Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm

(Source: Panoramic Studio / Landprocess)

The largest urban rooftop farm in Asia

(Source: Panoramic Studio / Landprocess)

Amidst the climate crisis, food and water scarcity pose tremendous threats to human civilization. Once abundant agrarian societies, rich with food sources, Bangkok and cities across Southeast Asia have fallen victim to unregulated urbanization on rice-producing regions. The once fertile marshlands have transformed into paralyzed concrete developments – no longer able to breathe, absorb water or grow food.

To revive the land on which it stands, the Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm unites principles of modern landscape design with traditional agriculture of rice terraces, to transform wasted space into a productive organic rooftop farm. The form of the building is developed from the H-shaped floor plan, rendering the elevation that resembles a large mountain with a massive green space of garden covering upper part. Covering an area of about 236,806 sq ft, Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm is the largest rooftop farm in Asia.

MANAGING WATER ON A MOUNTAIN OF RICE FIELDS

Although concrete absorbs and reflects most heat, it barely absorbs any water, leaving cities like Bangkok at risk of urban flooding whenever it rains. To address this issue, the project’s landscape architect integrated the earthwork of rice terraces

with modern green roof technology. By mimicking traditional rice terraces, the Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm has become an all-in-one solution – as a public green space, urban organic food source, water management system, energy house, and outdoor classroom – which serves as an adaptation model for anticipated climate impacts that can be implemented and developed across Thailand and Southeast Asia.

With each cascading level, the Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm is able to not only absorb rainwater but also slow down runoff, both for up to 20 times more than a normal concrete rooftop. While controlling stormwater peak rate and volume, this water management system also retains and utilizes runoff efficiently to grow food for the campus. Any runoff is filtered through each layer of soil and later saved up in four retention ponds, which can collect the water up to 11,718m 3 for future use and irrigation during dry spells.

As intensive agriculture expands, monoculture crops continue to scour natural food sources and leave trails of deadly chemical fertilizers and toxic waste behind. By cutting chemical pesticide and fertilizer use altogether, the Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm offers an organic farming as model for sustainable landscape management to transition from chemical-dependent agriculture for the sustainable health of people and the environment, as well as the economy.

In addition to preventing runoff pollution from entering drainage systems, and later on rivers, lakes and oceans, the rooftop farm’s vegetable terraces also filter the rainwater – often carrying air pollutants into water bodies – through several layers of plants and soil before it leaves the site and reaches residential water sources and marine ecosystems. The plants, too, help remove harmful pollutants from the atmosphere.

BUILDING CLIMATE-RESILIENT CITIES FROM WASTED CONCRETE SPACE

The mountain-shaped rooftop farm utilizes its vast space as an infinite source of clean energy, not only in terms of organic food but also solar power for the community. Taking advantage of the abundance of sun Thailand receives, the Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm harnesses readily-available solar energy at zero production cost, producing 500,000 watts per hour to pump water for irrigation on its urban farm as well as generate electricity inside the building underneath it. Placed on the south side of the architecture, the solar panels of the Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm – covering 38,373 sq ft of the roof – is exposed to sunlight all day long. This renewable photovoltaic system helps cool air both inside and outside of the building, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from and spending on energy consumption. Similarly, it can also improve insulation to retain cooling temperature.

FEEDING THE PEOPLE FROM A SINGLE ROOFTOP

By utilizing traditional ingenuity from rice farmers on the sloped hill and mountain terrains across Southeast Asia, the Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm can grow up to approximate 135,000 rice meals each year to feed the community.

While the rooftop farm holds the key to the green roof’s functions, the green canteen completes its intended purpose

(Source: architizer.com)

(Source: Landprocess)

of creating a truly holistic and sustainable model for business and conservation. By building both the organic food source and destination in close proximity, the system is able to reduce emissions and waste – produced during production, processing, packaging, transportation, and disposal– from start to finish.

Growing a variety of indigenous plant species and a naturallybred strain of rice tolerant to floods and droughts, the Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm serves produce fresh from the farm roof to the table. Any food leftover from the plate and the kitchen – once edible food is distributed to the local community – is composted and sent back to feed the farm as organic fertilizer to grow nutritious crops for the next harvest.

By creating a localized food supply chain that produces allorganic vegetables, Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm is able to reduce both emissions and pollution from its production, consumption and disposal by cutting chemical use, energy consumption, and food waste while encouraging a low-impact plant-based diet.

CREATING A LOCALIZED, SUSTAINABLE, AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY

To help damaged ecosystems, contaminated food sources, and undercompensated farmers recover from the aftermath of industrialized agriculture, the Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm creates employment for students and staff inside and surrounding the campus, while giving them the opportunity to contribute to feeding the community and conserving the ecosystem through sustainable agricultural practices.

By establishing a functioning and self-sustaining farming model that puts the human well-being and ecological health at core, the Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm is redefining the operations of Thailand’s agricultural sector. By making food production profitable again for small-scale farms and creating employment and businesses opportunities to grassroots farmers, and redistributing land and food sovereignty from monopolies and middlemen to create more income equality. Similarly, by reshaping agricultural work, one of the project’s objectives is to diffuse economic power in urban Bangkok and other major cities, and spread development evenly across the country’s geography.