This build began in mid 2020. I planned a dedicated room for 35 racks, starting with bare ground and working towards a finished room ready for the frames.
The photographs below follow the build one stage at a time.
1 · Foundation & brick walls
Concrete pillars and brick walls marked the beginning of the new room in mid 2020. Dirt and building materials surrounded the site as the room took shape outside the old footprint.
2 · Fresh concrete floor
Fresh concrete was poured inside the brick shell. Before the tiles went down, the reflective grey slab formed the base for the room.
3 · Tiles & ceiling boards
Glossy floor tiles and green ceiling boards were fitted while the walls were still unfinished. With only a work light in place, the finishing stage had begun.
4 · Paint & drying
KOVA paint buckets and fans filled the room as the final coats dried. The construction site was becoming a clean space for the farm.
5 · Painted shell & outlets
The walls and ceiling were painted light grey. Openings for electrical outlets ran along the back wall, and scaffolding remained for work higher up.
6 · Cabling before racks
The room was clean and open, with cable coils on the floor and fans still running. Space had been planned for thirty-five racks, ready for the frames to arrive.
Custom-made tanks at the farm
While the room was being built, the tanks were made at the farm too. The rimless glass tanks were sized for the racks and left on the floor while the silicone cured.
7 · Glass panes ready
Stacks of cut glass rested on mats, ready to be assembled into tanks.
8 · Silicone & blue tape
Rows of rimless tanks were left to cure, with blue tape holding the joints while the silicone set.
9 · Building on the floor
The custom tanks were built one by one on the farm’s tiled floor.
10 · Workshop full of tanks
Dozens of tanks cured at once. Preparing enough glass tanks was an important part of building a room for thirty-five racks.
11 · Finished tanks stacked
Once cured and cleaned, the finished tanks were stacked, ready to move onto the racks in the new room.
Custom racks ready & placed
The frames were built and painted, then rolled into the new room. Their empty shelves were ready for the tanks.
12 · Racks painted & ready
The custom metal frames were finished outdoors with light grey paint before being moved inside.
13 · First racks in the room
Through the glass door, the first empty frames could be seen standing in the finished room.
14 · Rows filling the room
Parallel rows of custom racks filled the room. Pipework lay on the floor, ready for the next stage of plumbing.
15 · Lights on the racks
LED strips were fitted to each tier. With the lights working, the room began to look like a shrimp farm even before the tanks arrived.
16 · Racks placed & wired
A ladder remained in the aisle as the frames were secured and the lighting was wired, ready for the tanks.
Air & water system
The racks and tanks needed working air and water supplies. This plumbing stage connected the equipment that would turn the room into a functioning farm.
17 · Tanks on racks, lines starting
With the glass tanks in place, work began on the air and water supplies. White tubing, PVC pipe and fittings were laid out on the floor.
18 · Through the glass — plumbed rows
Seen through the doorway, each tier was lit and white lines ran along the rows of empty tanks.
19 · Main lines & plant room gear
PVC pipe remained in the aisle as the reservoir and blower equipment took shape at the far end of the room.
20 · Air to every tank
White manifolds ran along each shelf, with black airlines dropping to supply each tank.
21 · Full air & water grid
The valves, airlines and LEDs were in place, bringing the racks together as a working system.
Finished — all tanks stocked
The build had progressed from an empty room to a running farm. The room planned for thirty-five racks was now stocked, with its systems operating.
22 · Stocked — aisle A
Every tier was in use, with green water, plants and sponge filters in the tanks. The room was finally operating as a farm.
23 · Stocked — full room
The racks were labelled, the airlines adjusted and the tanks stocked. The room that began as a mid 2020 build was now a working farm.
24 · Stocked — centre aisle
A view down the centre aisle shows every rack lit and the tanks green and running. The finished room was fully stocked.
Farm note: For me, a room is finished when every tank holds life and the daily walk through the racks feels calm.