In the economically distressed Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh sits a greenhouse that is mere feet from city utilities infrastructure, but there are no city utility connections in this building. Powered exclusively by energy from the sun through a revolutionary DC micro grid, the Homewood greenhouse requires no supplementary heat, energy, or water. Inside the greenhouse, Oasis Farms and Fishery is perfecting the revolutionary agricultural technology called aquaponics, where plants are combined with aquatic life to create a sustainable, diverse system of food growth and cultivation. It is a revolutionary urban farming initiative that provides a model for agricultural, economic, and sustainable development for even the most remote and under-privileged locations.

Designed to increase food productivity and density, especially in urban areas, this experimental greenhouse not only grows food, but acts as a global model for developing nations.

The greenhouse includes:
• Aquaponics systems to grow plants and fish
• A STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education classroom under a solar canopy
• A rainwater collection and purification system, with both 1,200 and 500-gallon cisterns, that uses a series of ultraviolet light, filters, and pumps to make the water safe for the aquatic living environment
• Maintenance-free materials and design
• Zero operating cost

The Homewood neighborhood is considered to be a food desert, where access to affordable, nutritious food is scarce. There’s no community grocery store with fresh fruits and vegetables. Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood is a sort of typical American inner city within “America’s Most Livable City.”

Built by innovative modular green home builder EcoCraft, the greenhouse offers a solution - designed specifically to address both local neighborhood food scarcity issues as well as global water, energy, and infrastructure challenges, this micro farm project successfully demonstrates radical self-reliance.

The greenhouse is part of a larger initiative to help create jobs and professional development opportunities for Homewood residents. The Oasis Project plans to launch a range of food-related social enterprises, including a community kitchen, a mobile food truck, and community food market, and culinary training, catering services, and food delivery services.

The greenhouse was built by EcoCraft in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh, Oasis Farms, SolarCell LLC, Energy Independent Solutions, and Thoughtful Balance Architecture. Partners in the project include the Bible Center Church, Oasis Farm & Fishery, the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration and the Swanson School of Engineering.