In the ROOF WATER-FARM real laboratory, wastewater treatment technology is combined with food production. Hydroponics and aquaponics are used as water-based farming strategies that can be integrated into buildings. In the inner-city real laboratory, climate protection is actively implemented through rainwater management in and around the building, and plants are used for evaporation and CO2 storage. With the broad implementation of the technologies and concepts developed here, houses and neighbourhoods will be able to produce high-quality process water and fresh food instead of wastewater in the future, thus providing a building block for circular economy. The technologies required for this can be seen on site in the demonstration plant in the “Block 6” quarter, a housing project of the 1987 International Building Exhibition with an innovative water concept in Berlin-Kreuzberg.

Here we show technologies for the cycle-oriented design of buildings and neighbourhoods. These include:

• modular cultivation technologies of water-based plant and fish production (hydroponics, aquaponics) in connection with decentralised water treatment
• technology of rainwater, greywater and blackwater
• Technologies for the production of urban liquid fertiliser for hydroponic cultivation
• Technology and design for rainwater storage, use and evaporation.

ROOF WATER-FARM is a valuable contribution to multifunctional, sustainable infrastructure development and urban resilience.

Thematic approaches:
#Blue-Green Infrastructure #Circular Economy #Eatable City #Participation #Co-Production.

Spatial accesses:
#Building# Neighbourhood

Contact:

Dr. Anja Steglich: anja.steglich@tu-berlin.de

Dr. Grit Bürgow: grit.buergow@tu-berlin.de

Link to ROOF WATER-FARM

View of the ROOF WATER-FARM real laboratory. Photo: Angela Million

Image campaign of the project: Fresh water from the roof to the river. Photo: Marc Brinkmeier