Fields of Green. . . On Roofs

     The green roof. An environmentally friendly alternative to the standard flat roof that is known for increasing runoff of stormwater and albedo in urban areas. Green roofs are often just grass roofs that percolate and divert stormwater, but that's not necessarily the case on top of Schieblock, an office building in the Netherlands. 

    Scheiblock is a large office building near Rotterdam station that has taken a new approach to the green roof. Instead of just putting grass on the roof, the building has a fully functional garden. In fact, it is the first harvestable roof in the Netherlands. 

    The roof is equipped with vegetables, fruit, herbs as well as honey bees. It is a micro-farm on a roof, and the soil on the roof is fully supportive of the endeavor. 

    The Rotterdam Centre for the Environment manages and works the micro-farm. Every Friday, the center spends the day tending to the plants and bees: weeding, watering, planting, harvesting, and anything else that might be needed. Scheiblock is a shining example of utilizing every available square foot of the building, including the roof. It is environmentally friendly and sustainable while also being a place to enjoy fresh air for the community in the office building. 

    The Rotterdam Centre for the Environment makes Scheiblock's roof an educational and economical opportunity for the organization. They host tours of the farm roof and the space can be rented out for events. It is another way of spreading awareness of the possibilities in architecture and landscape architecture. 

    Taking advantage of the sunlight is also a key aspect of the farm roof. With tall buildings around Rotterdam Station, growing fruit and vegetables on the ground level would be too shaded for the plants to fully photosynthesize. These plants on a roof, they are given full access to the sunlight shining on the city. 

    These projects are so important for the community in which they reside. It just takes someone to encourage the act of designing and installing such an endeavor. Yes, the project cost will increase and the timeline of construction may be extended, but the long-term economic, social, and environmental benefits fully outweigh the initial cost of the project. 

Sources:

“Roof Fields, Schieblok Rotterdam: Urban Green-Blue Grids.” Urban green-blue grids for resilient cities. Accessed October 3, 2023. https://www.urbangreenbluegrids.com/projects/roof-fields-schieblok-rotterdam/.