Agrotopia, a fascinating and unusual name (I suppose a portmanteau between “utopia” and “agricultural”) is the name chosen for the new greenhouse in Roeselare, a Belgian town.
A building for urban food production was built on the agricultural market of this town. The greenhouse will be used to grow food and simultaneously educate the public about agriculture.
A sky made of grass
The Agritopia project was led by REO Veiling, which collaborated with the Flemish Agricultural and Horticultural Research Institute uneager. Together, the two companies have managed to build something never seen before.
We have created an ambitious building with numerous innovations. A single building characterized by different climate zones, sustainable and economical use of space, sourcing of leafy vegetables and fruits in the city, opening the roof to a public function, circular use of space and energy, to name a few.
The cyclopean greenhouse of Agrotopia
The interior of the structure is divided into four climatic zones different, necessary for the cultivation of different types of fruit and vegetables. Part of the greenhouse is then dedicated to research facilities and the construction of an educational path for the public.
The Agrotopia architects have decided to place the boxes for the educational path in the warm and humid part. The favorable climate is more suitable for hosting people and all workers.
The entrance to the building has an impressive-looking facade. The alternation of glass and metal creates a perfect contrast with the market below. There Urban Horticulture Squarein fact, it is the starting point for visitors arriving from the center.
Among the main attractive elements, in addition to the educational path, the beautiful winter garden also appears. The sunlight that enters through the windows completely transforms the landscape. At the foot of the winter garden there are silos, which have the task of storing rainwater from the roof, used to irrigate the greenhouse.
A step towards sustainability, with a productive landscape.
Agrotopia is part of the pilot projects for the productive landscape program (PPPL), organized by the Flemish government. The general objective is to present to the public a series of innovative building projects, with social and environmental purposes.
The managing partner of Meta Architectuurbureau, Niklaas Debutte, described Agrotopia as a test bed for large urban agriculture projects.
“Build a greenhouse on top of an existing building has never been done before on this scale. Agrotopia presented many opportunities and challenges. The integration of the steel greenhouse with the concrete substructure and complex installations has resulted in a truly public building with exceptional architectural quality for the city of Roeselare.”
