THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY URBAN ROOFTOP FARM
To revive the land on which it stands, the Thammasat Urban Rooftop Farm (TURF) unites principles of modern landscape design with traditional agriculture of rice terraces, to transform wasted space into a productive organic rooftop farm—Asia’s largest.
Typology
Status
Project Details
Thammasat University
Master Planning, Landscape Architecture
Completed July 2020
Client
Asia’s largest organic rooftop farm
Urban rooftop farm
Amidst the climate crisis, food and water scarcity pose tremendous threats to human civilization. Once abundant agrarian societies rich with food sources, Bangkok and cities across Southeast Asia are victims of unregulated urbanization on rice-producing regions. The once fertile marshlands have transformed into paralyzed concrete developments—no longer able to breathe, absorb water or grow food.
Rice terraces
Rooftop farm
A cascading rooftop system
Inspired by traditional agricultural practices on mountainous terrains across Southeast Asia, TURF’s landscape architect integrated the earthwork of rice terraces with modern green roof technology. The 236,806 sq. ft. cascading rooftop can slow down runoff up to 20 times more efficiently than a conventional concrete rooftop.
Rainwater runoff
As rainwater zigzags down the slopes, each level of TURF harvests runoff from the previous cell, forming unique clusters of micro-watersheds along the terrace to helping absorb, filter and purify rainwater while growing food for the campus. By the end of its journey, four retention ponds await on each wing, capable of holding up to 3,095,570 gallons of water once combined.
Water runoff strategy
"TURF holds with it the history of Thai culture, landscape and native soil, embedded as lessons to communities and city builders on how to adapt to and embrace climate challenges in building the sustainable cities of the future"
Kotchakorn Voraakhom
Founder and CEO
Water resuse
By reusing water from four retention ponds, TURF minimizes the water footprint of food production. A solar-powered pump supplies roof irrigation, while cascading rice and vegetable terraces enrich the soil, reduce erosion during heavy rainfall, and prevent polluted runoff and airborne particles from entering natural water systems.
As lush green turns to dry brown, TURF is a realistic, but hopeful solution that puts modern urban dwellers back in tune with ancestral agricultural practices. The landscape architect implemented a holistic approach inspired by local ingenuity.
