Design: Agrotopia - Rooftop glasshouse (BE)
Design of gigantic rooftop greenhouse
| Location | Roeselare (BE) |
| Surface | 9,500m² |
| Design | EdenParks, design and advice |
| Architect | Van Bergen Kolpa Architects with Meta architects |
| Clients | Inagro and Reo auction |
| Type | Venlo |
| Purpose |
Research and exhibition of vegetable growing with which the Flemish Research Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture Inagro further connects with the logistics sector and the consumer.
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The Green Hub
The research center AGROTOPIA is realized on the roof of the crate warehouse of fruit and veg auction REO. This greenhouse now is the landmark of 'The Green Hub' at the Roeselare ring road. The project is the example for urban food production, intensive use of space, circular energy and water usage and sustainability in greenhouse horticulture.
An ambitious building with numerous innovations has been realized: different climate zones in 1 building, sustainable and economic use of space, research into leafy vegetables and fruit vegetables in the city, opening up the roof for a public function, circular use of space and energy to name just a few." Jago van Bergen, van Bergen Kolpa Architecten
9,500 m² greenhouse with vertical farming
The 9,500 m² building comprises high-tech research facilities for the cultivation of fruit and leafy vegetables, surrounded by an educational routing for a wider audience. The entry, with wide stairs, leads to the Urban Farming Square with visitor facilities. In the so-called Façade Greenhouse at the ring road, there's a special department that will focus on innovation in vertical farming.
Team of Specialists worked together
Specialists in the field of architecture, horticulture, greenhouse construction (greenhouse construction), climate and construction; META architecture office, van Bergen Kolpa Architecten, Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture, Tractebel Engineering and Smiemans worked together on this project.
Sustainable and economical use of space
Due to the increasing urgency of sustainable, but also efficient and economic use of space, the activation of residual space in the city for urban agriculture is on the rise. In Agrotopia, two worlds – architecture and agriculture – that were previously completely separated from each other, come together into one building for urban agriculture. Moreover, not a drop of water is lost in this building. When irrigating the plants, the residual water is recycled and reused. Heat is also reused: the residual heat from the waste incinerator Mirom will heat the greenhouse. In short, Agrotopia lives in a circular symbiosis with the city.
Biggest European rooftop greenhouse at Belgian auction
Construction of the greenhouse on the roof of a fruit and veg auction started early 2019. September 24 2021 this biggest rooftop greenhouse was opened to growers, researchers and the general public. Since its opening, Agrotopia has won several prestigious design awards.
"We are very pleased with this ambitious project and the clients; Inagro and REO Auction show that professional food production can be connected to the city," says architect Jago van Bergen, director of Van Bergen Kolpa Architecten.
"For this project, we further perfected the most durable and user-friendly Venlo greenhouse"
Jeroen Smiemans
Urban horticulture
"This will be a major upscaling in the application of urban horticulture on roofs: the biggest in Europe, which we will gladly apply our know-how to," says Jan Willem de Vries, team leader of facility management at Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture. "The climate design offers new, innovative opportunities for sustainable energy use," says Tineke Duysburgh of Technum Engineers. "A true public building for the city of Roeselare," says Niklaas Deboutte of Meta Architectuurbureau.
Pictures from Filip Dujardin
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