1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Bangkok
Region
Asia
Short description of the intervention
Thammasat Urban Rooftop Farm (TURF) is Asia's largest organic rooftop farm, which unites principles of modern landscape design with traditional agriculture of rice terraces, to transform wasted space into productive land. By mimicking traditional rice terraces, Thammasat University Urban Farming Green Roof has become an all-in-one solution–as a public green space, urban organic food source, water management system, energy house, and outdoor classroom–which serves as an adaptation model for anticipated climate impacts that can be implemented and developed across Thailand and Southeast Asia. Additionally, the mountain-shaped Thammasat University Green Roof utilizes its vast space as an infinite source of clean energy, not only in terms of organic food but also solar power for the community. [1, 2, 3]
Address

Thammasat University Rangsit Center, Phahonyothin Rd
Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang District, Pathum Thani
Bangkok
12120
Thailand

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Total area
60000.00m²
NBS area
22000.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Building
Website of the intervention
https://landprocessdesign.wixsite.com/landprocess/thammasat-university-rooftop-…
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
unknown
End date of the intervention
unknown
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
1. To revive the land on which it stands and turn it into a productive rice-farming area.
2. To absorb and store rainwater and to use that for rice cultivation.
3. To protect the city from urban floods.
4. To restore biodiversity back to the swamplands.
5. To help reduce the urban heat island effects.
6. To create a localized, sustainable and sustainable economy. [3]
Quantitative targets
Unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
Amount of rice produced, number oftrained young people, amount of water retention, amount of energy produced per hour from photovoltaic cells. [2, 3]
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change adaptation
Water management (SDG 6)
Flood protection
Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
Improvements to water quality
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity restoration
Green space creation and/or management
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Economic development: agriculture
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Preservation of historic traditions
Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
Sustainable production
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Reduce exposure to climate risks directly
Reduce the impacts of climate risks events on urban places and communities
Build resilience
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Implement solutions to capture/store water to increase its availability and prevent shortages from droughts
Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
Create or improve outdoor spaces to help people escape from urban heat
What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?
Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
Restore native species
Implementation activities
1. The form of the building is developed from the H-shaped floor plan, rendering the elevation that resembles a large mountain with a massive green space of garden covering the upper part. It mimics the same pattern as the traditional rice terraces. The Green Roof’s cascading farm levels form a detention lawn that 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. 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. [2, 3]
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Nature on buildings (external)
Green roofs
Community gardens and allotments
Community gardens
Horticulture
Green areas for water management
Rain gardens
Type of Green Roof
Semi-intensive Green Roof: depth 5 - 7 inches; plants: Selected Perennials, Sedums, ornamental Grasses, Herbs and little Shrubs; Medium maintenance and costs
Please specify the number of plots or allotment gardens
Unknown
What is the level of innovation / development of the NBS related to water management?
Medium / High: sustainable urban drainage systems which include water storage and diverts water flooding
Vegetation Type
Grass
Shrubs
Trees
Other
Please specify how many trees were planted
Unknown
Amenities offered by the NBS
Educational or biodiversity trails
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables)
Water (surface and ground water for drinking and non-drinking purposes)
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Flood regulation
Water purification / filtration
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Inspiration for culture, art and design
Recreation
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)
Social and community interactions
Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Researchers/University
Citizens or community groups
Young people and children
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
Researchers, university
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Building Type: Multi-Purpose Building with the Biggest Urban Farming Green Roof in Asia
Project Owner: Thammasat University
Landscape Designer and greenroof design: LANDPROCESS (Kotchakorn Voraakhom)
Architect: Arsom Silp Institute Of The Arts
Structural Engineer: Degree System Co., Ltd
System Engineer: TPM Consultants Co., Ltd
Contractor: CM49 [3]
Key actors - initiating organization
Public sector institution
Researchers/university
Land owners
Educational actor (schools or universities)
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Public sector institution
Researchers/university
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Educational actor (schools or universities)
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Dissemination of information and education
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Unknown
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Please specify other vegetation type
Rice paddies
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Sustainable Universities Network [3]
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Research by the Thammasat University students, which provides workshops on sustainable agriculture and urban farming. [3]
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Unknown
Type of fund(s) used
Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Yes
Type of non-financial contribution
Provision of labour
Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Other
Business models
Risk reduction model
Green education model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Citizens / local communities
Type of innovation
Technological
Infrastructural innovation
Please specify technological innovation
The form of the building is developed from the H-shaped floor plan, rendering the elevation that resembles a large mountain with a massive green space of garden covering the upper part which mimics traditional rice terraces. [3]
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) with substantial adaptation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The project is innovative in its way of implementation and has become an all-in-one solution–as a public green space, urban organic food source, water management system, energy house, and outdoor classroom. [3]
Replicability/Transferability
The innovation is transferred to new initiative(s) without substantial adaptation
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
The project could be served as an adaptation model for anticipated climate impacts that can be implemented and developed across Thailand and Southeast Asia. [3]
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Climate change
Lowered local temperature
Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
Environmental quality
Improved soil quality
Water management and blue areas
Improved water quality
Increased protection against flooding
Improved stormwater management
Green space and habitat
Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
Increased green space area
Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Reduced biodiversity loss
Enhanced support of pollination
Description of environmental benefits
1. With each cascading level, the green roof is not only able to absorb rainwater, but also slow down runoff, both for up to 20 times more than a normal concrete rooftop.
2. The retention ponds can collect water up to 11,718 Cubic meters (3,095,570 gallons) for rooftop irrigation and future use.
3. The plants on the green roof help build a stable microclimate for the animals to take refuge.
4. The native plant strains grown on the farm creates a microclimate and attract pollinator bird and insect species.
5. As an additional benefit to this project, solar panels have been also included in the green roof and these harnesses readily available solar energy at zero production cost and produces 500,000 watts (equivalent to 25,000 electric light) per hour to pump water for irrigation on its urban farm, as well as generate electricity inside the building underneath it.
6. The plants help remove harmful pollutants from the atmosphere.
7. The plants also help in reducing soil erosion during heavy rainfall. [1, 2, 3]
Economic impacts
Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
Description of economic benefits
1. By making food production profitable again for small-scale farms and creating employment and businesses opportunities for grassroots farmers, and redistributing land and food sovereignty from monopolies and middlemen to create more income equality.
2. Green roof creates employment for students and staff inside and surrounding the campus while giving them the opportunity to contribute to feeding the community and conserving the ecosystem through sustainable agricultural practices.
3. Thammasat University Green Roof can grow up to approximate 135,000 rice meals each year to feed the community. [3]
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved access to urban green space
Increased opportunities for social interaction
Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
Increased access to healthy/affordable food
Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
Education
Increased support for education and scientific research
Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Description of social and cultural benefits
1. The project provides a platform for outdoor learning and social interaction across various disciplines within the campus. By gathering and connecting students and faculty of areas related and unrelated to environmental conservation or sustainable development, the public space allows room for the exchange of knowledge and ideas on climate action and adaptation with a holistic approach between Thailand’s future leaders. Activities all year-round based on the farming calendar that provide inclusive learning about permaculture, nutrition, and other topics.
2. The design promotes Thailand's traditional way of rice culture and landscape designing.
3. Some of the areas are available for public use and the rice paddies are managed by local farmers and students.
4. The project promotes organic and sustainable food production and produces 135,000 rice meals each year. [3]
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Rice produced, trained young people, Water retention time and amount, solar energy produced per hour from photovoltaic cells, new insects or birds spotted. [2, 3]
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
other
Paid employment positions
Voluntary work opportunities
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Positive distribution of NBS benefits
Improved access to green and/or blue spaces
Increased access to healthy food for humans and/or animals
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of September 2021.
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
Collection of monitoring data continuously throughout the project to aid evaluation
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Focus groups
Observation (including virtual surveillance methods)
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
List of references
1. Landprocess (n.d.). Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm. URL: https://landprocessdesign.wixsite.com/landprocess/thammasat-university-rooftop-farm. Accessed on 17th September, 2021.
2. South China Morning Post (2020). University near Thai capital Bangkok is home to one of Asia’s largest rooftop farms. Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm YouTube Video. URL: https://youtu.be/gxP3rhLl_iA. Accessed on 17th September, 2021.
3. Holmes, D. (2020). Thammasat University – the largest urban rooftop farm in Asia. World Landscape Architect. URL: https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/thammasat-university-the-largest-urban-rooftop-farm-in-asia/. Accessed on 17th September, 2021.
Comments and notes
Comments
1. While the urban rooftop farm holds the key to Thammasat University Green Roof’s functions, the green canteen completes its intended purpose of creating a truly holistic and sustainable model for business and conservation. By building both the organic food source and destination in close proximity, the system is able to reduce emissions and waste–produced during production, processing, packaging, transportation, and disposal–from start to finish. Growing a variety of indigenous plant species and a naturally-bred strain of rice tolerant to floods and droughts, the Thammasat University Green Roof serves produce fresh from the farm roof to the table. Any food leftover from the plate and the kitchen–once edible food is distributed to the local community–is composted and sent back to feed the farm as organic fertilizer to grow nutritious crops for the next harvest.
Public Images
Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm
Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm
https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/thammasat-university-the-largest-urban-rooftop-farm-in-asia/
Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm
Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm
https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/thammasat-university-the-largest-urban-rooftop-farm-in-asia/
Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm
Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm
https://worldlandscapearchitect.com/thammasat-university-the-largest-urban-rooftop-farm-in-asia/
Please specify other source of non-financial contribution
University students