A century ago, the peri-urban of Bangkok, the Rangsit field once filled with paddy fields and swamps, envisioned by King Rama 5 to be the most productive rice-farming area in the world. But after years of unstoppable urban sprawl, the marshlands have turned to paralyzed concrete cities, no longer able to breathe, absorb water, or grow food. To revive the land on which it stands on, Thammasat University, one of Thailand’s leading universities, has created the innovative architecture by transforming an unused rooftop into a solution to climate, food, and pollution crisis.
Inspired by local ingenuity and traditional agricultural practices, the Thammasat University Urban Farming Green Roof’s cascading farm levels form a detention lawn which slows down, absorbs and stores rainwater while using it to grow food. Any runoff is filtered through each layer of soil and later saved up in four retention ponds, which can collect the water up to 11,718 Cubic meters (3,095,570 gallon) for rooftop irrigation and future use
To restore biodiversity back to the swamplands, The native plant strains grown on the farm creates a microclimate and attracts pollinator bird and insect species. As the plants on the Thammasat University Green Roof breathe, the oxygen and moisture they release helps build a stable microclimate for the animals to take refuge.
Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus
Location | Bangkok, Thailand