Planting crops on a building is very challenging!
Issues such as the building’s structure and load need to be taken into account, and any slip-up will cause water leaks, cracks, and structural damage. Therefore, we took several key steps to prevent these issues:
1. We selected plants with shallow roots, which makes them more suitable for rooftop gardens. Examples include leaf vegetables such as sweet potato leaves and lettuce, as well as small trees and shrubs. Their short roots mean that the roots won’t damage the building’s structure.
2. A waterproof layer was installed to separate the building’s structure from the soil and water. Maintenance is performed weekly.
3. Tests showed that every square meter of the rooftop can withstand 200 kilograms of weight, so we set a maximum depth of 20 centimeters. We also placed the crops near pillars and other structurally reinforced locations to prevent damage to the building.
