Our Services
From grey to green
Site assessment
We need to pay you a visit, as we need to gauge a few things...Are there structures or trees blocking sunlight?Are micro-climate and hedges formed up there? Can your roof handle the weight? What about access? On a windy day, is it like being in the midst of a storm? How about water/drainage, electricity and safety? What is your priority (yield, aesthetics, resilience, education)? Any forecasted sustainable synergy with existing shareholders? Any other aspect of the roof as it is that will ultimately impact our design…
DESIGN
We use our own two hands and employ effective methods like organic and regenerative agriculture, syntropic gardening, permaculture principles, recycling, and traditional techniques passed down through generations to transform your rooftop into a thriving edible garden. It will be abundant with lush, inviting plants, while also sequestering carbon, collecting rainwater, potentially composting your kitchen organic waste, reducing the heat island effect, attracting wildlife, and fostering a sense of community. Unless otherwise instructed by you – we know you may have your own parameters and rules to follow from a design perspective – we will always present you the most resilient solution, thus the most cost-saving one.
What our exchanges would be like at this stage?
We take into consideration your site’s specifics, your priorities, and use our experience to provide you with a design and an action plan, in which we suggest “systems”: raised beds, pergola, vertical crop, greenhouse, etc; materials: recycled or new? Meant to last 5, 10 or 50 years? Installation requirements, milestones and a scope of work. We suggest plants and their succession, estimate yield and maintenance needs, with reassessment on a regular basis.
SETUP & PRODUCE
Alright, but practically, in terms of infrastructure, what will you potentially see on a rooftop by Rooftopy, if it’s not already covered by vegetation? Well, different height raised beds, (cold) greenhouses eventually, hidden water tanks and irrigation systems, pergolas and trellises, a toolshed if your community wants to really get involved in maintaining this beautiful space and harvesting its produce, a vermicomposting bin, why not, if you are keen to trial it, or even beehives, if like us honey is your sweet spot.
And in terms of planning, how long are we talking about?
Here is a reference: in a basic setup, it typically takes us about 1 month to establish and prepare five raised beds on a 25-square-meter terrace. On a more complex project, transforming a 300-square-meter rooftop into an ecosystem ready to host perennial and seasonal plants can take up to 8 months. This includes the installation of a greenhouse, raised beds, a composting area, a rainwater harvesting tank, pergolas and trellises, an on-site toolshed, an irrigation system, and a plant nursery.
And in terms of produce, what can be expected?
We must start by stating the obvious: it will very much depend on the location and configuration of your rooftop. This said, in the beautiful city of Lisbon, don’t be surprised if you end up with a very productive aromatic herbs garden, that you’ve got more nasturtium flowers to collect than you need, that you can harvest passion fruits from the second year on and that you can enjoy verdant lavender and rosemary bushes all year long.
MAINTENANCE
We exclusively use organic methods and products for fertility and pest control. From the moment we craft your proposal, we ensure the optimal design of your rooftop garden, promoting a self-regulating natural balancewhere the organic waste produced serves as a prime source of nutrition, enriching the soil. By focusing on prevention and optimizing plant health, we guarantee your rooftop will be lush, productive, and visually appealing, offering numerous opportunities for hands-on engagement. Let us transform your rooftop into a vibrant urban canopy!
TRAINING
At Rooftopy, we are dedicated to education as a cornerstone of our mission. Our training services are designed to empower individuals and communities with the knowledge and skills needed to cultivate thriving rooftop gardens and sustainable urban ecosystems. Whether you're interested in starting small with a workshop series on organic gardening basics or aiming for a deeper dive with intensive weekend courses covering permaculture principles and sustainable water management, we tailor our offerings to meet your needs. Additionally, we specialize in hosting engaging pop-up events and informative lectures that inspire and educate about the benefits of rooftop agriculture. Our experienced team of educators and practitioners is ready to bring our expertise to your event, workplace, residence, or educational institution. Contact us to discover how Rooftopy can support your journey towards creating a greener, more resilient urban environment.