Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2017 - 18

A PIONEER IN CHICAGO URBAN AGRICULTURE

he Commercial Rooftop Farm is a fully-functioning, commercial-scale rooftop
farm located on the West Side of Chicago. The roof produces an impressive yield
of 44 different crops in more than 100 varieties including green beans, potatoes,
radishes, turnips and raspberries. Every week during harvest season, produce from the
roof is picked, processed and packaged on-site before it's sold to nearby restaurants and
consumers, and served in locally-sourced dishes.
The site features four roofs, three of which are farmed commercially, and one
1,200-square-foot rooftop lawn used for observation and research. The food meadow
is supported by an exceptionally lightweight substrate ranging in depth from 4 to 8
inches. The roof is a polyculture system, combining perennials and food crops to establish a healthy nutrient cycle and generate bountiful harvests. Perennial cover crops,
many of which are edible, create a stable and established ecosystem. Seasonal seedling
crops, including tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, are added to diversify the rooftop
menu.
The Carroll project is laying the groundwork and providing crucial research for
these future rooftop farming projects, making it a pioneer in urban agriculture in Chicago. The building below the commercial rooftop farm houses three education-focused
non profits. Two of these are after-school programs which incorporate the farm into
much of their programming, teaching lessons in ecology, biology and food production
and using the green roof as their classroom. Urban youth with little to no knowledge of
agriculture are provided invaluable exposure to a fully-functioning farm. Select students
who wish to continue their education are offered summer employment with the greenroof company. The third organization is a coalition of Chicago chefs who create food
and nutrition programming for local schools. Rooftop produce is occasionally used in
their classroom demonstrations and lessons, and the farm collaborates with this group.
Fruits, veggies and florals harvested from the farm are purchased by nearby food
cooperatives, consumers and restaurants which use them in locally-sourced dishes. The
farm grows more than 100 varieties of crops including peppers, raspberries, melons,
cucumbers, kales, apples and more. Harvests are conducted weekly, making the roof a
viable and reliable source of hyperlocal food. Judges praised the project for its integration
of urban living and agriculture as well as its array and diversity of food production.
"The roof farm epitomizes Omni's mission to create resilient landscapes that are beautiful and that
create social and ecological solutions. Serving as a hands-on classroom, hyper-local food source, native
pollinator pathway, and peaceful workplace respite, the rooftop farm elevates the possibilities of living
infrastructure systems."
- Omni Ecosystems CEO Molly Meyer

DESIGN AWARD CATEGORY
Intensive Industrial/Commercial
PROJECT
1516 West Carroll Ave Roof Farm
LOCATION
Chicago, Illinois
AWARD WINNER
Omni Ecosystems
TEAM MEMBERS
Architect
Lynsey Sorrell,
Perimeter Architects
Farm Marketing & Operations
Tracy Boychuk,
The Roof Crop LLC
General Contractor
Kirk Bacastow, LG Construction
Green Roof Designer,
Manufacturer, & Installer
Molly Meyer, Omni Ecosystems
Owners Representative
Paul Clausen,
Clausen Management Services
Roofer
Andy Moglieniki, AB Edwards

"I've marveled watching this rooftop
grow-- not only as an ecosystem, with a
more impressive array of crops establishing
every year-- but as a space for fellowship
and community."
- Tracy Boychuk,
The Roof Crop Manager and Co-Founder
"1516 West Carroll represents the best of
what Perimeter Architects strive for in
every project: innovation, collaboration,
great design and clever solutions. The roof
system is so light and flexible, engineering
the roof was far less complex than with
other systems on the market but the results
are incomparable."
- Lynsey Sorrell,
Perimeter Architects Principal

All photos courtesy of Hanna
Hoggatt
Photography
LIVING ARCHITECTURE
MONITOR / FALL 2017

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