Eagle Street Rooftop Farm

My friend Carlos who works at the Brooklyn Borough Commissioner's office helped to set up this visit on Wednesday to the impressive 6,000 SF Eagle Street rooftop farm on top of a warehouse in Greenpoint. There was a wide assortment of people from the community- my office, students from Parson's, people from the Borough Commissioner's office, and miscellaneous landscape and architecture friends who tagged along.

In 2008, founding farmers Annie Novak and Ben Flanner started this organic vegetable farm farm on the roof of the Broadway Stages recording studio (installed by Goode Green). 

 

With a stunning view of the Manhattan skyline beyond, Annie led our group around the roof, explaining what she grows, how she seemingly pulls it off so effortlessly (!), and even cradled a chicken in her arms at one point. She had a such an easygoing manner that we all felt comfortable with her immediately- good energy for people, plants, and animals! No squirrel or other animal issues up here!

 

After an initial study on the history and structure of the building, the green roof medium and thickness was carefully chosen so that no additional structural measures would be required to reinforce the building. 200,000 pounds of soil and a wide variety of crops were craned up there, and within one year, the farm was already hosting a Farm Market, CSA, picnics, potlucks and was offering internships and workshops. The crops are sought by neighborhood restaurants, which donate their compost-ready waste back to the farm.

 

Beets

 Eggplants!

 

One of the chickens on the roof

 Annie's team made a large platter of fresh bruschetta for us, with freshly picked tomatoes and basil!

 

Too bad it's so inconvenient for me to get to Greenpoint from where I am... I'd love to support them as much as I could!

 

Lincoln Center Green Roof

 Wow, what a great space! Was able to stroll around Diller and Scofidio's new contoured grass-covered roof at Lincoln Center today after watching a complimentary open rehearsal of tonight's Mostly Mozart rehearsal at Avery Fisher Hall, courtesy of a temporary partnership between Lincoln Center and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

From the Lincoln Center website:
Joining landscape and architecture, the gently contoured Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Lawn is an elevated, 7,203 square foot expanse of public green that slopes gracefully toward Paul Milstein Pool and Terrace. Technically described as a hyperbolic paraboloid, Illumination Lawn brings another dimension of visual interest to Hearst Plaza—its texture contrasting with the surrounding materials, and its unexpected shape setting off the linear quality of the buildings around it. Designed to provide a tranquil, verdant oasis for students, artists, and visitors, the green serves as a dynamic gathering space, as well as the roof of a pavilion housing a new destination restaurant, a film center, and offices. 

The geometry of the roof is derived using straight structural elements that are slightly rotated relative to one another. The result is an undulating rectangular surface with two high corners diagonally opposed from one another and two low corners on the opposite diagonal corners. The slopes range from flat to 18 degrees.

The grass... is held in place by a combination of geoweb and grass roots. The geoweb is a perforated polyethylene cellular mat that is stretched across the roof surface and attached to the building perimeter with stainless steel tendons. The geoweb cells are filled with growing media and then planted with sod. The roots from the sod will, over time, grow to interlock with the geoweb. The growing media varies across the surface of the roof but averages about 9" across the entire roof. It was selected for its resiliency to foot traffic and the fact that it is greener than other varieties during its dormant season.

Groovy. Too bad it was too hot and muggy to stand outside for more than 3 minutes. 
I'll have to come back when it's a bit cooler. Of course, that would mean I'm going to have to go north of 14th Street, ha ha.