an average of four to
five days for milk to get from cow
to supermarket. (Procon, 2013)
More and more supermarkets

[13] Meat packages in cold storage

49
50 RESEARCH

SUPERMARKET

In the supermarket, the dairy of milk is heated at the factory

products are sold. Most popular exterminating most bacteria. As a
product is cheese with an amount result, long-life milk can only be
of forty-eight percent of all dairy stored for up to several months.
products. (Creij, 2017) Most of (Voedingscentrum, 2017)
the milk in the Netherlands is
fresh milk, i.e. milk which has
been pasteurized (heated briefly),
and has a limited shelf life. Milk
is categorized in whole milk,
semi-skimmed milk, skimmed
milk and Farmers (country)
milk. Besides fresh milk, there
are several variations; This type

[14] Offers on beef in supermarkets

51
52 RESEARCH

CONSUMER

Finally, milk can be used by the

consumer. Skimmed, semi-
skimmed milk and milk products
like cheese 30+, skimmed and
semi-skimmed yoghurt and
buttermilk fit in a healthy diet.
Taking milk is associated with
a lower risk of colon cancer and
eating yogurt with a lower risk of
type 2 diabetes. Therefore, dairy
belongs to the Food Pyramid.
(Kongerslev, Raben, & Tine, 2016)

[15] Grilled beef steak

53
54 RESEARCH

INDIVIDUAL PENS YOUNG CATTLE BARN

MILKING BARN DAIRY FACTORY

CUTTERY DISTRIBUTION

[16] Summarized life of cattle in built

environment
 RESEARCH 55

DRY STABLE CALVING STABLE

FATTENING FARM ABATTOIR

SUPERMARKET CONSUMER
 56 RESEARCH

ABSTRACT CATTLE LIFE

A B C D E F G H I J K L

ZON
CALVING STABLE

ZONE
1 5
1
DRY STABLE

YOUNG CATTLE BARN FA

INDIVIDUAL PENS MILKING BARN

ZONE ZONE ZONE

5
2 3 4

[17] Abstract reproduction life of cattle

 RESEARCH 57

L M N O P Q R S T U V W

NE ZONE ZONE
5 3 2
DAIRY FACTORY PACKAGING

DISTRIBUTION SUPERMARKET CONSUMER

ATTENING FARM ABATTOIR CUTTERY

ZONE
ZONE
4 1
COW LIFE

HEIFER CALVES

BULL CALVES

MILK
58 RESEARCH

CONCLUSION

Due to the ever-increasing The impact of technological over the whole process and makes single production process which
efficiency of agriculture and, developments has reached various stops within this process takes the product from all different
consequently, the diminishing far. Dairy farming and animal little to do with the other, except types of anonymous buildings
living opportunities for the small husbandry are increasingly for the initial product. Growth and warehouses to the consumer.
farmer company, the number of automated – milking, feeding, in production numbers means The number of elements within
farmers is declining. It is expected barn cleaning and dung removal a growing difference between the agricultural landscape
that this process will continue to are digitalized and done by robots. successful and unsuccessful decreases strongly and its use
accelerate in the coming years. The countryside, in terms of how farmers. Over time the smaller changes constantly. Where in the
Apart from the decline in land, this we work, is becoming very similar farmers will lose the fight for past the flax was grown, roared
will have a major impact on the to the city. The farmer is like us workable surface. The exponential and stored on the land itself.
layout and use of the countryside. – a flex worker, operating on a growth of the potential of robotics Nowadays, almost all agricultural
Ultimately, the goal of common laptop from any possible location. and computerization in the products are being processed in
agricultural policy is to increase (Koolhaas, 2014) This does not agricultural sector drastically warehouses or in silo’s. Large-
the agricultural productivity. mean that it is wrong, but it is change the nature of agricultural scale livestock barns are housed
only ironic that such drastic work. In a social context in which in anonymous boxes that do
What this means for a cow is that in transformations are barely on the only measure is; the measure not give an indication of what is
order to maximize milk production, the radar in our education and of growth in which changes are happening inside. Agriculture and
cows are subjected to a relentless thinking. reviewed, it cannot be helped that cattle breeding, and at the same
cycle of impregnation, birth, shrinkage is seen as a bankrupt. time its architecture becomes
lactation, and re-impregnation. Due to technological and (Alkemade, 2016) As a result, the anonymous.
The life of a dairy cow in production economic progress, agricultural entire agricultural landscape is
is short. At around four years old, companies specialize in a in need of an immense transport
dairy cows are considered “spent” particular agricultural area. This network between the many
and sent to slaughter. (CIWF, 2017) creates an absence of knowledge different disciplines to establish a

[18] Life cycle of a dairy cow

 RESEARCH 59

BIRTH

15 - 18 MONTHS
IMPREGNATED
SLAUGHTERED
AT ABOUT
24 - 27 MONTHS
84 MONTHS
BIRTH OF FIRST
CALF
MILK
PRODUCTION
DECLINES IN
LACTATION 26 - 30 MONTHS
CYCLE REIMPREGNATED

68 - 76 MONTHS
BIRTH OF FIFTH 35 - 39 MONTHS
CALF BIRTH OF
SECOND CALF

59 - 67 MONTHS
REIMPREGNATED 37 - 43 MONTHS
REIMPREGNATED

57 - 64 MONTHS 46 - 52
BIRTH OF MONTHS
FOURTH CALF 48 - 55 MONTHS BIRTH OF
REIMPREGNATED THIRD CALF
60 RESEARCH
2.3 CATTLE WELLFARE
The welfare of an animal
relates primarily to its ability
to cope, both with its external
environment – such as housing,
handling by humans, weather and
the presence of other animals,
and with its internal environment
– such as specific injuries
or illnesses and nutritional
status. Welfare refers not only
to the internal and external
environments of animals, but
how they feel (Moran, 2015).
While the welfare of an animal
is a dynamic thing, dependent
on changes in the animal’s
health and environment, some
simple, fundamental features
will guarantee good welfare.
These are: good hygiene, having
continuous access to clean
water, stable social groups and
the provision of preventative
veterinary care.
Housing can have a significant
influence on the welfare of
cows, affecting all three welfare
categories. Whether housed
in tie stalls, free stalls or open
lounging systems, in order to
maximize performance and
ensure satisfactory standards
of welfare, the accommodation
must provide for the animal’s
basic needs. As an absolute
minimum, the housing must
provide a comfortable, clean,
and well drained dry lying area
that provides shelter from
adverse weather. The space
provided should be enough
that the animal can express
behaviors that will allow it to be
comfortable including standing,
turning, scratching and lying.
Housing systems should also
allow the animal to move without
risk of injury. The provision of an
environment that fulfils these
criteria is a common theme
in quantitative measures of
dairy cow welfare, highlighting
its importance. Poor housing
not only affects the day-to-day
comfort of the cow, but also has
flow-on effects to their health.
When animals are allowed to
spend time in an environment
they prefer, their affective state
is assumed to be more positive
because they are provided with
a situation they desire. While
cows prefer to be indoors, rather
than in full sun when it is hot,
providing cows with access to
both environments will ensure
positive welfare. (Moran, 2015)
The challenge for modern dairy
production is the maintenance
of healthy, long living cows with
a high level of performance. As
cows produce more milk, they
become more sensitive to their
environment. If we succeed in
transferring the natural conditions
into the cowshed, which means
adapting the cowshed to the
animal and not vice versa, this is a
step towards more profitable dairy
production with healthier animals
(Moran, 2015)
There are six key housing aspects
of cow health and wellbeing,
namely: Water, with access to
clean, palatable water at least 21
hr/day. Light, with at least 6 hr/
day of darkness. Air, that is fresh
and clean. Rest, with a dry and
comfortable place to lie down for
at least 13 hr/day. Space, so cows
can walk to feed and water troughs
from their free stalls without
fear. Feed, in that cows can eat a
palatable and well-formulated feed
for at least 21 hr/day. (Moran, 2012)
[19] Key housing aspects of cow
health and wellbeing.
 RESEARCH 61

FEED
REST
WATER
62 RESEARCH
2.4 CATTLE BEHAVIOUR
The behavior of domestic cattle has
evolved over a long time, initially in
response to their domestication, but
more recently in response to more
subtle changes in their handling,
feeding and herd management as
they have become more exposed to
the intensive practices of modern
day dairy and beef cattle farming.
Cattle are animals that fear novelty
but become accepting of a routine.
They have good memories and
stock with previous experience
of gentle handling will be easier
to deal with than stock with a
history of rough handling. A better
understanding of natural behavior
will facilitate handling. Being prey
animals, fear motivates them to
be constantly vigilant in order to
escape from predators. When cattle
become agitated during handling,
they are motivated by fear. Calm
animals are then easier to handle.
Fearful animals stick together
making handling more difficult.
Although cattle are creatures of
habit, gentle dairy cows can easily
be prompted into movement that is
dangerous to both the animal and
handler by the use of unnecessary
severe methods of handling and
restraint. Attempts to force an
animal to do something it does not
want to do often end in failure and
can cause the animal to become
confused, disorientated, frightened
or upset. Handling cattle requires
them to be ‘outsmarted’ rather
than be ‘outfought’ and they should
be ‘outwaited’ rather than hurried.
Most tests of will between the
handler and the cows are won by
the cow. (Moran, 2015) When cows
ruminate, they appear relaxed with
their head down and their eyelids
lowered. Resting cows prefer to lie
on their chest, facing slightly uphill.
Also, through cud chewing as well
as mutual and self-grooming,
aggression is reduced and there is
little or no boredom. (Phillips, 2002)
Based on the sensory abilities
together with cow management we
can design cowsheds and handling
facilities that can make a difference
by complementing the natural
‘following’ behavior of cattle. Clear
entrances and exits allow stock to
see and follow others. Good design
can also partially compensate for
poor stock handling practices by
removing the need for handlers to
interact with the stock frequently
or on an individual basis. Vision is
the dominant sense in cattle and
is responsible for about half of the
sensory information they receive
from their surroundings. Cattle
have a 330° vision, of this visual
area, they have binocular vision

for a limited area in front of them.
Cattle are less able to discriminate
objects that differ in light intensity
and cannot see red colors as well
as humans. This increases their
color contrast, making shadows
look more extreme compared to
how we perceive them. Paired with
limited depth perception, a block
of shadow can look like a hole in
the ground to cattle. Shadows,
very bright light and sparkling
reflections will distract or slow
down cattle investigating their
surroundings, often upsetting the
smooth flow of cows in a laneway.
Cattle are also motivated to move
from areas of low light to well-lit
areas. Conversely, they will avoid
moving from well-lit to dark areas.
Taking cattle’s visual sense into
consideration is very important
when trying to move them. In both
free moving and tethered cattle,
moving them can be much easier
if lighting is even, the area free of
distracting and unfamiliar objects,
and you don’t make sudden,
significant movements. (Moran,
2015) Cattle perceive extreme
ambient temperatures, relative
humidity’s and/or wind speed
through thermoreceptors, skin
dryness and mechanoreceptors.
They learn their comfort or
thermoneutral zones, above
and below which they must use
physiological processes to sustain
their core body temperatures.
They then modify their behavior
accordingly, such as seeking cooler
locations during hot weather to
find more favorable microclimates.
As the lower critical temperature of
adult cows is −23°C, they are rarely
affected by cold stress. Heat stress
is a common problem, at 21°C
cattle increase their respiration
RESEARCH 63
rate, and at 25°C, above which
they reduce feed intake to reduce
metabolic heat production from
rumen fermentation. (Moran, 2015)
Fear is the response to a real or
perceived threat and serves to
protect the animal from danger. As
they have evolved as prey animals,
cows are naturally reactive
or fearful in several different
situations, including a fear of
novelty. As a result cattle can find
unfamiliar objects, situations and
smells and sudden movements
and noises frightening. This is
exacerbated when they are solitary
or isolated. It is for this reason that
gentle handling, repeated exposure
to situations or environments and
a consistent routine can help to
create calm animals. Improved
cow movement and milk yield are
measurable benefits arising from
64 RESEARCH
‘cow friendly’ facility design and
stock handling practices. With
gentle handling and routine, cows
will be easier to move, easier to
milk, and will let down more milk.
(Moran, 2015)
Sudden movements or noises are
very threatening to cows. Moving
and handling animals in a calm,
quiet way can significantly reduce
fear. Associated fear behaviors
can result when cattle interpret
some relatively common situations
as threats, such as heights,
sudden movement, sudden
noises, threatening or aggressive
actions, prolonged eye contact
and large or towering objects.
These evolutionary threats can be
minimized through good dairy and
shed design and thoughtful stock
handling. Cows can find novelty
fearful, and are generally afraid of
sudden changes to facilities and
routines. Keeping environmental
features such as lighting, floor
surfaces or levels, and fences or
wall types as consistent as possible
will help to reduce fear. Since cows
are creatures of habit, they like to
learn exactly what is happening,
what they have to do and when.
So it is important to have patience
to allow routines to develop, then
rigidly stick to these routines. A
group of cows moves like a flowing
stream, so to prevent this stream
from being interrupted, it is
important to avoid obstacles,
passageways with dead ends
and things that make cows feel
afraid. Fear can make handling
and milking harder, more time
consuming and more dangerous. It
can also delay milk letdown (for up
to 20 min) and reduce milk yields
(by up to 20%). Fear responses
during movement make cows
more prone to slipping, falling and
injuries (e.g. pelvic and hip injuries
due to falling, hoof injuries during
slipping leading to lameness, for
example) and compromise their
welfare. (Phillips, 2002)
Cattle will naturally group and
move together; movement of other
cows triggers the next cows to
move. The pace at which you push
the herd will influence the pace of
their movement. A slow, consistent
pace is best as this ensures safe
movement, reducing the risks of
injury and lameness, or of causing
panic in the herd. Cows generally
walk in some order of rank and do
not overtake each other. (Moran,
2015) Cattle are social animals
and have evolved to live in herds
in a strategy to reduce the risk of
predation. Grazing in open areas
 RESEARCH 65

increases the risk of predation, depending on the degree of change

and group living increases the in the group. Minor changes result
likelihood of predator detection in a doubling of aggression activity
to compensate. Importantly, for about 24 h. Changes in the group
this evolution of social behavior structure may sometimes cause
means that isolation is particularly sufficient disruption to actually
stressful to cattle. Isolation can reduce feed intake and hence milk
cause animals to be distressed and production. However, this can be
panic, increasing the likelihood of quite variable, varying from 19% to
injury to both the individual and zero reduced milk yields in eight
handler. The effect of isolation different studies (Phillips, 2002).
is additive or compounding, with
animals being more stressed
during husbandry procedures when
isolated. Therefore, it is always best
to keep several animals together
during activities like veterinary
treatment, artificial insemination
or movement from one place to
another.

When cattle groups are mixed,

a new dominance structure is
created, usually within 24 to 72 h,
 44 45
Y Y
66
DA DA

FEED FEED
REST REST
WATER WATER

5 6 5 7
Y Y
DA DA

FEED FEED
REST REST
WATER WATER

[20] Daycycle cattle

 4 6 47 48
Y Y Y
DA DA DA 67

FEED FEED F
REST REST
WATER WATER

5 8 5 9 6 0
Y Y Y
DA DA DA

FEED FEED F
REST REST
WATER WATER
68 RESEARCH

Based on the sensory abilities changes in construction material • Avoid moving and flapping
and behaviors discussed, the or floor type will inhibit cow flow. objects, and noisy and dusty
following considerations will help environments. These will all
to improve cow comfort: • Avoid contrasting colors in cause animals to baulk.
the stables
• Provide wide, clear, well-lit • Ramps with covered sides • Remove any solid
pathways for cow movement. will not allow stock to judge the projections or obstructions from
elevation and so improve cow the cows’ path.
• Cattle are attracted to the flow.
sight of others moving ahead • Avoid places where painful
so visual contact needs to be • Provide an incentive for procedures have previously
maintained and not obstructed. cows to move through the milking occurred.
parlor, food at the end works
• Stables with clear, particularly well.
unobstructed views towards the
exit or where animals are meant • Avoid sudden changes
to move will encourage them to in lighting, floor surfaces and
move. textures, floor level and fence or
wall types.
• The sight of stationary
cattle will slow down movement. • Avoid changes in critical
points along the route, such as
• Keep surfaces as at gates, pen exits, corners and
consistent as possible because entrances to the race or laneways.

[21] Vitruvian Virtues of architecture

 RESEARCH 69

REPETITIO
UTILITAS UNITATUM
REPETITION
USABILITY

VENUSTAS FIRMITAS REPETITIO REPETITIO

BEAUTY DURABILITY UNITATUM UNITATUM
REPETITION REPETITION
70 RESEARCH

2.5 LIST OF PROS OF LARGE SCALE FARMING

It is inexpensive: With the use of factory farms can be labeled as entails that goods will be
large scale farms, the prices of “efficient”. The reason for using delivered to the market and
food have drastically dropped. The this adjective is that livestock are grocery stores faster than ever.
main reason for this is that food arebeing raised in confined spaces, Also, this farming technique has
being processed and produced at a which means that the spaces made access to food in first-
faster rate by employing efficient utilized are lesser compared to world of highly industrialized
processes. the number of animals raised. countries easier.
Of course, this can save farmers
It is less dependent on human labor: considerable capital, since It is a very lucrative business:
large scale farming uses modern their farms do not need to put The profit margins of large scale
technology, so it has freed farmers in a huge amount of money to farms have been huge because
from manual labor constraints. maintain them. Moreover, the proper care of animals, where
Now, willing laborers will only be methods used to manufacture much of farming costs lay, can be
picked for tasks that really require meat involve cheaper and faster put onto the backseat. Also, the
them, while a few individuals just processes, which again reduce farm locations have the qualities
use machinery to do more than their cost. that offer low-cost labor.
hands can ever could. This brings
about many benefits, including one It requires just a little amount It allows for greater availability
where farmers will be able to afford of time to market: With large and variety: Because food has
to hire better workers to complete scale farming, there have been become cheaper to process and
specialized or individual tasks. significant advancements in its produce, farm owners can make
methods of food processing, some investments in raising
It is efficient: Though many production, preservation, and growing more varieties of
people would oppose this opinion, packaging and delivery. This livestock and plants than before.
 RESEARCH 71

Biotechnological advancements It can provide large amounts of communities where they are
have also led to the creation of food for society: This agricultural operating. They also claimed that
hybrid varieties of plant or those method creates a farming system it has promoted the development
that are disease-resistant, which that is profit-based and provides of vital amenities, such as
can be grown in places unsuitable human populations with the right hospitals and good roads among
for vegetation in the past. amount of calories they need others. These are the primary
every day to live and survive. reasons why most developed
It can offer a lot of job opportunities: Whether it is a certain type of countries attribute their growth
Considering that large scale crop or livestock focused by the to factory farming and relevant
farming involves large operations, farm, products would come out of farming practices. (Greengarage,
there is a need of a huge number of these large scale farms regularly. 2017)
people to work on it. The industry
definitely offers a wide array of job It lengthens food availability and
opportunities, as well as economic shelf life: Shelf life of food shelf-
stimulation, to places that are in life is extended, thus an increase
desperate need of this kind of help. of its economic value. This
farming method employs new
It has fewer geographic limitations: techniques of food processing,
With large scale farms, farmers packaging and preservation that
will have greater access to water are being uncovered constantly.
because of irrigation. Aside from It can boost local communities:
this, they will also have easy Proponents of large scale factory
access to fertilizers and other farming stress that the industry
technologies. invests greatly in the local
72 RESEARCH

2.6 LIST OF PITFALLS OF LARGE SCALE FARMING

It risks the occurrence of animal can transfer to their meat. As diseases and illnesses within them, citizen and the consumer to food
cruelty: Animals could fall victim to you may have noticed in today’s It can hurt the farming community: production will therefore increase.
the difficult and cruel conditions of supermarket chickens, they are Small scale family farms are Moreover, the artificial production
large scale farming. They could be about 2 times fatter and having being wiped out because of environment may - whether or not
packed into incredibly small areas, half the protein compared to factory farming, which has the rightly - raise concerns regarding
which are often indoors, and fed supermarket chickens many years capability to produce goods much animal welfare and plant and
additive ingredients for fattening. ago. more quickly and cheaply than animal health.
They only know such a life until they traditional farming, thus becoming
are slaughtered to be processed, It risks food products to have sub- the obvious choice of large-scale
which is quite cruel. standard quality: This can be one companies and businesses.
of the biggest disadvantages of
It can lead to high animal death large scale farming. Since animals It can have a negative impact on the
rates: Because animals would be are artificially bred and the environment: Because of extreme
exposed to difficult conditions, they procedure used is unnatural, the overcrowding conditions, the land
could die in huge numbers. Among end products could be having poor that surrounds large scale farms
the most common reasons of quality. Antibiotics are injected into could not handle the large amount
animals dying are stress, disease livestock, making them vulnerable of waste produced by animals.
and even heart attack. to unclean matter and disease. As This can contribute to land, air and
a consequence, meat would not be water pollution in the surrounding
It offers less nutrition for animals: as good. areas. (Greengarage, 2017)
Animals that are large scale
factory farmed are fed with high- It can lead to some health concerns: Such large-scale units do not lend
fat and additive feeds to get them The conditions the farm animals themselves to interaction with
fat quickly. Take note that these are living in each day can breed the public. The distance of the
RESEARCH 73
74 RESEARCH
2.7 REFERENCE PROJECT A COASTAL CITY WITH 44 PIG FLATS
In October last year, Dutch received
a new word: varkensflat. minister
Brinkhorst became enthusiastic
about a test with a so-called
‘agroproduction park’ for large-
scale industrial agriculture on the
Maasvlakte. A six-storey building
of 1000 by 400 meters had to be set
up to accommodate 300,000 pigs,
1.2 million chickens and a salmon
nursery, the National Agricultural
Research Council (NRLO) proposed.
In this way, breeding of pigs and
other agricultural activities takes up
much less space.
Bernard Hulsman 8 mei 2001
The responses to the pigflats
differed. The fierce reactions to
the plan for these pigflats did not
prevent the Rotterdam architectural
agency MVRDV from developing the
idea further in their project Pig City.
This movie is part of an exhibition
in The Hague’s Stroom gallery. The
film contains a dizzying amount
of data about the pig industry in
the Netherlands, which MVRDV
translated into a skyscraper of
more than 600 meters. Higher than
most of other building in the world.
In organic livestock, where pigs
get more space and better food
than in intensive pig farming, 1726
m² is needed for each pig. If one
chooses to do this, there will be
only 774 m² left for each inhabitant.
The choice of animal-friendly
breeding makes a concentration
of pig farms so inevitable, MVRDV
states. An additional advantage of
the skyscrapers is that the pigs are
never transported. It is calculated
that for all the need for pork, 32
skyscrapers are needed, which
each year supply 247,000 fattening
pigs. These can be spread across
the country. For export, 44 pork
skyscrapers are required, which
are concentrated on the coast at a
large port, creating a true pig city.
Such a pig city may make an absurd
impression: forty four towers of
more than 600 meters are hard
to imagine. But whoever sees the
movie can not deny that the pigs in
their city will have a better life than
in the colossal yet tight barns that
have now transformed Brabants
and Gelderlands countryside into
a kind of Los Angeles for pigs.
For example, each floor has large
balconies with trees where the pigs
can stay outdoors for a few hours
each day. (Hulsman, 2001)
[22] MVRDV’s Pig City
75
76 RESEARCH
2.8 SUSTAINABILITY
The benefits of agriculture
have been immense. Before the
dawn of agriculture, the hunter–
gatherer lifestyle supported about
4 million people globally. Modern
agriculture now feeds 6,000
million people. (David Tilman,
2002) Further increases in
agricultural output are essential
for global political and social
stability and equity. Doubling food
production, and sustaining food
production at this level, are major
challenges. Doing so in ways that
do not compromise environmental
integrity and public health is a
greater challenge still. When
we think about threats to the
environment, we tend to picture
cars and smokestacks, not dinner.
But the truth is, our need for food
poses one of the biggest dangers
to the planet. (Ford, 2001) In order
to make this food chain Future
proof I not only have to take the habitat, making agriculture a
animal, but also the sustainability major driver of wildlife extinction.
of its life into account.
The environmental challenges
Agriculture is among the greatest posed by agriculture are huge,
contributors to global warming, and they’ll only become more
emitting more greenhouse gases pressing as we try to meet the
than all our cars, trucks, trains, growing need for food worldwide.
and airplanes combined—largely We’ll likely have two billion more
from methane released by cattle mouths to feed by mid-century—
and rice farms, nitrous oxide from more than nine billion people. But
fertilized fields, and carbon dioxide sheer population growth isn’t the
from the cutting of rain forests only reason we’ll need more food.
to grow crops or raise livestock. The spread of prosperity across
Farming is the thirstiest user of the world, especially in China
our precious water supplies and and India, is driving an increased
a major polluter, as runoff from demand for meat, eggs, and dairy,
fertilizers and manure disrupts boosting pressure to grow more
fragile lakes, rivers, and coastal corn and soybeans to feed more
ecosystems across the globe. cattle, pigs, and chickens. If these
Agriculture also accelerates trends continue, the population
the loss of biodiversity. As we’ve growth and its richer diets will
cleared areas of grassland and require us to roughly double the
forest for farms, we’ve lost crucial amount of crops we grow by 2050.
 RESEARCH 77

Unfortunately the debate over It does not need to be an either-

how to address the global food or proposition. Both approaches
challenge has become polarized, offer needed solutions; neither
pitting conventional agriculture one alone gets us there. We
and global commerce against local would be wise to explore all of the
food systems and organic farms. good ideas, whether from organic
The arguments can be fierce, and local farms or high-tech and
and like our politics, we seem to conventional farms, and blend the
be getting more divided rather best of both. (CIWF, 2014)
than finding common ground.
Those who favor conventional
agriculture talk about how
modern mechanization, irrigation,
fertilizers, and improved genetics
can increase yields to help meet
demand. Meanwhile proponents
of local and organic farms counter
that the world’s small farmers
could increase yields plenty—and
help themselves out of poverty—
by adopting techniques that
improve fertility without synthetic
fertilizers and pesticides.
(National Geographic, 2017)
78 RESEARCH
2.9 HOUSING SYSTEMS
Over the years, different
methods have been developed
for keeping cows. These different
kind of stables have several
returning aspects, but there are
also very unique and specific
characteristics to each barn.
The tie-up stall its appearance
is sober and a testimony to
pure functionality. By analyzing
the floor plan, a clear division
in the layout can be seen. This
makes the work for the farmer
logical, but not easier. Within
the stable, many things are done
manually, while the workload
is high. Farmers that use this
barn are convinced that it is a
stable with the healthiest cows
(Melkveehouders Prikkebord,
2010). The tie-up stall has
several advantages, but also
many disadvantages. The cow
has very limited freedom to
move, because they are attached
to a chain and rope. However, it
is easier for the farmer to check
each cow for sicknesses or a
decreased appetite.Also, he or
she manually milks cattle with a
mobile milking parlor to give each
cow some personal attention.
The hoarding stable [23] is a
building with a functional design.
The primary volume has an open
character through the use of a
steel structure, free plan and an
open facade. Within the stable
the cows movement is limited to
the primary volume and kept to a
minimum. Relatively the farmer
has more work in this stable.
The movement of the farmer is
mostly externally and twice a
year he has to empty the manure
collection space.
[23] Representation of a hoarding stable
RESEARCH 79
80 RESEARCH
The free range stable is aimed
at total freedom of the cow and
less work for the farmer. He does
not have to clean all the cubicles
daily. However, it does mean more
work because he has to take out
the entire compost floor once a
year and have to drive the manure
across his land. The cows can lie
down everywhere, depending on
how hot or cold the cow wants it
to be.
The roundhouse is a unique
stable that, due to its round
shape, increases animal welfare.
Different classifications of cattle
are normally separated, but here,
cattle is put together to gain a
positive effect on livestock. The
round shape positively influences
the natural gait of cattle, avoids
livestock getting stuck in corners
and affects herd behavior that
naturally form a circle. The building
is thoroughly designed to give the
animals freedom in where they
want to walk or lie. Thus, animal
welfare is a very important aspect
of this stable (Blommenstijn, 2017).
The stall barn [24] is designed
with simplicity, and it provides
the interior with flexibility for its
special layout and programming.
The wide streets provide sight
lines to the oestrus and calving
cows and provides spaces for
roaming. The fear that cows have
for each other is connected with
the spatial layout, the feed intake
and the personal characters of the
cows. There is a struggle in the
ranking of the herd, by means of
being the first at the feed fence.
The openness and wideness of the
inner street provide the cows with
more shelter.
After analyzing these buildings,
there are some key points to
conclude. Where the context of
each barn is diverse, the functional
spaces within the stables are very
similar. The free range stable
shares the same principle of free-
to-walk area as the roundhouse
and hoarding stable, while the
other barns limits the freedom of
the cow. It can be seen that, the
more modern the stable, the more
freedom the cow has within the
stable. This counts for the amount
of work load for the farmer as well.
We can say that each of these
stables has its pros and cons. It is
the art of combining all the positive
components of all these stables in
to a new form.
[24] Representation of a Stall Barn
RESEARCH 81
3.0 ANALYSIS
84 ANALYSIS

3.1 AGRAIC PRODUCTION IN NUMBERS

If we know that the entire surface find out that according to CBS the If we take a look at, for example, Business expansion, intensification
of the Netherlands is: 4.154.300 Netherlands houses 1.572.287 the municipality of Eindhoven, and disengagement was
hectares and the entire arable Dairy cows. with its 272100 Residents, accompanied by a shift from the
agraic surface of the Netherlands The surface area required in these numbers become more center of gravity of the dairy farm of
is: 2.264.376 hectares, we can order to keep these kinds of manageable. the ‘old’ dairy farms to the central
cunclude that 54.5% of total numbers of cattle is a minimum and southern sand areas. In 1960,
surface of the Netherlands is of 700 hectares of cattle. the livestock population did not
agraic surface. exceed 150 animals (cattle) per 100
In addition to this, cattle also hectares of cultivated land; In 1985
If we take the amount of need to eat. Which comes down the livestock population was usually
inhabitants of the netherlands to a sloppy 1.916.250 hectares of 250 units per 100 ha and growing.
into acount, which is 16.940.000 surface to produce roughage. (Maas, Wijnen, & Spierings, 1989)
we need 1.016.400.000 L Milk and
262.570.000 KG beef a year That is 84.65 % of the Netherlands
to meet the demand for its agraic land and 46.14 % of the
these kind o products. Netherlands total surface to feed
the Dutch with milk and beef. [25] NUMBEROF CATTLE PER 100
This means that we are in need HECTARE OF CULTIVATED LAND
of +/- 1.400.000 dairy cows to These kind of scales and 250 +
produce these kind of amounts production numbers exceed 200 - 250
of milk. many thoughts. It is only when
we downscale the production 150 - 200
When we take a look at the demand that we can handle 100 - 150
number CBS gives us, we will these numbers into one design. 50 - 100
 ANALYSIS 85

1960 1985
 86

3.2
ANNUALLY
ANALYSIS

ANNUALLY

Supply per cow:

Demands per resident:
SUPPLY AND DEMAND

8000+ L MILK (CIWF) 60 L of DAIRY

(zuivelonline)

1 calf (DELEVAL)

650 m3 natural gass

(milieucentraal)
300 kg meat
(Voedingscentrum)

2 m3 methane (RVO)

10,5 kg Beef
(wageningen universi-
ty & research)

25m2 manure (RVO)

[26] The municipality of Eindhoven
 ANALYSIS 87

272100 RESIDENTS(CBS)
EINDHOVEN
88 ANALYSIS

3.3 NUMBERS
REQUIRED AMOUNT OF DAIRY CATTLE:

8000
8000 DAIRY COWS

40 000 / 80 000 M2
(VETVICE)

440 000 KG ROUGHAGE

(DAILYMILK)

800 000 L WATER

(DAILYMILK)

+ 4000 YOUNG CATTLE

+ 4000 MEAT COWS

= 16000 COWS

[27] REQUIRED SURFACE

 ANALYSIS 89

REQUIRED SURFACE:

28 M

HUB
80 80 80 80 80 80
21 M

COWS COWS COWS COWS COWS COWS

196 M

X 29 = 5,7 KM
90

[28] REQUIRED SURFACE

91
92 ANALYSIS

3.4 TYPE STUDIES VERTICAL CITY HUBS

+-
FACTORY FACTORY

SMALL FOOTPRINT NO GRAZING

MINIMAL TRANSPORT LANDSCAPE POLLUTION

STACKABLE SYSTEMS HIGH BUILDING COSTS

HUGE

MULTIPLE FARMS NEEDED

 ANALYSIS 93

HORIZONTAL STABLE LINES

+-
EXPANDABLE TRANSPORTATION IN LENGTH

ETHICAL

SUITABLE IN AGRAIC
ENVIRONMENT

POSSIBILITIES FOR GRAZING

REPETITION

ONE LINKED FARM

94 ANALYSIS

3.5 PRODUCTION DAIRY

Dairy plants are found all over the for the manufacture of products and wholesome. Distribution
world, but because their sizes and which are acidified by the addition companies deliver dairy products
the types of manufactured products of bacteria cultures, e.g. yoghurt from the processor to retailers,
vary tremendously, it is hard to give and cheese. The untreated raw schools, and other outlets in
general characteristics. The dairy milk – whole milk – is stored in refrigerated trucks.
industry can be divided into several large vertical silo tanks which have
production sectors. capacities from about 100,000
litres up to 500,000 litres. Smaller
Raw milk arrives at the dairy in silo tanks are often located indoors
insulated road tankers. The milk while the larger tanks are placed
must be kept well chilled, free from outdoors to reduce building costs.
air and treated as gently as possible. (Tetra Pak, 2017) In developed
Tankers arriving at the dairy drive countries, raw milk is decreamed
straight into a reception hall, often and pasteurised or sterilised. After
large enough to accommodate these steps, several products are
several vehicles. Irrespective of the made: consumer milk, chocolate
product, every factory has a section milk, custard etc. (Agriculture and
where milk is delivered and stored. Consumer Protection Department,
2017)
Milk from sick animals and milk
which contains antibiotics or Packaging is typically done by the
sediment must not be accepted by dairy processor. Both paperboard
the dairy. Even traces of antibiotics and plastic containers are designed
in milk can render it unsuitable to kep dairy products fresh, clean

[29] Flowchart production of dairy

 ANALYSIS 95

STERILIZATION
SEPARATION

COOLING
PULVERIZATION
PRODUCT STORAGE AND
TRANSPORTATION
STANDARDIZATION- DRYING
BLENDING

FERMENTATION

PRODUCTION, STORAGE
AND TRANSPORTATION TESTING AND COAGULATION
PASTEURIZATION
OF MILK (FARM BASED) MEASUREMENT

BY-PRODUCT
PROCESSING (CREAM/
BUTTER)

HOMOGENIZATION
FREEZING
EFFLUENT TREATMENT
(WHEY PROCESSING)
PACKAGING
COLD STORAGE

COLD STORAGE
COLD STORAGE
96 ANALYSIS
BEEF
The slaughterhouse has a crucial
position in the production chain.
At the slaughterhouse, the
farmer ceases its work and the
meat begins its journey to the
consumer: from cattle to meat.
For animal transport, rules apply.
These concern: the journey time,
the rest times, the loading level
and the quality of the means of
transport. Some slaughterhouses
use specific transport
requirements in the context
of quality assurance. For the
transport of meat calves according
to the Better Life feature of the
Animal Protection, a maximum
travel time of four hours, or a
maximum of 250 kilometers is
set. (Vlees, 2017) The slaughter
of livestock involves three distinct
stages: preslaughter handling,
stunning, and slaughtering.
Preslaughter handling is a major
concern to the livestock industry.
Stress applied to livestock before
slaughter can lead to undesirable
effects on the meat produced
from these animals. Preslaughter
stress can be reduced by
preventing the mixing of different
groups of animals, by keeping
livestock cool with adequate
ventilation, and by avoiding
overcrowding. Before slaughter,
animals should be allowed access
to water but held off feed for 12
to 24 hours to assure complete
bleeding and ease of evisceration
(the removal of internal organs).
As the slaughter process begins,
livestock are restrained in a chute
that limits physical movement
of the animal. Once restrained,
the animal is stunned to ensure
a humane end with no pain.
Stunning also results in decreased
stress of the animal and superior
meat quality. The three most
common methods of stunning
are mechanical, electrical, and
carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. The end
result of each method is to render
the animal unconscious.
After stunning, animals are
usually suspended by a hind limb
and moved down a conveyor line
for the slaughter procedures. They
are typically bled by the insertion
of a knife into the thoracic cavity
and severance of the carotid artery
and jugular vein. This method
allows for maximal blood removal
from the body. Cattle are usually
stunned mechanically. The feet
are removed from the carcasses
before they are suspended by the
Achilles tendon of a hind leg for
exsanguination. The carcasses
[29] Slaughterline
ANALYSIS 97
98 ANALYSIS
are then skinned with the aid of
mechanical skinners called “hide
pullers.” The hides are usually
preserved by salting so that
they can be tanned for leather
products. Heads are removed at
the first cervical vertebra, called
the atlas joint. Carcasses are then
placed in a cooler for 48 hours for
beef prior to fabrication into meat
cuts.
Meat inspection is mandatory
and has the mission of assuring
wholesomeness, safety, and
accurate labeling of the meat
supply. Although inspection
procedures vary from country to
country, they are centered around
the same basic principles and
may be performed by government
officials, veterinarians, or plant
personnel. In general, these
programs are representative of
the basic inspection procedures
used throughout the world and
include antemortem inspection,
postmortem inspection,
reinspection during processing,
sanitation, facilities and
equipment, labels and standards,
compliance, pathology and
epidemiology, residue monitoring
and evaluation, federal-state
relations, and foreign programs.
(Britannica, 2017)
The slaughter process is
surrounded by administrative
rules. Because of this, there
are only few butchers who kill
themselves. Slaughtering an
animal is also labor intensive
work. Nearly all butchers buy
a carcass, and process it to the
meat products and / or sausage
and meat products they sell in
their butcher’s shop.
[30] Slaughterline
99
100 ANALYSIS

MANURE ANAEROBIC DIGESTER

ENERGY

Cattle manure is collected and

delivered to the anaerobic digester.
The digester is heated, and the
manure is mixed to optimize biogas
production. The biogas is then
collected and disrtibuted in two ways.

1: The biogas fuels generators

utilizing reciprocating engines to
produce electricity. This electricity CROP FERTILIZER
can be used or send to the power grid

2: The biogas is scrubbed and the

resulting methand is piped to a
natural gas distribution network.

The resulting solid byproduct

obtained after digestion can be of use
as nutrient-rich fertilizer. Waste heat
from the engines is used to heat the
digester. The electricity can in turn be
distrubuted as renewable energy.

[31] An anaerobic facility at Michigan

State University
 BIOGAS ELECTRICITY GENERATOR RENEWABLE ENERGY

NATURAL GAS PIPELINE

TOTAL QUANTITY OF MANURE PRODUCES ANNUALLY
332,880 METRIC TON
TOTAL ENERGY PRODUCES FROM MANURE
141 BILLION BTU
EQUOVALENT NUMBER OF HOMES POWERED ANNUALLY
1,574 HOMES
102 ANALYSIS
3.6 PROGRAM
The majority of dairy cows spend
about 6 months a year indoors
in a stable, in some cases cattle
is kept inside for the entire year.
Therefore, the building must
protect both the animals and the
caregivers from extreme climatic
conditions, limit the environment
when grazing is not possible
or simply allow control and
management of the herd easily.
In order for a housing system to
be successful, it must respond
to the spatial and behavioral
needs of the cows. To achieve
this, it is important to understand
how animals behave in routine
activities such as drinking water
and feeding themselves, lowering,
rising and moving. We also have to
understand how such behavior is
influenced by the group and to be
aware of which housing features
give rise to an increased level of
aggression. In order to promote
natural behavior, sufficient
space must be available and the
conditions and facilities must be
such as to minimize aggressive
interactions.
The quality of the stable
environment influences animal
health. Thermal characteristics
and air quality in the stable
require great attention because
of the effect on the thermal
comfort and the functioning of the
respiratory system in a healthy
way. The cleanliness of the stable
and the animals again influences
the milk and meat quality
and the occurrence of clinical
and subclinical pathologies.
(Beleidsdomein Landbouw en
Visserij, 2014)
[32] Overview Program
 DROP-OFF
GOODS

MILK VIEW POINT

ANSPORT TRANSPO
MACHINES VISITORS

NURSERY

MILK
SICK-BAY
PARLOUR

CATTLE HUB CATTLE

FEEDERS FEEDERS

ANSPORT TRANSPO
WATER FOOD
STORAGE STORAGE

FARMERS
OFFICE

MILK CONTROL
STORAGE POINT
 DROP-OFF
GOODS

MILK VIEW POINT

NSPORT TRANSPO
TRANSPO
MACHINES VISITORS

NURSERY

MILK
SICK-BAY
PARLOUR

CATTLE HUB CATTLE

FEEDERS FEEDERS FEEDERS

NSPORT TRANSPO
TRANSPO
WATER FOOD
STORAGE STORAGE

FARMERS
OFFICE

MILK CONTROL
STORAGE POINT

[33] Overview Program

 DROP-OFF DROP-OFF
GOODS GOODS

MILK VIEW POINT MILK VIEW POIN

ORT TRANSPORT
TRANSPORT TR
MACHINES VISITORS MACHINES VISITORS

NURSERY NURSERY

MILK MILK
SICK-BAY SICK-B
PARLOUR PARLOUR

HUB CATTLE HUB

FEEDERS FEEDERS

ORT TRANSPORT
TRANSPORT TR
WATER FOOD WATER FOO
STORAGE STORAGE STORAGE STORA

FARMERS FARMERS
OFFICE OFFICE

MILK CONTROL MILK CONTROL

STORAGE POINT STORAGE POINT
106 ANALYSIS

3.7 CHECKLIST FOR PLANNING DAIRY SHEDS

Physical aspects: Environment: Milk harvesting:
Aspect of shed with respect Insulated roof Machine milking
of wind and sun Cooling fans Separate milk-harvesting
Flooring (material, slope) Computerized system to Engine room for milk plant
rubber mats for floors initiate specific cooling Refrigerated milk vat
Roof height cycles Other milk processing
Maximum natural ventilation equipment (pasteurizing,
Feed troughs Feeding facilities: packaging)
Water drinkers Separate feed-storage Specific equipment for
Location near feed-growing areas bird, vermin cleaning/sanitizing
areas (for effluent recycling) and insect proof milk handling
Design shed to allow easy Concentrate storage equipment.
stock observation Chopper for processing
Wide aisles for ease of roughages Personnel:
carrying heavy loads Feed mixer for concentrate Office and suitable furniture
formulations Computer facilities
Services: Farm utility for transporting Lockable storage of
Electricity feed, stock and milk veterinary drugs and
Water for drinking, cooling, Farm tractor for handling valuable equipment.
washing and sanitizing bulk feed
 ANALYSIS 107

Adult cows: Young stock:

Free stalls Separate milk-rearing shed
Adequate feeding space per Separate weaned young
cow stock shed
Access to drinking water Suitable capacity for 25–
Level of milk production 30% replacement rate in
Group cows by stage of same shed
lactation Design of calf-rearing pens
Handling yards and crush Location of milk-fed calves
for veterinary attention (away from adult stock)
Area for mixing milk
replacers and calf
concentrates
Hot water for cleaning
equipment
Feed scales for weighing all
feeds
Livestock scales for
weighing stock
Hospital/isolation pen for
infectious diseases.

(Moran, Managing high grade dairy

cows in the tropics, 2012)
108 ANALYSIS

3.8 LOCATION
When we match all the
requirements, numbers and types,
the design unfolds as an elongated
but narrow building. After doing
some research, there are few
places where this elongated design
can be located.

If we take a look at the map of

the Netherlands, there are only
few straight-line strips of land to
be found other than the structure
of highways. Therefore the only
possible situation we can find near
Eindhoven is the A58 between
Moergestel and Oirschot.

By placing the stables along a

highway, they operate as a sound
barrier for the rural area. While the
link with the highway creates many
advantages in the transportation of
goods and fodder.

[34] Location for Farm

4.0 CONCEPT
112 CONCEPT

4.1 TARGET

[35] Future Target]

CONCEPT 113
114 CONCEPT

4.2 PROGRAM

[36] schematic representation

of requirements
 CONCEPT 115

[37] Conceptual Reproduction of design

116
117
118 CONCEPT

4.3 GLOBAL SITE DIVISION

5796 m

196 m

0 1 2 3 4 5

YOUNG CATTLE FARM

CONTROL TOWER

[38] Global Site Division

 CONCEPT 119

6 7 8 9 10

DAIRY FARM
120 CONCEPT

5796 m

11 12 13 14 15

DAIRY FARM

DAIRY FACTORY
 CONCEPT 121

16 17 18 19 20

DAIRY FARM
122

5796 m

21 22 23 24 25

DAIRY FARM
 123

26 27 28 29 30

FATTENING FARM

ABATTOIR & PACKAGING

5.0 DESIGN
126 DESIGN

5.1 SITUATION 1:4000

DESIGN 127
128
129
130
131
132 DESIGN

5.2 GROUND FLOOR PLAN 1:400

 DESIGN 133

A
134

B C

B C
135
136 DESIGN

5.3 FLOOR 1 HUB & ROOF 1:400

DESIGN 137
138 DESIGN

5.4 STABLE TYPES 1:400

Due to the open structure and
repetition in its design it is possible
to create a different layout in
each stable. Where the individual
pens and free walking stables
are required at the start of the
production process, a different
layout is required in the dairy
stables. In the fattening farm it
is possible to see how the cows
have less freedom of movement to
prepare them for the production of
meat.
DESIGN 139
140

5.5 SECTION A-A 1:200

141
142

SECTION B-B 1:200

143
144

SECTION C-C 1:200

145
146 DESIGN

5.6 LOCAL ELEVATION (SOUTH-WEST) 1:200

DESIGN 147
148
149
150
151
152 DESIGN

5.7 NATIONAL ELEVATION (NORTH-EAST) 1:200

DESIGN 153
154
155
156
157
158 DESIGN

5.8 ROUTING
The project involves a variety slower tractors, the roughage
of different routes: Cows, the that is being cultivated on the
farmer, the public, the supply of surrounding country is brought
roughage, concentrate feed, and to storage. Also on this side, it is
the discharge of products. possible for the public to take a
look at the stables. They can also
These routes are linked to each follow each hub on the route of
other as required by its speed. the cow that will take them from
For example, the supply of calf to meat in a beautiful hour
concentrated feed coming from and a half walk.
other parts of the Netherlands is
delivered by truck. Each HUB has
storage for the feed for its cows.
For the supply of this concentrate
feed, the project is linked to the
highway.

Where concentrate feed can be

delivered within a short period
of time, delivering and growing
roughage is a different story.
Therefore, the reception of
roughage is situated on the local
side of the building. With the

[39] Routing
 DESIGN 159

IC
L
B
U
P L
A
C
O
L
160 DESIGN

The public route and the routing from this route. In this way the
of the farmer and the vet are public can follow the life of calf
intertwined. Where the farmer to cow at any moment of its life
needs the overview to keep his without the cows suffering from
cows, the public in this way has this.
the best view on how the animals
are kept. This ensures that there
is transparency between farmer
and public.

To show the transition between

local slow transport and national
fast transport, there is a routing
around the storage silos where
the public has an overview of
the highway, its surrounding
landscape and a view of the
length that is the project.

From the HUB, the public can

walk over the boardwalk on the
roof of the stable to the next
or previous HUB. There is the
possibility to look into the stable

[40] Routing Visitors

 DESIGN 161

Fig: XX | Cattle Routing

162 DESIGN

The route of the cows is, as because it is in the same space

needed, a route that consists of as her herd. Sounds let them
a lot of repetition. Their entire keep in touch. The farmer and
lives, cows are housed in a the vet can closely monitor the
similar stable. This causes no maternity and sickbay facilities
stress due to changes which are from the second office on the
a major burden on the quality of first floor and quickly jump in if
the product in normal livestock something is going on.
farming. As the cows grow older,
they leave from stable to stable
via the HUB where the farmer has
a good overview of all the cows
from his office. In this way the
farmer can perform an additional
check to protect the cow and the
level of the product.

If a cow is sick, injured or

pregnant, the farmer can easily
lead the animal from the herd and
put it in the stables between the
milking parlors. In here the cow
is visually separated from the
herd but will not feel alienated

[41] Routing Cattle

 DESIGN 163

Fig: XX | Logistics Routing

164 DESIGN

5.9 CONSTRUCTION
The construction of the stables cows. The construction of the columns and girders is been
consists of two uneven Y-columns HUB consists of a storey high chosen to maintain a clean face
that use their stretched arms truss that is admired from the in the long run and contributes to
and legs to carry the roof. These outside. As a consequence, the the appearance of the project.
columns are located separate technological character of the
from each other to keep a project is highly anticipated. The
ventilation opening at the top of cantilever on local side of the
the stable. This opening is also project, which also houses the
used to give the public a view of storage of roughage, provides
the activity in the stables. While a dry place for the farmer to
all the columns and drainage deliver and retrieve his products.
pipes are integrated into the The same goes for the national
columns, the piping systems of side, where the lorry drivers load
the transport of milk and other up and unload their products dry
products are led through the while allowing the public to enjoy
opening of the columns. As a the view and the activity.
result, they are protected and
at the same time can be easily The parts that have construction
assembled. physics requirements such as
the farm’s offices and the vet’s
Where the HUB interrupts the control points are situated and
stables in the roof, the uneven hung between the construction
columns continue to maintain of the storey high truss. The
an open space for keeping striking smooth steel of the

[42] Construction
DESIGN 165
166

5.10 MATERIALISATION
[43] The corrugated red steel that good day and night rhythm of the
is the skin of the HUBs is placed cows. The smooth finish ensures
behind the structure so that it that the stable stays as clean as
remains visible. This ensures possible and there is less to none
the industrial and technical collection of dust or dirt.
character of the project. The
red colour of the HUBS allows [46] The floor of the stables
for a pleasant change between is made out of an ‘ECO’ floor.
the stables and is reminiscent This floor is a hybrid between
of the archetypal and romantic concrete and rubber, which
American farm styles. makes it easier for the farmer
and the cow to walk on. Through [43]
[44] The construction that the openings in the floor the
consists of welded tube profiles. manure will fall into the manure
The striking smooth steel of pit and is then transported to the
the construction of columns manure processing plant.
and girders has been chosen
to maintain a clean face in the [47] The roof of the stable is made
long run and contributes to the of a sedimentary roof. Due to the
appearance of the project. good insulation of these types
of roofs, it is very suitable for a
[45] Inside the stables, the ceiling cowshed to keep the cows cool
is kept white, alternating with during the summer and warm in
slots for light fixtures to ensure a winter. In addition, the ecological [44]
 167

appearance of these types of roof

gives an additional input to the
environment.

[48] The storages and offices in the

HUB are made of concrete that,
together with the steel structure,
gives a stable appearance to the
entire design.

[45] [47]

[46] [48]
6.0 VISUALISATIONS
170
171
184
185
VISITOR 1 VISITOR 2 VISITOR 3

VISITOR 4 VISITOR 5 VISITOR 6

VISITOR 7 VISITOR 8 VISITOR 9

VISITOR 10 VISITOR 11 VISITOR 12

CATTLE 1 CATTLE 2 CATTLE 3

CATTLE 4 CATTLE 5 CATTLE 6

CATTLE 7 CATTLE 8 CATTLE 9

CATTLE 10 CATTLE 11 CATTLE 12

188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
7.0 REFLECTION
198

Nine months ago, November 2017 the production process of milk A building typology in which the in order to get a nice piece of meat
seemed so far away. Yet, here and meat under one roof and at animal, the product, the public, on a plate from its conception,
we are. And I am delighted, and the same time take into account the animal lover and the farmer through its production, to its
relieved to be presenting you my the well-being of the animal, all meet in agricultures latest consumption.
graduation project. the farmer, the public and its state. Making the building both
environment. a ‘factory’ and a lesson on how itRED MEAT has been designed to
The first part of this masters should or should not work in the act as an important societal link,
programme offered the In my search for the answer, I agriculture. reflecting our current culture of
opportunity of studying the examined the current state of consumption and at the same
undiscovered landscapes and agriculture. The result has been To what extent is it possible to time, giving visitors and the public
processes within agriculture. the discovery of a surprising actually create such a project? a glimpse of what lies ahead.
This research project has opened and refreshing combination of While the numbers add up and
my eyes on agriculture and how emotions. I understand that while keeping in mind that by
agriculture is projected to the within this project, That there are 2050 we will have a huge shortage
public. two points of view concerning the of food in comparison with the
ethics of keeping animals and inhabitants of planet earth, we
It did not take long for me to find producing food. certainly need to do something
a main cause within the problems about the problems that arise in
we encountered in the research. The arguments in favor of the producing of food.
The function of my design has this project show an image of
been derived from the production contradictions. The melting pot of RED MEAT is, in essence, a
processes of the contemporary ideals, policy, production, culture, summary (whether or not only a
agriculture. The proposed design ethics and emotions resulted in small percentage of the total) of
is to bring all the actions within the desire to design RED MEAT: what is distributed across Europe
 199

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There are a few people to whom I
wish to express my gratitude. This
graduation project would not have
turned out as it has without their
contributions.

My graduation Tutors: Prof. ir.

P.J.R. (Paul) Diederen, ir R.P.J.
(Ruurd) Roorda, ir. B.A.H.L. (Bram)
van Kaathoven, for sharing their
valuable thoughts within this
graduation studio.

My fellow students, who helped

me see clear, laugh, drink, cry
and progress at times it seemed
impossible.

My Girlfriend, whom always

supported me, endured my grumpy
days, and had the patience with the
time I put in this graduation studio.
8.0 LITERATURE
202

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