Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Winter 2020 - 15

Photo courtesy Steven Peck

even hops that he's incorporated
both into the beer and into the
food offerings at Avling. This is
local food newly defined.
A big fan of urban agriculture, Meighen's Avling Brewery
is the first purpose built green
roof for food production in
Toronto. As others have done,
Meighen visited Brooklyn
Grange in New York City to
see the potential opportunities
and came away excited to be a
pioneer. He's not aware of any
other breweries following his
example - at least in Canada.
When asked about the
economics for the green
roof, Meighen stresses that
the business case is not just
based on money, but also on
authenticity. Enabling a green
roof was one step beyond
what was necessary, Meighen
explains. For a business to call
itself sustainable, there must
be a circular economy. Waste
becoming the basis of a new
product is a good example. A
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positive return on investment
for the Avling green roof had
Covid-19 not happened, would
have been realized in 2020.
The City of Toronto provided
an initial $30K rebate for the
6,500 square foot space, half of
which is planted.
The obvious option to having a food producing green roof
is to supply the kitchen with a
variety of fresh produce. Avling
is doing more. They have
re-directed the hot water/grain
(mash) part of the brewing process - very high in nitrogen and
protein - into an oxygenated
system that breaks down the
sugars to become a high-quality
water for the rooftop plants.
The green roof provides
an opportunity for education
and for Avling branding. It is
now seen as a community asset.
Before the pandemic, they
had offered a broad slate of
online and outdoor workshops.
Avling partnered with Ryerson
University to provide data and

study opportunities. The green roof provides a training ground
for chefs and other staff. Meighen sees the engagement potential
of the green roof as a huge business asset. Customers are engaged,
craft beer friends are intrigued by the unique terroir and flavour,
and with the growth in craft beer consumption, the green roof
component opens up access to different markets. Two full time staff
work on the roof.
Botanicals used in beer making include pineapple sage, lemon
sorrel, lemon balm, verbena, sweet woodruff, lemon thyme, mint,
basil, sage and cilantro. The roof also supports five different kinds
of dwarf apples, raspberries, tomatoes, beets, peas, squash and
watermelon.
Author Dan Barber talks about Rotation Risotto - where different
crops at different times of the growing season highlight the rhythm
of agriculture to create added value. Meighen likes this concept.
Trial beds in 2020 include six different kinds of carrots and
five different kinds of radicchio in partnership with the Ecological
Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO). The EFAO studied the
germination rates, uniformity, size, flavour and saleability, as part of
a nationwide trial. Three different wheat varieties were also planted.
Meighen sees the roof as consistent with the goals of Canadian
Seed Security as these varieties could become a highly novel strain.
While the test plot is small, the seeds were saved.
Despite the initial setbacks, Meighen is looking for a second site.
On the next green roof, he would integrate a heat recovery system
to add hot water under the rows, and looks to modify the green
roof to integrate aquaponics. Max Meighen is well on his way to
achieving his mission. www.avling.ca

LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / WINTER 2020 / 15
http://www.avling.ca http://www.LIVINGARCHITECTUREMONITOR.COM
Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor Winter 2020

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