Eight Reasons to Include Food Production in Your Next Building for Project Designers and Developers
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About 12,000 years ago, humans became farmers, gradually leaving their nomadic hunting and gathering existence which had sustained them for hundreds of thousands of years. In the blink of an eye, we’ve now become a predominantly urban species. More than half of humanity lives in cities. Ancient cities relied on their surrounding agricultural regions to provide them with their food needs. In those times, food would travel into cities each day by cart, and night soil would travel back out, to fertilize fields. Food was also grown inside city boundaries, as it still is, in many parts of the developing world. Today however, millions of us now live in an era of global food markets, where fruits and vegetables travel thousands of miles to reach our tables. Peaches in the cold of February, no problem! Blueberries for breakfast, year-round - here you go!
Ongoing population growth in cities continues to drive urban sprawl which in turns chews up regional farmland and green space. In the Province of Ontario for example, 175 acres of farmland is lost to sprawl each and every day. As a result, we are now living miles and miles from the nearest farmers’ field. We have also become disconnected from the sources of our food. And in the poorer areas of cities, there are so-called food deserts where citizens have little or no access to fresh produce – not a grocery store within miles. Furthermore, we have become worrisomely dependent on far flung food supply chains and underpaid laborers to sustain food supply. If the pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that our food system is far from secure or resilient.
The urban agriculture movement can address many of these issues by supporting the development and protection of local and regional food systems. A recent type of urban food production is called ‘Agritecture’. Agritecture refers to the integration of architecture and agriculture, so that food can be produced in, on and around buildings. Agritecture projects are finally taking off around the world, driven by the tangible benefits they provide, including a return on investment for developers. Agritecture projects include commercial soil-based rooftop farms and high-tech hydroponic indoor vertical gardens, to private rooftop plots and high-tech commercial rooftop greenhouses.
Here is an overview of eight of the major benefits that provide reasons for you to incorporate food production into your next project. Depending on your designs and building type, all of these benefits are achievable, bringing agriculture back into cities, and on the roofs and walls of our buildings.
1. Immediate Return on Investment
The roofs and walls of buildings can be used to generate rent for building owners. Urban farmers lease the space from the owner and then sell the produce. Brooklyn Grange, in New York City, one of the most well-known rooftop farming companies operates on this model, renting rooftop farm space. La Ligne Verte, which operates the award-winning rooftop farm in Montreal, also leases roof space from the building owner.
Brooklyn Navy Yard Rooftop Farm. Photo: Brooklyn Grange
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Another model can be found in Tokyo, Japan. It involves community gardens located on the roofs above rail lines. The first Soradofarm, also known as a Machinaka Vegetable Garden, was built on top of the Ebisu station in Tokyo over four years ago. More than 13 stations around the country have operating gardens that are rented out. The roof dampens the sound of the trains and provides gardening opportunities and greenspaces for the community. The roof plots are leased to the surrounding home owners, most of whom have very little private greenspace. Rental income helps finance the activities of the community garden co-op. The plots are three meters (10 feet) in length and rent for approximately US$1,000 per year. Plot renters can hire additional support from gardening experts and often use the overall garden as recreational space. There are plans by the East Japan Railway Company to build more, since the plots are in high demand.
A rooftop garden designed by Oslo House Architects. Photo: Oslo House
Yet another model is for developers to offer individual farm plots for sale on condominium roofs, much like the way they sell parking spots or storage areas. Lots as small at 10 by 15 feet may fetch as much as $20,000 or more. An award-winning rooftop farming condominium in Oslo, Norway, for example, is housing block Dæelenenggata 36, designed by Oslo House Architects. The developer sold private roof plots to the building occupants. The roof garden has apple trees, plum trees, currants and cherries and fantastic views of downtown Oslo and the fjord. The roof is also designed for several communal spaces allowing everyone in the building to enjoy the greenspace and view. These initiatives raised more revenue than the green roof cost to build and maintain.
There is something ethereal, even magical about gazing out from the roof of a building while standing between two rows of vegetables. Rooftop farmers love what they do, and rooftop farms often have more volunteers and visitors than they can deal with. The positive feelings generated by these places are what generates added profile and interest, and helps to speed up the sales of units.
Other developers create community gardening spaces for all of the occupants as an added amenity, and hire professional gardeners to help maintain them. The produce is often shared, with a portion going to the community group and a portion going to the individual farmers.
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This is a private plot with fruit trees on the rooftop farm in Oslo, Norway. Photo: Steven Peck
Rooftop amenity spaces combined with farms have demonstrated their value for other types of buildings, like convention centers and hotels. The new farm on the Javits Convention Center in New York City, for example, is a high-profile amenity space for conference attendees and a working farm that supplies produce for conference caterers.
Universities are also implementing rooftop farms as educational resources, as well as a platform for academic research. Ryerson University in Toronto has two rooftop farms and is engaged in a wide variety of research involving academics from several departments. Trent University students have supported a rooftop farming facility through their student fees for more than two decades. The farm supplies them with fresh vegetables in their cafeteria.
Rooftop Container farming and amenity space at George Brown College, Toronto. Photo: Steven Peck
2. Integration With Business Operations
The Avling Brewery and Restaurant rooftop farm in Toronto. Photo: Steven Peck.
Agritecture projects can provide super fresh food right onsite for businesses and even help utilize waste from their waste streams. The Avling Brewery and Restaurant in Toronto uses its rooftop farm vegetables and herbs in its brewing process and restaurant. The IGA rooftop farm in Montreal sells rooftop produce directly in the grocery store below. Chocosol, a small manufacturer of specialty chocolates uses its rooftop produce in its chocolate making process. Hotels and restaurants have begun growing their own rooftop food all over North America, as a positive way of differentiating themselves. For more than 20 years, the Waterfront Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver has used its rooftop farm as amenity space, to provide garden suites for guests overlooking the farm, and to supply fresh herbs for its kitchen.
A new vertical farm in Vancouver, situated on the roof of a five story parking garage, is the headquarters of the greenhouse headquarters of Local Garden, North America's first ever VertiCrop farm. The 6,000 square foot area contains a 12-foot high racking system that can sustainably produce the food equivalent to that of a five acre farm. It grows microgreens, leafy greens and basil. The vertical farm can be maintained in any climate, uses 92 per cent less water and absolutely no chemical pesticides. It provides 150,000 pounds of fresh produce to restaurants and hotels within a 10 km distance of the farm.
Brewing wastes from Avling brewery, and the husks from cacao seed pods from Chocosol’s chocolate making, are also used as rooftop soil amendments. The IGA roof farm in Montreal captures air conditioning condensate and uses the water for irrigation purposes, reducing the use of potable water, in turn saving money. The Javits rooftop farm captures excess stormwater from other roof areas and uses it for irrigation. Most soil-based rooftop farms have active compost piles to deal with waste and regenerate soils. We have barely scratched the surface of exploring business opportunities to integrate water, energy and waste with food production.
3. Growing Food Grows Community
Growing food in a shared space builds community within buildings and even beyond to the local neighborhood. Food production often leads to cooking programs and the sharing of communal meals – harvest celebrations. Many soil-based rooftop farms are designed to include communal areas that can be rented as event spaces. Covered spaces allow for events such as weddings and training programs. This provides an important source of additional income for urban farmers.
Fresh food can reach individuals through Community Supported Agriculture programs like weekly food boxes, through farmers markets and mobile vehicles that go into food deserts to bring fresh produce directly to those who need it.
Local farm to table restaurants which purchase produce and even crickets, have an important role to play here in providing guaranteed revenue streams. New immigrants, who may have a tradition of farming can come together and bring their knowledge and skills to the table. Indigenous peoples are using rooftop farms to grow traditional herbs and vegetables, like sweet grass and the three sisters (corn, beans and squash), and to teach their wisdom. Rooftop farms often provide tours and educate children, and provide classes to adults on subjects ranging from bee keeping to canning and cooking. Guided tours can provide another source of revenue to support farming operations and provide important food and nutrition education for the community.
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Common areas and small vertical farming containers St. Louis Rooftop Farm. Photo: Steven Peck
Food production on buildings grows healthier communities in innumerable ways. Take the Rooftop Farm in St. Louis, Missouri, that was developed by Urban Harvest STL. It was the result of a collaboration of architects, landscape architects, green roof experts, horticulturalists, structural engineers, agronomists and urban farmers. This 8,500 square foot rooftop grows more than 200 varieties of edible plants, and has also become the center of a vibrant community, which receives free produce. The farm is designed with a shaded and multi-functional community hub space, state of the art greenhouse, chicken house (with a green roof), a living wall, and hydroponic towers integrated into a beautiful green space for the enjoyment of the surrounding urban community. Urban Harvest STL grows food where people live and empowers communities to cultivate equitable access to healthy, sustainably grown food. By placing a farm in the heart of the dense urban core of St. Louis, Urban Harvest STL educates, feeds and inspires people of all ages. They actively raise awareness around health and nutrition, so that the community becomes empowered to take action in their own lives.
4. Support Biodiversity
For every third bite of food, you can thank a pollinator. Clearly, we need to rapidly rise to the challenge of arresting biodiversity loss. We need to support biodiverse green roofs and rooftop farms because they support biodiversity. Soil-based rooftop farms provide opportunities to support a wide range of pollinators and native plants. Furthermore, insect habitat and the provision of water also supports bird life. Bee hotels provide a variety of bee species with opportunities to nest. Green walls can provide many species of birds and insects with food, water and shelter. The development and maintenance of healthy biodiverse rich soils, through onsite composting also facilitates greater yields and better stormwater management. Ultimately, developing urban food production at a much larger scale, may one day help to offset the loss of habitat by providing opportunities for rewilding marginal agricultural lands within the region. Returning those lands to a natural state will provide ecosystem services, like habitat, flood management, air and water filtration and carbon sequestration.
5. Rooftop Agrivoltaics
Green roofs and solar panels, when designed well, compliment each other in many ways. The cooler air generated by the evapotranspiration from the green roof increases solar panel efficiency by anywhere from five to 15 per cent. The partial shading of solar panels and their ability to capture and direct rainwater improves the health of the underlying plants, which can be food crops. Rooftop agrivoltaics are a next generation application of sustainable roof top technology, one that has tremendous potential to use the roof space of our cities to sustain life.
6. Employment and Workforce Development
Traditional agriculture, like many sectors, is suffering from an aging workforce. The average age of US farmers is around 59, and many do not have retirement transition plans. In addition to the direct and indirect job benefits that are attainable from agritecture projects, they also have the potential to introduce a new generation of entrepreneurs to the joys and challenges of farming. These new farmers are needed to take over regional farming operations to sustain the sector in the decades to come and support local and regional food security.
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An herb based green wall shortly after harvesting. Photo: Steven Peck
7. Supporting Food Security
It has often been said that the difference between civilization and anarchy is three days of food supply. Currently, many agritecture projects are focused upon high value crops which do not transport well over long distances, like microgreens and salad greens. These high value products, while healthy, are insufficient to provide the roughly 2000 calories required by the average person every day. There is also a lack of protein being produced on these farms. In essence, we still have a long way to go in terms of public policies that support a more regional and local food system, and support the entrepreneurial talent and training to scale up the sector.
8. Improving Human Health
Sunflowers on a green roof. Photo: Steven Peck.
The pandemic lockdowns dramatically demonstrated our hard-wired need to be in nature. Local and regional parks have been overflowing with people; bird watching and gardening have seen dramatic increases in participation; and even the landscaping industry has been booming. The “biophilia hypothesis”, first described by Eric Fromm but more fully developed by E.O. Wilson suggests that our need to be in nature is as fundamental as our need for community, or clean water. We evolved in relation to nature and we risk our mental and physical health if we deny the need to experience it on a regular basis. The amount of scientific research that proves the biophilia hypothesis is impressive. This knowledge allows designers to create environments that are restorative and healthy for building occupants. There are many elements in our surroundings that help us relax and destress, like waterfalls and woodland streams, the view across a lake, natural light, morning bird song, the sounds of wind through grass and leaves, and the dappled light under a forest canopy. Gardening and farming activities allow us to directly engage with soil and plants and have tremendous healing powers. Exposure to the microbiome of a healthy soil offers benefits to mental health that may rival antidepressants. After mice were treated with Mycobacterium vaccae, a friendly soil bacteria, their brains produced more of the mood-regulating hormone serotonin. Some scientists are now advocating that we engage with soil to care for our psychological health.
Hospitals have been quick to utilize green roofs, and to a lesser extent, roof top farming to provide improved healing environments for patients and a place of respite for employees and visitors. Retaining health care workers through improved amenity spaces represents a bottom-line savings for hospitals. These benefits have been measured and monetized to some extent at the Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin, Texas. Their improved ability to retain nursing staff alone, saves the hospital tens of thousands of dollars each year.
Much of the current policy discussion about adaptation to climate change is centered on issues like sea level rise, flooding and mitigating the urban heat island. This is critical, to be sure. However, there is little discussion about food security as a resiliency issue despite predictions about how climate change will disrupt our food supply. Agritecture projects and other forms of urban agriculture provide a full suite of benefits and can contribute directly to the bottom line of the development industry. Urban agriculture can also help address local flooding through improved stormwater management, reduce temperatures in urban areas, and dovetail with progress being made on food production.
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Steven W. Peck, GRP, Honorary ASLA, is the founder and president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.
Visit the Living Architecture Academy for training courses and symposia focused on food production.
