In the second part of Rooftopics, Léon van Geest interviews Wouter Bauman, rooftop farmer and founder of the DakAkker (Rooftop Field) on top of The Schieblock in Rotterdam city centre. The 1000 square meter DakAkker was the first rooftop farm in Europe en is still the biggest in the Netherlands. Vegetables and edible flowers grow here, there are chickens and there is a rooftop bistro. How did the DakAkker came to excist? And what are the ambitions for the future? Watch the interview below.
Design ZUS architects
Initiators Rotterdam Environmental Centre , ZUS architects, Binder rooftop gardens, Optigrün Benelux
Opening year 2012
Surface 1000 m2
Height rooftop 23 meter
Accessibility publicly accessible via Luchtbrug in the Schieblock, reservations for tours and bistro via website
Facilities bistro, vegetable field, botanical garden, education, tours
The DakAkker is a rooftop farm on top of the Schieblock building in Rotterdam. On the roof, vegetables, edible flowers and fruits are grown and there are beehives. The DakAkker is the biggest rooftop farm in The Netherlands, one of the biggest and also the first in Europe. THe DakAkker is maintained by rooftop famer Wouter Bauman and an enhusiastic group of volunteers. Besides the field, there is also a publicy accessible bistro on the rooftop and, in the summer, it is possible for visitors to pick edible flowers (reservation needed). Furthermore, there is an extensive education programme for children and adults can book tours.
The DakAkker is part of the project The Luchtsingel, by ZUS architects, a design for the first City Initiave in Rotterdam.
Since 2018, the DakAkker has a test site for a clever water storage system: Het Slimdak. This polder rooftop is installed on top of the pavillion that is built on the rooftop of the Schieblock building. It functions as a testsite for a water storage rooftop. Provided with sensors for a downpour-proof Rotterdam. The Slimdak on top of the pavillion is a clever water storing rooftop with smartflowcontrol that is controlled by the weather forecast. When extreme rain is predicted, the smartflower control reacts by making extra water storage capacity available 24 hours in advance.
Curious and want to know more about the farm, the building or the initiators? Take a look at these websites.
(Source: DakAkker, images: schieblock.com en dakakker.nl)