Organic rooftop farm grows atop an elementary school in China

A <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/rooftop-garden/" target="_blank">lush rooftop oasis</a> has sprouted atop an elementary school roof in Hangzhou, China to bring kids closer to nature and healthy fresh food. Built by <a href="http://www.hzpjxx.net/IneduPortal/index.aspx" target="_blank">Pujia Primary School</a> and a team from <a href="http://www.zaas.ac.cn/index.cfm?language=en" target="_blank">Zhejiang Province Agricultural Academy</a>, the lush rooftop farm covers an area of more than 2,000 square meters and grows a variety of fresh vegetables, from pumpkins to pomegranates, all of which are free of chemical pesticides.

The horseshoe landscape includes arable land, terraced paddy fields, and even a fruit orchard. All produce is grown organically without chemical pesticides.

A team led by Professor Li Bojun from the Zhejiang Province Agricultural Academy designed the Pujia Primary School’s expansive rooftop garden.

Food is picked daily from the rooftop and used in the school’s dining hall for the schoolchildren’s meals.

“This special garden was built with the primary school at the same time. The roof was designed in a specific way as to be able to support the weight capacity. It can bear 1,000 kg per square meter while ordinary apartment roofs only can hold 100 kg per square meter”, said Professor Li to CCTV News.

In addition to providing fresh organic vegetables and fruits, the Pujia Primary School rooftop farm also serves as a layer of insulation that regulates temperatures and keeps the building cool in the summers and warm in winters.

Image of the rooftop garden in 2014.