Agro-Marine Nexus

Cairo University, Faculty of Engineering Architecture Department.

Project idea

Each one of us holds a deep love for our hometown; a sincere sense of belonging. But what happens when circumstances force people to leave the place they cherish?

El Quseir, a historic Red Sea coastal city, is facing an economic decline that has led to internal migration. Today, the number of elderly residents far exceeds that of teenagers. This imbalance stems from unstable and fragile economic system that created a dependency loop: food production requires clean water, clean water needs energy, and energy depends on infrastructure...something the city cannot afford without income. This cycle has led to youth migration, food insecurity, and a community disconnected from its roots( a lack of job opportunities, limited access to daily-use crops due to saline soil and scarce freshwater, and the absence of engaging community spaces.).

Agro-Marine breaks this loop by proposing a regenerative system that uses the city’s natural resources—sun, seawater, and local labor;to produce food, generate income, and restore self-sufficiency. By rethinking food production as an opportunity for economic growth and cultural revival, the project offers a blueprint for resilience rooted in innovation and local identity.

In response, Agro-Marine was developed as a food-based startup hub and marketplace built on three core pillars to restore resilience and hope to El Quseir:

1-Seawater Greenhouses technology
Designed to meet the city's daily crop needs, these greenhouses use solar energy and humid coastal air to grow vegetables. The system condenses vapor to create fresh water for irrigation, introducing a sustainable agricultural technology suited to El Quseir's environment.

2-Fish Farming and Processing
Locally raised fish are cleaned, processed, packed, and prepared for export—supporting the city’s economy by generating high-quality, income-producing products to be exported, and reviving El Quseir’s connection to the sea.

3-Community Empowerment
True belonging is nurtured through ownership and participation. Locals can operate their own greenhouse units and sell products in the market. The market's second floor offers co-working spaces, a library, and meeting zones to foster entrepreneurship, innovation, and intergenerational collaboration.

Agro-Marine won't just sell food,it will preform resilience...A movement toward self-sufficiency, youth engagement, and the revival of a community's spirit.

Project description

ARCHITECTURAL FORM & SITE STRATEGY
The form of Agro-Marine was inspired by El Quseir’s traditional architectural language—simple, rectangular masses with subtracted internal courtyards creating shaded courts that act as breezeways and gathering points enhancing natural ventilation and promote a human-scale experience. These masses are subtracted at their centers
A central spine runs through the project, guiding circulation from the main road to the seashore, symbolizing the user’s movement from the city toward natural resources and new opportunities. A second entry is provided from a northern pedestrian path, where the two circulation axes intersect forming a central node within the spine—activating the project’s heart.
The spine is more than a circulation element—it is also the functional and symbolic core, housing the seawater greenhouses and marking the intersection between tradition and innovation.


1. Seawater Greenhouses – Innovation for Food Security
Positioned along the central spine, the seawater greenhouses use solar energy and humid air to produce water and cultivate crops—overcoming El Quseir’s challenges of saline soil and freshwater scarcity.

Key design features include:
-Slanted I-columns (6m apart) to resist lateral loads
-Greenhouse units suspended from a double structural wall (1.5m apart), using steel frames
-A catwalk between the walls for maintenance and monitoring
-A 6-meter clear base allowing user access and unobstructed views toward the sea
-Solar panels on top of the greenhouses to power operations with renewable energy
-Walls are oriented northwest to catch the prevailing winds, enhancing natural cooling

The green spine not only functions as a food engine—it also represents the transitional identity of El Quseir, where local resilience meets emerging technology.


2. Fish Farming & Processing – Reviving the Local Economy
The second pillar of the project focuses on revitalizing the fishing industry, a key part of El Quseir’s heritage. Fish are harvested, cleaned, inspected, filleted, packaged, and exported as high-quality local products—creating new revenue streams and employment opportunities.

-Cladded in locally sourced limestone to reflect the city’s geology and traditions
-Built using a concrete frame structure with double glazing for passive cooling
-Includes a mezzanine level for administrative offices and food-quality labs
-Offers job diversity—from managers and lab technicians to skilled laborers and accountants
-A cafeteria and pergola serve the workers, fostering dignity and comfort in labor environments


3. Community Empowerment – Belonging through Ownership
The project empowers the community by offering greenhouse units for local ownership—where residents can cultivate crops and sell them directly in the market.

The market building includes:
-Ground floor: selling stalls, local shops, and indoor market spaces
-Upper floors: coworking hubs, startup incubators, lounges, and meeting rooms
-Public spaces like libraries and multipurpose areas that support education, collaboration, and cultural exchange

This layer of the project restores a sense of belonging, especially for the youth, by positioning them as entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers.


CULTURAL IDENTITY & MATERIALITY
Agro-Marine’s design pays tribute to El Quseir’s vernacular architecture and material culture:

-Use of local limestone for cladding across buildings
-Souq-style arches that create shaded, walkable markets
-A color palette and mass composition that reflect traditional structures
-Shaded arcades and courtyards that invite both social and climatic comfort


CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIVENESS :
Environmental strategies were prioritized from the early stages of design:

-Northwest-facing walls to harness prevailing hot wind
-Extended concrete slabs and wooden shading screens for passive cooling
-water features designed in community space providing breeze
-Solar panels on greenhouse roofs for energy independence
-Shaded internal pathways to reduce thermal discomfort
-Natural ventilation via courtyards and double-glazed facades
These strategies reduce energy demand, ensure comfort, and align with the project’s self-sufficiency mission.


LANDSCAPE & OUTDOOR LIFE :
The outdoor spaces in Agro-Marine are designed to activate public life and reconnect the city’s people with the sea and with each other,its more like extended zones to the activity happening indoors:

-Outdoor markets with arch-covered walkways for comfort and local commerce
-A venue plaza for weddings, cultural festivals, and public gatherings
-An amphitheater that invites youth to perform music, theater, and comedy
-A seaside promenade extending from a workshop area to an open-air café and bar
-This layered landscape invites people to connect, work, play, and celebrate—reclaiming public space as a tool for healing and unity.


CONCLUSION
Agro-Marine is more than a food hub. It’s a catalyst for sustainable development, a prototype for fragile coastal cities, and a tribute to El Quseir’s people—designed to restore dignity, opportunity, and hope through innovation grounded in place, culture, and community.

Technical information

Site Area & Spatial Strategy
The project is situated on a 15,000 m² plot. While El Quseir has stretches of vacant land, the regenerative system proposed by Agro-Marine required vertical expansion—not for space constraints, but to maximize the potential of seawater-based agriculture. Stacking greenhouse modules vertically allows the project to harvest larger amounts of freshwater from humid air, increasing productivity and efficiency without expanding the footprint. This strategic verticality ensures resource optimization within the existing urban fabric.

Structural System & Modularity
The design employs prefabricated steel structures and in-situ reinforced concrete frames. Seawater greenhouses are suspended between double structural walls spaced 1.5 meters apart, with slanted I-columns (6 meters apart) designed to resist lateral wind loads. The modular system allows scalability and future adaptation in response to demographic or environmental shifts.

Water & Energy Systems
Seawater greenhouses use solar energy and humid air to desalinate seawater, generating both irrigation water and crops. Rooftop solar panels cover 65–75% of operational energy needs, supported by battery storage. Greywater recycling and passive ventilation reduce environmental impact and energy demand.

Vertical Farming Integration
To meet the daily vegetable needs of El Quseir’s 10,767 families (~2,584 tons/year), the project integrates vertical farming modules. The FAO estimates that an individual consumes approximately 5 kg of vegetables per month, amounting to 60 kg per person/year and 240 kg per family/year.

Vertical farming boosts agricultural yield per square meter depending on the number of stacked layers.By employing 10-layer vertical farming, Agro-Marine can fulfill the entire annual vegetable demand of El Quseir’s population using 2,600 to 5,200 m² as little as 0.26–0.52 hectares.

Climate & Resilience
From the early design stages, passive environmental strategies were prioritized: northwest-facing walls to capture prevailing breezes, extended concrete slabs, wooden shading screens, and internal courtyards for ventilation. Double-glazed façades and natural airflow systems minimize energy use, promoting year-round comfort and aligning with the project’s low-impact, regenerative ethos.

Construction Phasing
The system is designed with modularity in mind, allowing phased construction. The fish processing, greenhouses, and market modules can be built sequentially or as independent units depending on funding availability or urgent community needs.

Inclusive Design & Accessibility
The project is designed to welcome users of all abilities. Ramps are incorporated throughout the site to ensure seamless access for wheelchair users and individuals with limited mobility. Shaded resting areas are distributed across the outdoor spaces—providing comfort for elders, children, and anyone needing a pause in their journey.