Designing and building a research greenhouse can be tremendously complex. The endeavor involves unique needs that are often underestimated and have a major impact on the success of a project. The requirements include much more than a typical agricultural production greenhouse.

There are a number of critical considerations project owners must address when developing a quality greenhouse plan to deliver a functional, flexible research facility. They can be classified into three main groups: crop, purpose/function, and location. When you and your greenhouse design and construction company (or full-service AgTech consulting firm) plan for each of these areas, you can streamline your project – which means saving time and money.

The most involved element to consider when building a greenhouse is the crop you will be growing. All plants come with their own requirements for temperature, humidity, photoperiod, light intensity, day-light-integral (DLI), irrigation, fertilization, soil requirements, etc. So, building a one-size-fits-all greenhouse is not going to yield optimal results. The following list highlights just a few of the many specifics you should incorporate into your planning.

• Types and number of crops. The greenhouse you design for a single crop will be different from a greenhouse built to house multiple dissimilar crops. As you add the ability to accommodate more dissimilar crops in the same facility, the cost of intrinsic flexibility of the greenhouse design and construction will increase.
• Heating and Humidity. Each crop has its requirements for optimal plant growth. Environmental controls such as temperature, airflow, and humidity within the greenhouse become critical specific to the type of crop you are growing. Depending on the location of the greenhouse, heaters or air conditioners may be needed to keep crops comfortable. For example, some plants do not flower until the temperature drops below a certain level. So any facility designed to grow those types of plants will need to be able to vernalize. Other crops like corn thrive with temperatures in the 80s during the day and in the 60s and 70s at night.
• Lighting. Most plants have optimal light levels and day-light-integral (DLI). It is important to understand the requirements for your specific crops to be able to design your greenhouse correctly. The number of supplemental lights and how they are controlled and operated will be determined by understanding your crop’s light needs.
• Growing media. Some crops grow well in sandy soil. Others need a richer clay mixture. And still, others thrive in hydroponic pods. The nature of your research and the crop you are working with will determine what works best for your specific variety of crops. It is important to understand that certain types of growing media will require specialized spaces that must be factored into your facility’s design.
• Carbon dioxide. Maintaining adequate levels of CO2 for your research and your crop will help you adequately time your greenhouse growth cycle.
• Space and layout needs. There are associated space and layout needs that go along with the type of crop you are growing. Height is another factor to think about. The height needs of corn will be vastly different than a greenhouse growing Arabidopsis for plant research.

The first step in defining your greenhouse project needs is to get clear on the purpose of your facility. Understanding the intended immediate and future uses of the building will help you design a functional, flexible greenhouse that will serve you for years to come.

• Production or research? First things first — is your greenhouse going to be used for production or research purposes? While, on the surface, it may seem like there is not much difference between the two, experienced professionals understand that the specifications for research greenhouses can be extremely intense, much more so than their production counterparts. Production greenhouses are usually large continuous spaces, while research greenhouses are divided into multiple smaller spaces for different experiments. While production greenhouses control the growing environment, they are more forgiving about deviations than research greenhouses, which could require tight control of environmental variables.
• Research purpose: The purpose of the research being conducted can also impact the design of your greenhouse. If you are performing crop protection research, you may only need a greenhouse that can contain plants for a few weeks to determine the effectiveness of your chemical or biological product. If your research greenhouse is intended to harvest seeds for trait development, you need to optimize your greenhouse for the full growth cycle of your crop.
• Biological Containment Level: The type of research you are performing, may determine the containment level of the greenhouse. From BSL-1P to BSL-4P, the design of the greenhouse will be greatly impacted by these requirements.

Another major factor that will impact the greenhouse you design and build is location. Whether you are building in the tropics, the Arctic, or somewhere in between, there are vital elements associated with the location that will need to be considered in the early stages of your project.

• Weather. Understanding typical temperatures, humidity, solar gain, cloud cover, and inclement weather patterns (hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, flooding, blizzards, etc.) for the location of your greenhouse is key as these factors can impact the health of your crops. For example, if you are growing a crop that likes a lot of sunlight (like corn) but your greenhouse is located in a largely overcast environment like Seattle, artificial lighting will be much more important than if you were building in sunny Florida. However, in Florida, means to regulate temperature and humidity will be critical, as well as structural design to withstand high winds. Furthermore, in a dry location like Arizona, you could use passive (evaporative) cooling to control the temperature of the greenhouse and save energy.
• Local building codes. This one is self-explanatory and goes for all facilities (not just greenhouses), however, it is often ignored by inexperienced greenhouse designers. For example, if your greenhouse is attached to a lab or office building in an urban area, it may require emergency lighting. Consider how this “always on” light may impact your crop photoperiod and the strategies you could use to meet your horticultural needs and building code simultaneously.
• Structural orientation. Without falling into controversial arguments, the greenhouse orientation should be carefully evaluated and decided. This should be done to maximize or minimize the glass area exposure to manage heat and/or light, depending on where you are located on the globe and to take advantage of predominant winds if you are planning to use vents.

• Skins or glazing. The covering of your greenhouse plays a major role in a variety of factors that can impact crops. The most common types of skins are standard single-pane glass, low-iron single-pane glass, low-iron double-pane glass, polycarbonate, acrylic, and ETFE film. Your budget as well as the intended use of your greenhouse will help you decide which is the best fit for your project. Read more about the pros and cons of each type of greenhouse skin in our article Greenhouse Glass? Polycarbonate? Acrylic? Weigh the Pros and Cons of 6 Common Greenhouse Materials.
• Fertigation. Likewise, the ways you plan to feed and water your crops matter when it comes to greenhouse design. Irrigation systems can be complex, especially for plants that have extensive watering requirements. So, it is important to factor these elements into your greenhouse design from the beginning.
• Budget and timeline. Once you have determined how the facility will be used, you must develop an accurate budget and timeline. Because of the more extensive design requirements of research greenhouses, they typically come with a heftier price tag and longer duration, as well. Do you have confidence in your budget at the conceptual stage and everything you need for funding justification and planning?

Regardless of your level of experience, building a research greenhouse can be complicated. The best way to ensure your project is successful is to partner with an experienced AgTech consulting and greenhouse construction firm that understands the nuances of your industry and respects the unique specifications of your project.

To learn more about how we can help you design and build a flexible, functional research greenhouse, contact us. Our team of experts look forward to learning more about your idea and helping you make your vision a reality.