The Fizzy Bottle Project began at the Deen City Farm in Merton Abbey, London and was designed and coordinated by William Waterhouse and Louisa Loakes. The farm collected used soda and water bottles throughout the year and on May 30, 2010, residents of the community of Merton put their muscles to use to turn the bottles into a roof.

As you can see, the Fizzy Bottle roof is a little different from other bottle projects we’ve showcased. Instead of being used intact, the bottles were flattened, creating colorful “shingles.” The process of trasnforming the bottles into “tiles” was broken down into 5 easy stages to accommodate all ages of volunteers, of which stage 3, where the bottles were lined up to be squashed by a 2-ton road roller (donated by a very generous local tool hire company) was probably the most fun. Later on, the bottles were de-labelled, hole punched, screwed together and then passed up to builders to be affixed to the roof – just in time for the rain!

The Growing Gardens Project is a community garden coordinated by Louisa Loakes and a steady stream of volunteers. The project has enjoyed recognition for its educational efforts in the Merton and has won many awards over the years including Merton in Bloom and the Guardian Green Building Award for the Fizzy Bottle roof.

+ Deen City Farms

Via OpenBuildings

Photos © Louisa Loakes

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