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The Implication of Rooftop Gardens as Agricultural Resources
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
Abstract This paper is an investigation into the implication of rooftop garden for urban agriculture with the aim to evaluate the possibilities of implications of green roof at commercial buildings as agricultural resources. It is crucial for a rooftop garden to be part of the design from the start because of its design complexity. Rooftop garden for agriculture (agriroof) is usually can be access and specifically design for production of organic food. This can be either for private purposes or for commercial food production. As become part of agricultural development within an urban transformation, agriroofs has already implemented in many countries around the world. This paper investigates 3 main components of rooftop garden design aspects which illustrate the implication of roof garden as agricultural resources. Data is provided through analysis of green roof guidance and policies, supported by 2 case studies and interviews.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my dissertation advisor Dr Luca Csepely-Knorr for her encouragement and excellent suggestions regarding my paper. Many thanks also to my dissertation lecturer, Dr. Leandro Minuchin as for teaching and leading us to a right direction and provide such informative lectures regarding dissertation and research writing. Vincent Walsh, the founder of Biospheric Foundation, and all Biospheric foundation staff to provided invaluable information during interviews and visit. Leah De Quattro, for her generosity, spent part of the day, for taking me a visit on a roof garden tour of Unicorn Grocery and I am grateful to the people at Unicorn Grocery for pointing me in their direction. I am grateful to my course mate and friends for information, hours of advice, and editing help. Finally, to my family for their much appreciated moral support that helped me throughout the months of writing this dissertation.
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CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1
Scope of Study
1.2
Statement of the Problem
1.3
Purpose of the Study
1.4
Aim and Objective of the research
1.5
Research Methodology 1.5.1
Data Collection Method
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
CHAPTER 3: GUIDELINES AND GREEN ROOF POLICIES 3.1 The GRO Green Roof Code, 2014 3.1.1 Design Consideration and Practical Implication 3.1.2 Living Roof Walls - Technical Report: Supporting London Plan Policy (Feb 2008) 3.2 Greater Manchester Green Roof Guidance, 2009
CHAPTER 4: CASE STUDIES 4.1 Biospheric Foundation, Salford 4.2 Unicorn Manchester’s Cooperative Grocery, Chorlton 4.3 Interviews 4.3.1 Biospheric Foundation ii
CHAPTER 5: DATA COLLECTION AND FINDINGS 5.1 Green Roof Design Aspects 5.1.1 The Plant Material of Rooftop Garden 5.1.2 The Rooftop Garden Configuration 5.1.3 Ecological and Agriculture
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
iii
LIST OF FIGURE
Figure 1:
Type of Green Roof – Extensive green roof
Figure 2:
Biospheric Foundation rooftop garden
Figure 3:
Unicorn Manchester’s Cooperative Grocery green roof
Figure 4:
Diagrammatic Map of Biospheric Foundation
Figure 5:
Exploded Diagram – Biospheric Foundation
Figure 6:
Polytunnels on the roof of the old mill – home to the Biospheric Project
Figure 7:
Hydroponic Polytunnels on Biospheric Project rooftop
Figure 8:
Unicorn Manchester’s Cooperative Grocery in Charlton
Figure 9:
Rooftop of Unicorn Grocery before roofgarden constructed
Figure 10:
Rooftop of Unicorn Grocery after roofgarden constructed
Figure 11:
Biospheric Aquaponic System
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Green space such as roof garden is a very significant element in urban development of a city. Green space is often appreciated for providing opportunities for recreational. Green space is a space for community to engage within an urban area besides creating a sustainable environment in city development. Theodore Osmundson (1991:27) defines a roof garden as, ‘..A roof garden is any planted open space, intended to provide human enjoyment or environmental enhancement that is separated from earth by a building or other structure’. Roof garden is seen built by people since the beginning of recorded history. ‘From the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the Rockefeller Centre in New York, the roof garden has been a part of civilized society’ (Shimmy 2012). People have used roof garden as an extension of living space, as a symbol of wealth and social status, a place for gathering and space to escape summer heat. Another use of roof garden is for building quality purposes such as insulation, for a better drainage and control from flood, a lace for food production, and as camouflage. Roof Gardens have been vital to human survival and it has become an essential element of vernacular architecture. “Modern” civilization is slowly acknowledging the astonishing benefits of roof garden. In recent years, there are changes on importance of roof garden in urban area. For example architect and garden designer in 20th century intend to design a roof garden for social purposes as clearly seen in roof garden in Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier which design to be a social space and aesthetical space in a dwelling. Recently, to improve energy 1
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
efficiency of a building, many roof gardens has been design on a rooftop of modern building, as well as for agriculture and other benefits to improve urban development. In fact, the absorption of rain water can be maximized by the soil layer when photosynthesis takes place on the roof. This at the same time improves in term of the quality of water runoff. As sustainable development has become an international focus in recent decades, open space has become a requirement in the urban. Many countries have started to provide open spaces in urban development as part of the requirements. This can be an open park, urban agriculture or recreational park. ‘At variety of urban densities and spatial scale, many policies for creating and preserving open space are increasingly implemented’ (Yuen and Nyuk Hien, 2005). For example, in Britain, the important to provide new open space system and better access to existing open space has been highlighted in Urban Task Force on urban renaissance under Lord Rogers. One such technology of green space being incorporated into development is green roofing. According to Whittinghill and Rowe (2012), more green space such as parks, and a more human-friendly environment mixing traditional urban development of industry, commerce and residence has been incorporated with agricultural production programs. During the past ten years, both public policy and scientific research have tended to pay increasing attention to what is referred to as “urban gardening” and “urban agriculture” (Ernwein, 2014). The massive concern in term of food security is increase as the increasing of price of petrol and diesel in many cities. This issue has
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
led to the idea of growing food within the city or called urban agriculture. Many vacant spaces or abandoned space are reuse for this activity in many places including on the rooftop of the building and part of the building façade or what they classified as green design. This can be intentionally built from the early stage of design or later redevelop when suitable for use as space for growing food.
To maximize the idea of
sustainability of urban agriculture, the method of reuse waste as composes for plant might be implemented. All processed waste is distributed within the city for agriculture not only provides benefits for plant, but creating a healthy urban life. According to livingroofs.org (no date), urban agriculture can reduce the ‘food miles’ to a minimum level, and reduce our dependency on petrochemicals when sustainable organic method is used in urban agriculture, and at the same time, giving valuable healthy benefits to the community. When the food production takes place within the area of the community it supplies, people can eliminate the long haul traffic for these goods. According to current statistic, up to 25% of urban food could be produced locally in the UK climate if masterplan is efficiently planned (Viljoen et al, 2005). Eventually rooftop gardens are gardens meant for people to directly enjoy and interact with, regardless for personal necessity or social. Today, these spaces are used to create social spaces, teach students, provide relief for vulnerable populations, develop ‘green’ skyscraper and ‘green’ cities, and even start micro urban farm by the city planners and community members (Kilmer 2013). One group that can benefit from rooftop gardens are the occupants of the building. Taking an example
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
from one of the city that in United State, Fifth Street Farm which an educational project serving three New York City public schools on the rooftop of the Robert Simon Complex in the East Village, New York. The rooftop garden allows students not only to experience the benefits and pleasures of growing, but eating fresh, whole, sustainable foods. The research however is to study the implication of rooftop garden as a space that provides agricultural resources either to the occupant that lives in the building or public. The research emphasized the use of rooftop gardens for food production, but they also can be used for any type of gardening. Referring to another name of green roof which is vegetated rooftop space, they are meant to function like traditional garden. They can be used to grow vegetables, small shrubs, or small fruit trees.
1.1
Scope of study
In many town and cities, there are limited green spaces at ground level unless areas where planning laws enforce their application. Since every cities want to create a healthy environment where provides by more greenery, the application of greenery within the building either as a faรงade or rooftop garden can become alternative for the lack of greenery on the ground level although the idea of providing green space in urban development is the main priority. Moreover, as many urban developments integrated a flat roofs building design, these are the potential spaces that can be used for this purpose.
With the idea of implication of food production in urban
development, such space must be designated to meet the requirements for the use of 4
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
urban agriculture; food production where appropriate. There are a lot of sources documented the benefits of rooftop garden. Many flat roofs on new buildings such as offices, high rise building, schools, or industrial buildings are looked to have potential to become roof garden for agricultural in the future. Therefore, it is important town planners understand the needs of such kind spaces in urban area and negotiates and ratify the relevant policies. On the other aspect, one type of rooftop garden which is a green roof is a building roof that is covered either partially or completed with plants. Green landscape is formed when vegetation is introduced on the rooftop with suitable waterproof membrane and roof design load capacity (Yuen and Nyuk Hien, 2005). The green roof benefits studied into two main categories: energy conservation, and urban habitat provision. These ecosystem services derive from three main components of the living roof system: vegetation, the growing medium, and the membranes. Plants provide shade for the roof surface and transpire water, cooling and transporting water back into the atmosphere. If it is used for agricultural purposes, it also can provide source of food for the occupant of the building. ‘Besides the growing medium is essential for plant growth, it is also contributes to the retention of storm water in which the membranes are responsible for waterproofing the roof and preventing roof penetration by roots’ (Oberndorfer et al., 2007). Green roof can be classified into two types which are intensive green roof and extensive green roof. When the roof is heavily planted with vegetation that require a growth substrate depth greater that 20cm and require structural reinforcement, it is
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
classified as intensive while extensive green roof only require little or no structural reinforcement and have a growth substrate depth less than 20cm (Oberndorfer et al., 2007). According to Rowe (2011), as extensive green roof offer the most replicable design solutions and have more potential to be implied on a large scale, this have become the topics in most research compared to intensive green roof (Rowe, 2011). Therefore, extensive green roofs and normal roof are the focus of this research.
Figure 1: Type of Green Roof – Extensive green roof (Source: http://www.greenroofguide.co.uk/what-are-green-roofs/)
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
1.2 Statement of the Problem
‘Governments and non-profit agencies worldwide are working toward creating policies, laws, and funding incentives to promote best practices in green development’ (Yuen and Nyuk Hien, 2005). This action helping to reduce the environmental problems related to urban population density and to ensure future developments are more concern on sustainability. ‘Green roof as one of the finding has led to the greater research on their development potential in compact developing cities’ (Yuen and Nyuk Hien, 2005). Extensive green roof usually accommodate low to medium type of plants such as Mosses, Sedums, Succulents, Herbs and few Grasses. The research will investigate the possibilities of this type of green roof to accommodate plant that could provide agricultural resources and its requirements.
Urban agriculture and urban development Accessible rooftop garden can provide space for localized small scale urban agriculture that help urban food security. An urban garden can provide the good diets of the local people with food that freshly produced. While local choice of plants can preserve certain plant species and maintain diversity in diet, agriroof allows for the retention of traditional or cultural gardening practices. However, normal rooftops or extensive green roofs are not constructed to accommodate bigger plant, and sustain high water retention. So how is it possible if agriculture and food production will be introduced into normal roofs? Another 7
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
question; is the implication of roof gardens at commercial buildings really generating one’s economy in providing agricultural resources? The scale of productions has become one of the considerations. One of the greatest challenges for a rooftop garden is access and security. What are the relations between community asset and the owner in term of usage of space? A rooftop meant to be a community asset, but can be major liability because of the dangerous height of rooftops. Thus, a balance must be struck between the accessibility of a rooftop garden and the security measures to keep the user safe. To answer these questions in detail, a research will be done to understand the implications of rooftop gardens as agricultural resource by engaging community and organization that implemented the rooftop garden in their building and by engaging with the occupant of the building to know their perspective towards this topic.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to investigate the implications rooftop garden; extensive green roof which have a growth substrate depth less than 20 cm in Manchester. The focus of the research is the benefits of the roof gardens towards providing agricultural resources. From the investigations, it is expected to provide data for rooftop garden development in the future.
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
1.4 Aim and objectives of research
The aim for this study is to evaluate the implications of rooftop garden at commercial buildings as agricultural resources. In line with the aim, the objectives of the study are listed below: •
To evaluate the design of existing rooftop garden in Manchester
•
To identify the fundamental elements of rooftop garden in providing benefits for agriculture and sustainable food production.
•
To identify ways to improve quality of rooftop garden in providing agricultural resources.
•
To understand
the implications of
rooftop
garden
towards
urban
habitat
developments.
1.5 Research Methodology
1.5.1
Data Collection Method
Case studies are conducted in different type of roof gardens in Manchester. This involves a structured analysis regarding existing rooftop garden implemented in Manchester. The selection of case studies is based on the function of the roof gardens in providing its benefits towards public in context of agriculture. As qualitative research has been chosen as a method of the research, this research overlooked at three different aspects of green roof which are; (1) the plant material of green roof. Based on Greater Manchester Green Roof Guidance, 2009, ‘Green roofs can support 9
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
a wide variety of vegetation types which in turn support a wide range of species’. ‘Accessible roof gardens can be designed as roof top allotment gardens for local food production’ (no date: online). The research will overlook the type of vegetation suitable for the green roof (extensive green roof) in Manchester. (2) The green roof configuration which depends on existing spatial arrangement, area of space, type of construction, etc. towards agriculture. (3) Ecological and agricultural benefits of roof garden in Manchester. These primary data of case study will be supported by a series of interview of the user for different type of roof garden. Case study proposal as listed below: 1. Biospheric Foundation Headquarters, Salford
Figure 2: Biospheric Foundation rooftop garden (Source: http://www.greenmyvalley.com/2013/10/11/free-half-day-tours-of-the-biosphericproject/ )
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
2. Rooftop Unicorn Grocery, Greater Manchester
Figure 3: Unicorn Manchester’s Cooperative Grocery green roof (Source: http://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/772085/grocery-roof-becomesbiodiversity-showcase )
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
‘Green roofs have gained global acceptance as a technology with potential to help mitigate the multifaceted and, complex environmental problems of urban centers’ (Nagase and Dunnett, 2013). These include the possibilities to provide agricultural resources and organic food production supply within the city. Despite the function of extensive green roof for up to medium scale plants which usually improve building energy efficiencies, extensive green roof is looked potentially integrate agricultural programs which could help providing organic food production in urban development. However, it is important for considering the relevant construction and roof configuration; which are more critical rather than looking at selection of appropriate plant when comes to design a successful green roof (Dvorak and Volder, 2010). Climatic differences, structural design and the use of suitable grow medium have to be considered from the start. ‘Guidance of plant selection is one of the most critical areas of knowledge needed to design successful roof garden’ (Dvorak and Volder, 2010). In the present paper, the implications of rooftop garden (extensive green roof) as agricultural resources are investigated. It is hypothesized that extensive green roof can be cooperated with agriculture that support organic food production rather than only to improve building energy efficiency. The following literature reviews attempt to demonstrate and support this hypothesis. In literature by Whittinghill, Leigh, Rowe (2012), investigated the role of green roof technology in urban agriculture. The aim of the review is to study the potential 12
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
and barriers in implementing green roof into urban agriculture. ‘It is believed that problem such as lack of formalized land use and health hazard can be alleviated when green roof technology is used in urban agriculture’ (Whittinghill and Rowe, 2012). Urban agriculture in other perspective, help in providing a healthy lifestyle in urban area as this space is used for food production. Abandoned or unutilized space can be used for urban agriculture rather than becoming a place for unbeneficial activities which only lead to crime and unhealthy environment. This is supported by the research by Whittinghill (2012), ‘it would not only enable the use of land for development and agriculture, but may also facilitate the formation of formal space and water use agreements, and enable redistribution of ground-level resources among urban farmers’ (Whittinghill and Rowe, 2012). However, to incorporate urban agriculture in green roof technology in a larger scale, there are few criteria that must be considered such as installation cost, roof weight limitations and appropriate management practices should be developed (Whittinghill and Rowe, 2012). Whittinghill believed that these factors had caused limitation in implication of green roof in urban development as well as their viability for widespread use in urban agriculture. In order the understand this issues in further, Whittinghill, et.al (2012) used 2 methods which ‘first examine the current state of urban agriculture and then introduce potential benefits or limitations of using green roof technology’ (Whittinghill and Rowe, 2012). The result show distinctive benefits in cooperating green roof in urban agriculture however only possible if fundamental elements of green roof are suitably applied.
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
All of the results combined support the hypothesis that green roof can be cooperated with agriculture that supports organic food production despite the type of green roof in detail due to its benefits. Meanwhile Oberndorfer et al. (2007), investigate 3 main components of green roof as urban ecosystem which are the ecological structures, functions and services. It is reported that for extensive green roof, plants that can survive in harsh conditions are more suitable, without eliminate the benefits of green roof. ‘These plants have stress-tolerant characteristics including low, mat-forming or compact growth; evergreen foliage or tough, twiggy growth; and other drought-tolerance or avoidance strategies, such as succulent leaves, water storage capacity’ (Oberndorfer et al., 2007). According to Oberndorfer et al. (2007) green roofs can be considered as bio-mimicry or bioengineering as its ecosystems mimics several elements of ground vegetation but built on roof level (Oberndorfer et al., 2007). However, the selection of plants can be varying in promoting biodiversity of green roof habitats and supplying goods and services. Extensive green roof promote potential for shallow soils habitat to create biodiversity of a green roof (Oberndorfer et al., 2007).
Despite the climatic differences, literature by Williams et al. (2010) looked at the opportunities and barrier for rooftop greening in Australia. This review helps to find the elements to be looked at to define the implication of rooftop garden as agricultural resources. First, Williams et al. (2010) state that ‘extensive green roofs have great potential as a climate change mitigation strategy as they can be retrofitted to existing roofs without the need for structural upgrades’. However, the literature 14
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
discuss in further detail on technical difficulties regarding growing plants in shallow substrates in a dry and variable climate. Three main elements of roof garden was looked which are the roof substrates, the plants and the water. In term of the roof substrate, it is must be lightweight and stable in term of chemical and physical. This is to ensure the substrate can hold adequate amounts of nutrients and water for plant survival. In term of plants, there are minimal types of plant that have capability to grow and survive under local climatic condition. Finally water the major drivers for the implementation of green roofs to reduce storm water flows. In addition, ‘it is possible to use pot or container mixes based largely on combinations of sand and organic components on extensive green roof with minimal modification’ (Williams et al., 2010)
The literature concludes that we need more research on the parameters of substrates and type of plants that can stand on a long hot weather with minimal irrigation. It is looked that extensive green roof with low substrates like those design with Sedum mats are not successful in hot climate country. For the roof with higher depth of substrate may successful but require more supplementary irrigation using rain water or grey water. One limitation from this study is climatic difference itself. Different type of plant and construction may require in relevant to different climate condition.
Next, literature review looked at the criteria of designing an extensive green roof. ‘Green roof systems have been shown to provide many ecosystem services such as improved storm water management, reduced energy usage for cooling, 15
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
reduced urban heat island effects, and wildlife habitat’ (Dvorak and Volder, 2010). The present study by Emilsson and Rolf (2005) compares the establishment methods for extensive green roofs in southern Sweden. Based on the study by Emilsson and Rolf (2005), Extensive green roof in Sweden are mostly used prefabrication mats as the common technique for establishment of green roof. The study looked at method of establishment used, substrate composition and the plant mixture. It was also studied if on site-construction was possible as alternative. The establishment of the vegetation, which in all cases consisted of succulent species, was recorded using the quadrate point intercept method in fixed plots and the success measured as frequency cover. Three establishment methods were used in the study which are premade vegetation mats, plug plants and shoots.
The result showed that, in comparison to the other methods, prefabricated vegetation has higher cover. This result has support the hypothesis; also provide different establishment method of green roof. The use of certain species or dictate the use of irrigation may restrict in different climatic condition, especially in rainfall and extreme temperature. The most ideal type of plant is native plant as it is adaptive to local climates while native stress-tolerant plants offer an experiment (Emilsson and Rolf, 2005).
Next, literature review look at the guidelines for green roof in United Kingdom in supporting the hypothesis of green roof can be cooperated with agriculture that support organic food production. At this time, UK’s green roof materials are covered 16
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
by either a BSI standard or German DIN standard as there are no specific British Standart as a guideline for greenroof. ‘FFL Guidelines (FLL refers to the Forschungsgesellschaft
Landschaftsentwicklung
Landschaftsbau
[the
German
Landscape Research, Development and Construction Society]) is one of the guidelines for green roofs in Europe and UK. They are formally known as the Guidelines for the Planning, Execution and Upkeep of Green Roof Sites, and are used for green roof design, specification, maintenance, and testing’ (Dvorak and Volder, 2010).
As response to the demand for UK relevant green roof guidance, The Green Roof Organisation was established in 2008. This is due to the increasing number of green roofs being specified in the UK. In 2009 work began on the predecessor of this document, The GRO Green Roof Code of Best Practice for the UK was established in 2011. ‘Significantly based on the German FLL guidelines, adapted to suit the UK market, the original GRO Code has gained widespread acceptance in the construction market, being used as a reference document by standards bodies, specifies, manufacturers and contractors alike’ (no date:online). Based on The GRO Green Roof Code, it is seen as opportunities for green roof to provide urban agriculture. ‘However, green roof must be carefully designed for this application and significant nutrients are required. These opportunities are looked from the benefits from locally grow food which support the local economy in growing, processing and distributing. Growing food locally can increased access community to food, food can
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
be freshly produced as it decrease the travel time from the production area to the market, localized control of fertilizer and pesticides (GRO, no date:online)
Taken together, the results indicate that it is possible for extensive green roof to provide agricultural resources and organic food production. Although they are limitation and barriers in implementing agricultural programs in extensive green roof, with detail consideration which include the elements of green roof design is possible. It can be concluded from the literature reviews that extensive green roof are not only benefits for building efficiency improvement, but more than that. Supported by local guidance green roof guidance and policies, green roof can be widespread in urban development. More studies should be done to determine the consideration to be applied in implication of roof gardens towards agricultural resources. It is important to understand the actual through process of designing a roof garden. Also, environmental consideration may affect the overall implications.
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
CHAPTER 3: GUIDELINES AND GREEN ROOF POLICIES
From the studies that have been done from the articles and previous research, despite the climatic factors and certain design considerations for roof gardens, it is possible to introduce urban agriculture in standard roof garden or extensive green roof. There is few green roof frame work that become references for designing a green roof in United Kingdom. However, this framework is only partially guide the green roof implication rather than as a legal standard. Therefore, related body has to take action to produce more legal framework that can become guidance for green roof design on a national and local level. Agriroof policy is one of the green roof policy use in Local Development Frameworks has ensure the potential use of green roof can be maximized. In agriroof policy for instance, state that urban agriculture and rooftop garden for food production can be design if meet its requirements. There are a lot of research has been done to investigate the potential of roof garden or green roof to improve energy usage or quality of the building, yet few study on the potential of rooftop for food production or agriroof. Taking an example, The visionary publication ‘Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes’ (CPULs) edited and co-written by A.Viljoen Emilsson and Rolf (2005) wrote about how food is produced in the introduction of urban agriculture in urban development where London as a model. However, rather than suggesting a roof or building façade for food growing, the works mainly looks at the potential area at the ground level. 19
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
To support the hypothesis, research has been done by looking at guidelines for green roof in United Kingdom. As sustainable roof are becoming common in United Kingdom development, many policy in United Kingdom are covered by either BSI standard or German DIN standard.
3.1 The GRO Green Roof Code, 2014
The GRO Green Roof Code highlights ‘the important of green roof design, installation and maintenance consideration and provides guidelines as to how they can accommodated in the final green roof scheme’ (no date:online). GRO Green Roof Code classifies roof garden or extensive green roof as biodiverse roof. As green roof named as biodiverse roof, the main function of the green roof is for the purpose of biodiversity which aim to recreate the natural habitat that lost due to massive urban development. It can be classified into two which are ‘green’ biodiverse roof and ‘brown’ biodiverse roof. Green biodiverse roof are the type of green roof which mainly consist or covered with an appropriate seed mix such as sedum species or even grass. It is often planted with plug plant species to ensure certain type of plant to attract certain birds or invertebrate animal to recreate their lost habitats. Using current technology when appropriate, certain species of plant can be pre-grown such as wildflowers and grasses to provide more ‘Instant’ cover. ‘Brown biodiverse roof on the other aspect are not covered with green plant. It is also called ‘brown roof’; where at the early stages of its construction, the selected growing medium is installed to allow indigenous plant species to grow on the brown roof over 20
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
time. Different depth of substrate can be selected for the roof deck to promote a various type of plant, either shallow or deep rooted plant. Besides that, various depth of substrate also attracts the different type of invertebrate species to create their habitat. In some cases, rather than use soil as substrate, sand, gravels and pebbles can be used to offer suitable habitats. The construction of biodiverse roof is varying in accordance to client’s request. For the purpose of better insulation, the roof may be design to be more heavily. Meanwhile for the case of low management, the output may drive to the development of vegetation which grow naturally in a according to the climatic condition of a place. According to GRO Green Roof code, when a roof is planted with any plant, it is classified as a green roof (no date:online). Extensive green roof which is the main concern in this research is normally design for the purpose of ecological or visual and aesthetic where can be appreciated from another location. .’The more prevalent types of green roof which have hardier, more drought tolerant species of plants such as sedums, mosses, and wildflowers fall within the Extensive sector’ (no date:online). Extensive green roof generally constructed to support plants with a lower maintenance requirement. It is important for these plants to survive on shallower substrate depth and minimal supplement or nutrient level requirement. Perhaps, it is better if the plant require no or less irrigation. These planting types are able to survive on shallower substrate depths than other types of plants, require lower nutrient levels and little or no irrigation required.
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3.1.1
Design Considerations and practical implications.
‘All materials used within a green roof system should have been tested following the appropriate testing protocols (e.g. FLL, British Standards) and deemed to be fit for purpose by meeting the relevant performance criteria’ (GRO, no date:online). A green roof requires appropriate levels of each of the following in order to flourish: •
Daylight
•
Moisture
•
Drainage
•
Aeration to the plants root systems
•
Nutrients GRO Green Roof Code (no date:online) emphasized that in order to ensure plant life can be sustained at appropriate level, it is important for all green roof to comply with above requirements. The combination of the component where suitable, root resistant material, drainage, protection layer, drainage, medium and the plant are important in order to achieve a good sustainable green roof. According to The GRO Green Roof Code, there are several elements or factors in determine the roof plant layers. ‘Different plant physiological composition translates into different performance traits’ (no date:online). For instance, roof that design to improve the quality of energy consumption inside the building may use bigger leaves plant size where provide shades whilst a roof that seeking to provide a better biodiversity and urban habitat may need a specific mixture of plant species. 22
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
There are two types of plant that can be accommodated in green roof which are managed plants and non-managed plants. In term of structural design for green roof, ‘a green roof design must comply with all relevant structural design criteria, as per BS EN 1990:2002 ‘Eurocode - Basis of Structural Design’. ‘As such, designs must be in accordance with all appropriate Eurocodes, with a notable emphasis on EN 1991 - Eurocode 1: Actions on structures’ (no date:online). 3.1.2
Living Roofs and Walls - Technical Report: Supporting London Plan
Policy (Feb 2008) In 2008, a document was released to help London development in the effects of climate change. It is being recognized by the Mayor of London as state by him, the green roofs can provide potentials to improve London’s resilience to the effects of climate change. In addition, he suggest roof garden can improve storm water management and may control heat during the hot summers, besides the other benefits of roof garden as stated in detail in the report. Therefore the document states that most major development must incorporate with living roofs and wall. This major development must reflect the principle of LDF policies. The development is expected to deliver these objectives as many as possible: •
Roof garden that can be access
•
Adapting and mitigating climate change
•
Sustainable urban drainage
•
Can improve urban biodiversity 23
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
•
Improved the quality of space by appearance’ Generally, the guidelines and green roof design policy approved the
implication of the roof garden as agricultural resources. There is no restriction on making a roof garden as agricultural resources, yet some design guidelines have been established. The most important part of roof garden design as stated in the GRO Green Roof code and technical report is to understand the needs and function of the roof garden in providing benefits to the specific problem. Different components of green roof garden may provide different benefits and solution. The research looked at potential for roof garden to provide agricultural programs which focus on design considerations and practical implications guidelines by GRO Green Roof code. This is further looked at different case study on rooftop gardens in Manchester.
3.2 Greater Manchester Green Roof Guidance, 2009 In 2009, Manchester city council has introduced Greater Manchester Green Roof Guidance to provide the information and detail of green roof design in delivering a climate-adapted built environment. This guidance also looked at the benefits of green roof in a wide range including the financial benefits, environment and to the urban community, which will ensure the quality of life and economics of Manchester. It is explained that the roof garden can benefits in term of improve urban drainage and building energy conservation, enhancing the urban biodiversity, amenity and
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
health, provide filter to noise, and potentially to be benefits for marketing (no date:online). By looking on a different case studies and references, this guidance demonstrates the practical implication of green roof design around the world. It is to answer the problems and misconception of public about green roof benefits that become a major problem of its implication. This includes the perceived issues surrounding the lack of a recognized standard for the UK, maintenance, capital costs, structural loading, and concerns on fire hazard. In this report, it is explained that the UK and regional policy together with the experienced cities around the world are in the middle of taking action in further details to ensure benefits of roof garden can be provided in a new urban development as one of the main criteria of building design. According to Greater Manchester Green Roof Guidance, 2009, ‘There is no British Standard for roof greening and this is sometimes cited as a difficulty, however all major green roof suppliers in the UK are already working to German FLL standards’ (GRO, no date:online). ‘The FLL (the German Landscape, Research, Development and Construction Society) first published roof greening standards in 1982, have formed the basis of similar standards in all other countries that have adopted green roofing standards including Hungary, the Netherlands and Austria’. ‘The European Federation of Green Roof Associations is currently considering the publication of Europewide guidance’. Meanwhile, ’a Code of Practice for green roofs in the UK is being developed by the Green Roof Centre and partners in Sheffield with the support of European funding’ (GRO, no date:online).
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In term of structural issue, it is Greater Manchester Green Roof Guidance suggest that
additional support structure must be provided from the early
construction in order to avoid problems to design a green roof in the future. Type of building Commercial buildings
Type of roof
Weight (kg/m2) 120-150
Description
Commercial buildings
Extensive green roof
160
Extensive green roof
160
hold down insulation on a warm roof there is usually reluctance on the part of developers of this kind of building to incorporate green roofs into the design
Lightweight industrial buildings
Extensive green roof
Strengthening Not require additional strengthening Not require additional strengthening Require additional strengthening
The Greater London Authority (GLA) is in the middle of developing a standard requirement to underpin its green roof policy. The ‘Mayor’s Preferred Standard’ is currently: •
A roof must be vegetated with a minimum of 70%
•
A roof must be design to be accessible for at least 25%
•
Average depth of substrate should be 100mm with 80% of this having an average holding capacity of 2 liters/10mm/m2, which is equivalent to a minimum water holding potential of 20 litres/m2.
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
Greater Manchester Green Roof Guidance has incorporated the components of Green Roof Forum that has been established in 2004 in Sheffield. This forum comprising Sheffield City Council, Groundwork Sheffield and the University of Sheffield and aim to establish green roof sites within the sub urban area as a step to demonstrate the implication of roof garden which provide certain benefits to the development of an area. ‘As a result, this area has pioneered green roof implementation in the UK, with over 40 examples including schools commercial buildings and city centre apartments’ (no date: online). Three options have been provided for consultation: •
Green roofs will be required only on medium or large developments within 100m of the green belt, green network, waterways, parks, and open spaces greater than 1 hectare. (Medium or large = non-residential development over 1,000 sq meters and residential over 10 dwellings).
•
In all medium and large development, green roofs are required.
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CHAPTER 4: CASE STUDY
4.1 Biospheric Foundation
The Biospheric Foundation is located in between two cities; Manchester and Salford, next to the river Irwell. Biospheric Foundation is an urban farm and research lab which has been transformed from an old mill.
Biospheric Foundation aim to
provide a research solution in providing a local food system for the community within the local area and according to the project director, Vincent Walsh, estimated to feed a community within two miles radius of local area.
Figure 4: Diagrammatic Map of Biospheric Foundation
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From my visit to Biosheric foundation, the building looks no different to other industrial buildings all over Manchester. However, the building is actually now as orchard of 70 fruit trees and other green plants such as vegetables and permaculture system. As it is a part farm, part laboratory and part research centre, the site accommodate with innovative sustainable food grow systems ranging from urban forestry, to large scale aquaponic farming.
Figure 5: Exploded Diagram – Biospheric Foundation (Source: http://www.qub.ac.uk/researchcentres/ArchitectureatQueens/Impact/UrbanAgricultureLaboratory/ )
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According to Walsh, “the project has begun for 10-year project base in an area of urban deprivation where it is really needed, on estate where access to healthy food is so poor” (Biospheric Foundation, no date:online)
The Rooftop
Figure 6: Polytunnels on the roof of the old mill – home to the Biospheric Project (Source: http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/jul/08/manchester-international-festivalurban-farm?CMP=twt_gu )
The building itself work as one ecosystem. On the second floor, the building accommodates fish tanks and green windows while the roof top integrates two polytunnel systems. The overall systems integrate a hi-tech intervention where fish tank provide nitrate rich water and pumped up to the polytunnel systems on the rooftop to fertile green vegetables and herbs. The second system is what Walsh calls 30
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
a "greenius wall" where a thin greenhouse growing salad was designed. This is designed to replace a normal wall in order to maximize bio-productivity within the building.
The main component on the rooftop is the aquaponic polytunnels. ‘A polytunnel is a tunnel made of polyethylene, usually semi-circular, square or elongated in shape, which is designed to protect a row of plants or a section of a garden’ (Biospheric Foundation, no date: online). By introduction of this system in the building, the interior heats up faster because incoming solar radiation from the sun warms plants, soil, and other things inside the building faster than heat can escape the structure. When the sun radiation heat the components inside the building such as plants, soils and other things, the warmed air is retained within the building interior as it is faster than the heat that escape the building. This is because of the introduction of greenius wall and the green roof on the top of the building. While the polytunnel on the rooftop help to control the overall temperature, humidity and ventilation inside the building.
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Figure 7: Hydroponic Polytunnels on Biospheric Project rooftop
Construction and design consideration
According to Andy Jenkins, the lead technical designer at the Biospheric Project who also a Ph.D. researcher at Queens University Belfast, ‘the city finds itself in an unexpected situation where it has rapidly increased the surface area of the planet where walls and floor are considered in this case’ (Biospheric Foundation, no date:online). It is crucial for us to utilize these surfaces. Biospheric Foundation have done a research on how to maximise the use of these surface by integrate the agricultural systems which not only improve the building quality but provide opportunity for food production, thus for food security of the cities.
As a student exploring the possibilities of technological food system integrates into the existing building in the urban area, when he first arrived at the Irwell House, 32
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
he was full of ambition and ideas to develop the elevated and three dimensional aquaponic system. Through the biospheric project, he finally success in developed a systematic operational aquaponic system which integrated in the Irwell house from the ground to the up most floor space.
According to Andy Jerkin, the strength of the building structure is the most important criteria in the making a success of technological food system. In the biospheric project, the hardest part is to really understand the strength of the existing structure of the house as it was built over 60 years ago during the post war England in 1950. The existing structure of the building is not all components readily available to integrate with biospheric project. For example, the floor structure of the Irwell House is not built to support weight of the fish tanks. Therefore, they struggled to find the solution, by study the structural grid of the building as it is the only solution to support the weight of the tanks. 1000 kg weight of the tank is placed just above the beam so that the load can directly transfer to the ground. For the roof, polytunnel system integrated in the Biospheric Foundation is one example type of rooftop technology that can be design on existing structure that require minimal reconstruction of existing structure.
Uniquely, the overall systems are not stand alone. No irrigation and large amount of grow substrate required in this system. The water from the fish tank which is rich in nutrient is used to feed the plant on the window growing system which utilizes the vertical growing spaces contained within the building. The water then pumped up to the polytunnel system in the rooftop. The polytunnel system maximizes 33
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
the use of the system by providing high level of nutrients, light and heat to grow plants. While this system grows food, the components are monitored and controlled by high technology integrated systems which maintain the flow rate, pH and temperature at the required level. In Addition, such technology is important for provide data and feedbacks for future development.
From the Case study, it is clearly seen that normal roof can be transformed into a roof garden without extensive reconstruction. System that developed by Biosperic project may not new. However, Biospheric Project has developed a very systematic agricultural system, collaborating the overall building and the rooftop as one structured system to grow food. Without extra reconstruction and changes of existing building, introduction of polytunnel hydroponic system approves the implication of rooftop garden as agricultural resources.
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4.2 Unicorn Manchester’s Cooperative Grocery
Starting in 1996, Unicorn grocery store has offered an unbeatable range of affordable, fresh and wholesome food to its South Manchester customer base. Unicorn has become one of the largest and most successful whole food outlets in the UK. They provide a wide range of organic food for local. As they focus on basic ingredient which is produce organically to maintain its quality. Various programs have been introduced by Unicorn in conjunction with their aim for going sustainable and organic. One of the projects is Unicorn’s green roof project.
Figure 8: Unicorn Manchester’s Cooperative Grocery in Charlton (Source: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/onlychorlton-ethical-grocer-apologises-7090873 )
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The rooftop
Started in 2007, Unicorn Grocery has introduced a rooftop garden as one of their approach in sustainable and organic food production. Constructed on Unicorn Grocery’s 825 sqm flat roofs, it is unique of its kind in the United Kingdom. Considered as intensive green roof, the roof consists of a mixture of Sedum (small low moisture plants), wetland (a pond with water plants) and brownfield (rubble left to self-colonise). Not only for insulation and improve building energy consumption, this project have created a variety of habitats, to increased local biodiversity.
The project is a collaboration project between The Greater Manchester Biodiversity Project, the Unicorn Grocery, the SITA Trust, the BTCV, Outerspace Garden Design and Living roofs. The roof not only to provide wildfire habitat but it is also helped to improve building insulation.
The rooftop of Unicorn building are not really a green roof because it does not have any sedum species plant, thus it is classified as brown roof. The reason for not planting any green plant on the rooftop of Unicorn’s building are because the limitation of its structure to support weight. However, the project has successfully provided habitat for the birds which like less green vegetation.
According to the Unicorn Groceries’ official website, the roof garden project is part of a Manchester-wide project, Make Room for Black Redstarts. The project aimed to provide a suitable habitat for the black redstart, a small robin-like bird which breeds only in cities and, due to loss of habitat because of widespread inner city 36
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
regeneration, is now rarer than the Golden Eagle (Unicorn Groceries, no date:online). Classified as intensive greenroof, the construction of a rooftop garden consists of existing layer of Permaphalt as the base, and Supertherm XPS Insulation was installed. To complete the project, Ikogreen edge retention trim was installed to perimeter kerbs (Unicorn Groceries, no date:online).
Figure 9: Rooftop of Unicorn Grocery before roofgarden constructed
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
Figure 10: Rooftop of Unicorn Grocery after roofgarden constructed (Source: http://www.unicorn-grocery.coop/gallery.php )
The case study of Unicorn’s rooftop have not really answer the research question; where rooftop suitable for agriculture. However, the study suggests the possibilities of rooftop garden in providing ecological benefits. From my visit, the rooftop is classified as intensive green roof where the depth of substrate is greater than 300mm, and requires more detail construction. However, it is potentially to be developed as agriroof, where planter box could be introduced to accommodate fruit trees and vegetables, as suggested by GRO Green Roof Code and Greater Manchester Green Roof Guidance.
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4.3 Interviews
4.3.1
Biospheric Foundation
Interviewee: Vincent Walsh, The founder of Biospheric Foundation
The founder of Biospheric Foundation, Vincent Walsh is currently undertaking a PhD focusing on socio-ecological urban development. The Biospheric Project was Vincent's brainchild. Part farm, part laboratory and part research centre, all embedded in the heart of an existing community. The project put Greater Manchester at the forefront of this vital area of international research and activity. This commission is underpinned by Vincent research based at the Biospheric Foundation. According to Walsh, Biospheric Foundation is commission between the Manchester International Festival and Manchester City Council. ‘The aim of the project is to develop a food system in a local community, to reconnect people with food’ (Biospheric Foundation, no date:online). As part of Manchester International festival, Biospheric foundation doing an incredible people engagement program, developing a number of workshop and courses for local people to learn about the system that they develop in Biospheric project. Walsh emphasized that they are not an urban farmer but more to agricultural lab, because what they are doing are develop experiments advance ecological food system; to develop systems that a lot more productive, adaptive and resilience which stand as core of the Biospheric project. Interestingly, when he took a building for their project, there is no electricity, 39
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
no water system but he can see what the building could be like, as a centre of communication between local community, local academics, and local practitioners. The building of Biospheric project has transformed into an agricultural research lab which the first floor and second floor has been redesign as an open plan space so that more farming and agricultural places can take place inside the building, to develop a food system. The longterm ambition of biospheric foundation is to challenge contemporary food system, and for 21st century, he expected for more sustainable within the local community. Regarding the use the roof garden as part of agricultural programs, Walsh emphasized that there are a huge movement of urban agriculture in United Kingdom. Rooftop garden is one of the solutions of urban agriculture. Green roof in other aspect, usually focus to improve building quality in term of building temperature to the rainwater drainage systems. However, for Walsh he see roof top as an option for grow food. Despite the construction challenge and design requirement, he did mention the roof garden design in Irwell House are very simple and do not require fancy reconstruction. He added, people should understand that there are various possible methods to grow food on the rooftop. These include by using polytunnel system like what they did in Biospheric Foundation, planter boxes, pots and etc. Minimal construction required when you understand how to maintain these food growing system. According to Walsh, what they have done in Biospheric Foundation is proved for successful rooftop garden in growing organic food. The goods that produce in
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
Biospheric Foundation also have become part of the source for 78 Steps, another Biospheric Project; localized whole food store in providing healthy food for local. Walsh hopes that the aquaponic system introduced in Biospheric Foundation will become a starting point in determine the future of urban food production. What they have now in Biospheric Foundation is designed for not only to sustain current food production but hopefully highly adaptable in the future. There is so much more to tell about this project: chickens and bees on the roof, income-generating crops such as micro salads for restaurants as well as food grown for the whole food shop, job opportunities for local people. Further into the future solar arrays to produce power, rainwater collection, solar water heating, a microbrewery with spent barley used to feed the fish and spent corn to be used in mushroom production. “With weather patterns as they have been in the UK, the more that we can learn about growing food in different ways to feed people in cities, using the earth’s resources as efficiently and as lightly as possible, the better” says Walsh
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CHAPTER 5: DATA COLLECTION AND FINDINGS
5.1 Rooftop garden design aspects
5.1.1
The plant material of rooftop garden.
Policies and guidelines do not restricted the implication of the rooftop garden as agricultural resources. As mentioned in GRO Green Roof Code, different planting scheme may be applied in a roof garden. However, the minimum requirement for roof garden to be for agriculture is slightly restricted for extensive green roof which less than 20cm substrate depth. Based on the overall data found from the study of green roof guidelines and different case study, I redefine the type of rooftop garden into few types. Rather than focus on green roof, roof garden may be classified into few type, which are container gardens, planter box garden, green roof itself, and hydroponic. Case study of roof garden in Biospheric Foundation shows the possibility of normal rooftop to be redesign as agriculture resources with minimal reconstruction. Hydroponic system is a means of growing plants with the use of mineral nutrient solution to feed the plants and the substrates other than soil. In this case, a nutrient solution is used to water the plants. Biospheric project show a successful implication of rooftop garden when they co-operate a rooftop hydroponic polytunnel system with different food production programs. This innovative technological food systems, consists of a bio-diverse aquaponic farm, which produces leaf crops and fish. The system is simple, fish are reared in tanks in the second floor of studio of the
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Biospheric Foundation, and plants are grown in a polytunnel on the roof of the building.
Figure 11: Biospheric Aquaponic System (Source: http://www.qub.ac.uk/researchcentres/ArchitectureatQueens/Impact/UrbanAgricultureLaboratory/ )
There are various in term requirements, design and costs for commercial and popular hydroponic systems. Commercial hydroponic is considered a specialized science, while the one that practice by almost everyone are more simplified hydroponics. Commercial hydroponic is usually resource and capital-intensive compared to the simplified hydroponics where cheaper and straightforward. Many hydroponic systems are rarely used pesticides because plant start from using a medium that is chemical-free and don’t need labour to operate. Since the plant are not become root bound and more densely because they aren’t competing for 43
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
nutrients, smaller containers can be used to grow the plant. Hydroponics can also be design for indoors with artificial lighting, and no digging or weeding is generally required. Container garden on the other hand, plants can be grown anywhere. Roof container gardens can accommodate large number of plants; large enough container can also accommodate almost any type of plant that grows for food. There are many uses of container garden; it is especially effective for urban settings due to highly flexible form of gardening. In situation where the site are unsuitable for growing plant due to toxic chemical, container garden can be design where the soil can come from other area which have healthy soil. This soil also can be supplemented using compost that produced from garden’s organic waste and as additional organic waste in the building. This again, follows the appropriate testing protocols (FLL, British Standards) and fit for the purpose by meeting the relevant performance criteria. In addition, even if roofs are not built to hold gardens, then, container garden may use only during the growing season, without the added weight of snow. However, architect and engineer should also verify the support capacity of existing buildings before a rooftop garden is built. For the green roof, there are limited numbers of plant that can be grown in 300mm substrate. However, there are over 140 varieties of edible and medicinal plants can be grown for extensive green roof. It is depends on climatic condition of the area.
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5.1.2
The rooftop garden configuration
To be suitable for roof garden for food production, ‘the roof must be design to be accessible’. ‘It is also have to comply with the infrastructure and safety measures of building regulations’ (Livingroof, no date:online). It is also important for a roof garden to consider the maintenance and liability issues in the design. 300mm depth of substrate is found to be adequate for the purpose of food production. Not only roof garden must be design to be accessible, it is also must be safe to use. In this case, permanent access is one of the criteria of roof garden design with the design of parapet wall at the suitable height for public. This is according to the green roof policy, roof garden design ‘must conform to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Building Regulations Part K (2000) and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007’ (Livingroof, no date:online). In order to introduce agriculture in a roof garden it is important to be supported by instruction of suitable growing methods. It is defined as sustainable when the roof gardens are easy to maintain, chemicals are not used as supplement for plants and using the natural resources. For instance, waste that produced from various activity which not related to chemical and suitable, can be used for compost and or irrigation, recycle water or grey water used to water the plant rather than chemically treated.
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5.1.3
Ecological and agricultural
As suggested by GRO Green Roof Code roof garden provides ecological and agricultural benefits, there are numerous advantage of such policies. For example, •
Food is fresher and organic when it is produced locally where the foods from where its produced are travel in a short distance to the consumer.
•
Private space such as backyard or even community garden can be used by public to grow food of their choice.
•
Children have opportunities to learn about organic food production when organization such as school and college implement the roof garden within their learning facilities.
•
To eliminate the need for transportation to municipal amenities, Kitchen scraps, can be composted in special containers locally Beside provide new job opportunities for public, this will improve the community development in term of social and economics. Community engagement can be created when more people involve in organic food production including children and young people, perhaps at the same time reduce the crime rate. Biospheric project is proving for successful rooftop garden in growing organic food. The goods that produce in Biospheric Foundation also have become part of the source for 78 Steps, another Biospheric Project; localized whole food store in providing healthy food for local. Food is grown for the wholefood shop and at the same time provides job opportunities for local people. Green roof project by Unicorn grocery is one of the successful examples of the implication of green roof within an urban area. Even the project mainly focus on 46
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
providing habitat for the black redstart, rather than food production, it is seen as an achievement for improving the ecosystem within an urban area. Recreational activities can be held in this area when it is accessible, thus act as meeting place for community. In addition, to enhance the biodiversity, this initiative can even design not only for the purpose within an urban development area but continue into the surrounding countryside.
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CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Despite roof top gardening having many benefits, to widespread rooftop garden application faces a clear challenge in any of their forms either using container; container gardens, a green layer of vegetation on the roof; green roof or using hydro technology; hydroponic gardens. The clearest challenges are in term of the capacity of the roof load and accessibility. These challenges usually become prominent in liability-obsessed country like Britain, even sometimes it is valid in concern of safety and building protection. The other major challenges include the minimal public knowledge, bad water management, safety and lack of design coordination of the rooftop design towards sustainable environment. By looking at the case study of Biospheric Project as one of the successful example, rooftop agriculture have slowly become more common, where roof garden for agriculture and food, may provide a better secure for urban development in term of food and income. The green roof industry is gaining a significant acknowledgement in England especially in the cities in London, Manchester, and Oxford, by introduction of green roof guidelines and policies; are the beginning in creating incentives for green roof technology. However, in comparison to few other European countries, there are a lot more study must be done, and relevant body must take action in order to lead to the kind of outstanding implication. Unfortunately, there are a lot of existing roof garden are not designed for access by people thus great deal of a rooftop potential cannot be seen without proper
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accessibility. Without accessibility, roof garden may provide many positive environmental benefits, but there are lost in term of public space and food security benefits. This conclusion is derived from the cost constraints and liability concerns. Green roof is in fact, the best type of rooftop agriculture in term to maximize the sustainability; ecological, agricultural and urban benefits at once. As green roof industry in United Kingdom are getting recognized, it is expected also expansion of green roof for agriculture. Even it is notable that green roof are the most expensive in comparison to other type of roof gardens, it is possible to integrate agriculture within green roof design. People can use their knowledge of local condition and available materials to design a smart, minimal system that improve their self-reliance. Even we can hope that development within an urban area gain the advantages of implementing agriculture in green roofs, even now, the possibility of agriroof project are unlikely possible without standard guidance and policies. Agriculture are considered as best at the roof where goods is produce and consumed. When there is availability land at grade-level, garden care has not been well coordinated as food is not produce within the building. This has led to unsuccessful of rooftop agriculture. In contrast, taking example of Biospheric project rooftop garden and hydroponic polytunnel system shows a significant success in providing a systematic advance technology of food production within an urban area. As a conclusion, the implication of rooftop garden as agricultural resources bring a lot of positive advantage to urban development; from improving the community development to the food security. It is important, for one to understand this implication so that policies and guidelines will be well provided by such body. 49
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Even though in countries like Britain, where food not cost people in a big part of income, and people are not feel threatened about the food security and income, it is hope that people take steps to begin rooftop agriculture. This is not only for community self-improvement but those that do will affect the overall urban development towards sustainability particularly towards the great potential of roof garden can provide. As urban agriculture has massively been implemented in most city landscape for the past decades, it is hope so that rooftop.
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
REFERENCES: Journal Articles
ACHARYA, S. & MYLAVARAPU, R. S. 2015. Modeling shallow water table dynamics under subsurface irrigation and drainage. Agricultural Water Management, 149, 166-174. DVORAK, B. & VOLDER, A. 2010. Green roof vegetation for North American ecoregions: A literature review. Landscape and Urban Planning, 96, 197213. EMILSSON, T. & ROLF, K. 2005. Comparison of establishment methods for extensive green roofs in southern Sweden. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 3, 103-111. ERNWEIN, M. 2014. Framing urban gardening and agriculture: On space, scale and the public. Geoforum, 56, 77-86. NAGASE, A. & DUNNETT, N. 2012. Amount of water runoff from different vegetation types on extensive green roofs: Effects of plant species, diversity and plant structure. Landscape and Urban Planning, 104, 356363. NAGASE, A. & DUNNETT, N. 2013. Establishment of an annual meadow on extensive green roofs in the UK. Landscape and Urban Planning, 112, 5062. OBERNDORFER, E., LUNDHOLM, J., BASS, B., COFFMAN, R. R., DOSHI, H., DUNNETT, N., GAFFIN, S., KĂ–HLER, M., LIU, K. K. Y. & ROWE, B. 2007. Green Roofs as Urban Ecosystems: Ecological Structures, Functions, and Services. BioScience, 57, 823-833. ROWE, D. B. 2011. Green roofs as a means of pollution abatement. Environmental Pollution, 159, 2100-2110. WHITTINGHILL, L. J. & ROWE, D. B. 2012. The role of green roof technology in urban agriculture. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 27, 314-322. WILLIAMS, N. S. G., RAYNER, J. P. & RAYNOR, K. J. 2010. Green roofs for a wide brown land: Opportunities and barriers for rooftop greening in Australia. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 9, 245-251.
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
YUEN, B. & NYUK HIEN, W. 2005. Resident perceptions and expectations of rooftop gardens in Singapore. Landscape and Urban Planning, 73, 263276.
BIBILIOGRAPHY Ahern, J., 2013. Urban landscape sustainability and resilience: the promise and challenges of integrating ecology with urban planning and design. Landscape Ecol. 28, 1203–1212. H. Wright (2011). “Understanding green infrastructure: the development of a contested concept in England”. Local Environment, 16 (2011), pp. 1003– 1019 James, P., Tzoulas, K., Adams, M.D., Barber, A., Box, J., Breuste, J., Elmqvist, T., Frith, M., Gordon, C., Greening, K.L., Handley, J., Haworth, S., Kazmierczak, A.E., Johnston, M., Korpela, K., Moretti, M., Niemelä, J., Pauleit, S., Roe, M.H., Sadler, J.P., Ward Thompson, C., 2009. Towards an integrated understanding of green space in the European built environment. Urban For. Urban Green. 8, 65–75. Kamierczak, A., 2013. The contribution of local parks to neighbourhood social ties. Landscape Urban Plann. 109, 31–44 Kilmer N. Donnell, "Rooftop Gardens: A Green Solution to Los Angeles' Urban Problems" Urban and Environmental Madureira, H., et al. (2015). "Urban residents’ beliefs concerning green space benefits in four cities in France and Portugal." Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 14(1): 56-64. Madureira, H., Andresen, T., 2014. Planning for multifunctional urban green infrastructures: promises and challenges. Urban Des. Int. 19, 38–49. Nowak, D.J., J.C. Stevens, S.M. Sisinni, and C.J. Luley. 2002. Effects of urban tree management and species selection on atmospheric carbon dioxide. Journal of Arboriculture 28(3):113- 122. Oberndorfer, E., et al. (2007). "Green Roofs as Urban Ecosystems: Ecological Structures, Functions, and Services." BioScience 57(10): 823833. Dvorak, B. and A. Volder (2010). "Green roof vegetation for North American ecoregions: A literature review." Landscape and Urban Planning 96(4): 197-213. 52
The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
Tian, Y. and C. Y. Jim (2011). "Factors influencing the spatial pattern of sky gardens in the compact city of Hong Kong." Landscape and Urban Planning 101(4): 299-309. Tzoulas, K., James, P., 2010. Peoples use of, and concerns about, green space networks: a case study of Birchwood, Warrington New Town, UK. Urban For. Urban Green. 9, 8. Van Mechelen, C., et al. (2015). "Functional diversity as a framework for novel ecosystem design: The example of extensive green roofs." Landscape and Urban Planning 136(0): 165-173. Xiao, M., et al. (2014). "A review of green roof research and development in China." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 40(0): 633-648. Yuen, B. and W. Nyuk Hien (2005). "Resident perceptions and expectations of rooftop gardens in Singapore." Landscape and Urban Planning 73(4): 263-276.
Books Theodore Osmundson. (1999) Roof gardens: history, design, and construction, New York: W.W. Norton. Levidow, Les and Psarikidou, Katerina (Nagase and Dunnett) ‘Making local food sustainable in Manchester’. In: Viljoen, Andre and Wiskerke, Johannes S. C. (ed/s) Sustainable Food Planning: Evolving Theory and Practice. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers, pp. 207–220.
Websites Shimmy, (2012) ‘A Brief History of Roof Gardens’ [Online] [Accessed on 06 January 2015] http://www.heathershimmin.com/a-brief-history-of-roof-gardens James Wilson, (2011) ‘The GRO Green Roof Code’ [Online] [Accessed on 04 March 2015] http://www.greenroofcode.co.uk/ Design 101 ltd. ‘Green Roof Guide’ [Online] [Accessed on 04 March 2015] http://www.greenroofguide.co.uk/
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The Implication of Rooftop Garden as Agricultural Resources | Shahrul Ridhwan Shahruddin Master of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2015)
Andy Jenkins, (2013) ‘Elevated and Three-Dimensional Food System’ [Online] [Accessed on 04 March 2015] http://www.biosphericfoundation.com/elevated-and-three-dimensional-food-system/ Greater London Authority, (2008) ‘Living Roofs and Walls Technical Report: Supporting London Plan Policy’ [Online] [Accessed on 04 March 2015] http://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/living-roofs.pdf Unicorn, ‘Unicorn Grocery’ [Online] [Accessed on 04 March 2015] http://www.unicorn-grocery.coop/ Biospheric Foundation [Online] [Accessed on 04 March 2015] www.biosphericfoundation.com GRO/NFRC, ‘GRO Green Roof Code’ [Online] [Accessed on March 2015] http://www.nfrc.co.uk/article/2014/10/29/gro-code-2014-unveiled
GRO, ‘GRO Green Roof Code’ [Online] [Accessed on March 2015] http://livingroofs.org/ Centre for Construction Innovation North West, ‘Green roof and walls’ [Online] [Accessed on March 2015] http://www.ccinw.com/services/sustainable-construction/green-roofs-amp-walls/20859 Other Manchester City Council (2009) ‘Greater Manchester Green Roof Guidance’
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