Rooftop Farming

Building's rooftop are usually underused despite its potential as an open space. Green roofs benefits are today largely known: for its aesthetics, for controlling and retaining stormwater, for reducing heat island effects and improve air quality, reduce noise and heat in bellow spaces, and for contributing to the increase of biodiversity.

Moreover, rooftops can also be used for producing food. The concept of urban agriculture aims to reduce carbon footprint and increase sustainability levels by producing local food, and so, reducing the impacts in transport and the waste that occur in delivering and stocking.

Besides the concepts of vertical farms - which are more ambitious let's say - the use of rooftop as an extent to urban farming can securely be applied in urban centres. Of course in existing building eventually structural reinforcements need to be made, however  in many developing cities this innovations could be tested in large scale.

Source: McDonough, W 2014, Concept for Rooftop Farming, accessed 18 May 2014 < http://mcdonoughpartners.com/project/concept-for-rooftop-farming/>