The ‘Source of Life’ Project: Exploring Aquaponic Integration and Vertical Ecosystems for Urban Food Production

Source of Life: An Innovation Merging Agriculture and Water

At the Health Pavilion in Osaka during Expo 2025, the “Inochi no Izumi” project, meaning “Source of Life”, stands out as a visionary model reimagining how cities can be sustainably nourished. The tall transparent dome, rising 21 feet high, serves as a functional prototype demonstrating the integration of agriculture and water. Inside, tomatoes grow above lightly salted water, while pufferfish swim beneath them. The fish waste nourishes the plants above, creating a closed-loop cycle that maintains the ecological cleanliness of the system.

The Vertical Structure of the Ecosystem

The ingenuity of this project lies in its vertical configuration, which contains four aquatic sections forming the foundation:

• Seawater
• Lightly salted water
• Two freshwater tanks

Each section supports aquatic species adapted to its specific salinity level, ranging from marine sharks to freshwater sturgeon. Above each tank, aquatic crops flourish, forming four parallel ecosystems within a single structure. This project highlights the potential of vertical architecture to integrate ecological systems efficiently.

Nutrient Cycling and Recycling

The nutrient cycle begins underwater, where fish release ammonia-rich waste. Specialized microbes convert this ammonia into nitrite and then nitrate. Pumps then carry this nutrient-rich water upward to feed the plants above. As the roots absorb the nitrogen compounds, the purified water returns to the tanks below, completing a fully closed cycle.

This approach transforms the natural processes of wetlands into an engine for food production, reducing waste and increasing ecological resilience. The broader the range of compatible species, the more sustainable and adaptable the system becomes, forming a finely tuned model that mirrors nature while supporting human consumption. It also provides insights relevant to architectural research on integrating ecological cycles into urban structures.

Plant Distribution Based on Water Sources

Each layer of the dome hosts plants that are compatible with its corresponding water type. For example:

• Salt-tolerant plants, such as sea asparagus and glasswort, grow above the seawater tank, which contains red seabream and black mullet.
• Sea grapes flourish directly within the salted water, forming an integrated ecosystem.
• On the next layer, semi-salt-tolerant tomatoes thrive in lightly salted water, where Japanese pufferfish and ornamental carp swim freely.
• Freshwater zones support functional vegetables such as nutrient-dense herbs and lettuce.
• At the top layer, edible flowers like nasturtium and marigold take center stage, accompanied by rotating beds powered by built-in motors to optimize light exposure.

Exterior Structure and Geodesic Dome

The dome’s exterior shell is composed of transparent ETFE panels stretched across 245 steel structural members connected through 76 joints. This geodesic frame, built using VikingDome’s T-STAR system, spans 1,378 square feet and weighs just over two tons. The entire structure was transported to Yumeshima Island on only three platforms, reflecting remarkable engineering efficiency. Additionally, the design maximizes sunlight while maintaining stable internal temperatures, creating a microclimate that allows multiple cultivation zones to coexist in harmony.

Integration Between Plants and Structures

This system represents an advanced model of how engineered structures can be seamlessly integrated with ecological systems. The solid, light-permeable framework enables plants to grow efficiently, while the varying water layers maintain a finely balanced ecosystem, enhancing sustainability and resilience in food production within densely populated cities. It serves as a reference for design approaches that merge architecture with ecological functionality.

Academic Collaboration and Project Objectives

The “Source of Life” system was developed through a collaboration between the Plant Factory Research Center at Osaka Metropolitan University and the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, demonstrating how agricultural biodiversity functions in real-world applications. Its potential extends far beyond exhibition use, as dense urban centers with limited land can host these modular systems on rooftops or within narrow plots.

Additionally, land-poor regions can achieve food independence, while disaster-prone areas can deploy closed-loop domes for decentralized food production that remains unaffected by soil contamination or water scarcity.

Integration of Nature and Design

What makes this project compelling is not the technology itself, but the elegant synthesis of ecological understanding and efficient spatial design. Traditional agriculture often seeks higher productivity through industrial inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, and energy. Yet this dome reverses that logic and poses a new question: What happens when we design with nature’s cycles instead of resisting them?

As cities grow and climate pressures intensify, sustainably feeding urban populations requires innovative approaches. This geodesic greenhouse offers a practical model for a different path: growing upward, inward, and in circular systems that methodically mirror the cycles of nature.

A Future Horizon for Urban Agriculture

This project highlights the possibility of redefining agriculture in urban environments, where limited spaces and arid regions can become sources of sustainable food production. It further illustrates how thoughtful design can emulate natural processes and enhance ecological resilience, presenting a scalable model that may shape the future of vertical farming and aquaponics in modern cities.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The “Source of Life” project reflects an intriguing experiment in merging architectural structures with ecological systems, offering a practical model for vertically integrated food production within cities. On the positive side, the effective use of vertical space to create multiple agricultural layers inside the dome stands out, along with the controlled internal climate and sustainable nutrient cycle, both valuable solutions for dense urban centers with limited land availability.

However, the project raises several questions when viewed from a comprehensive architectural perspective. First, despite its technical efficiency, the reliance on large geodesic structures and complex water-and-nutrient systems may limit its replicability or scalability, particularly in cities facing economic or logistical constraints. Second, its heavy emphasis on technology reduces the system’s adaptability to existing urban infrastructure, creating challenges related to long-term maintenance and operational costs, an essential architectural factor when evaluating the feasibility of urban projects. Third, the project’s model remains somewhat isolated from external environmental conditions, which may reduce its flexibility as a city-wide sustainable solution.

Despite these reservations, the project offers valuable concepts for rethinking vertical design in urban agriculture. It can serve as an inspiration for engineers and architects to explore hybrid solutions that blend ecological design with architectural innovation, while maintaining economic feasibility and adaptable implementation across diverse urban contexts.