Last updated: March 2025
The ROOF WATER-FARM is an innovative demonstration site located in the heart of Berlin, near Potsdamer Platz, showcasing sustainable urban infrastructure that integrates wastewater treatment and food production. Situated in the "Block 6" quarter of the 1987 International Building Exhibition in Berlin-Kreuzberg, the site transforms wastewater and rainwater collected from nearby buildings into usable resources for farming and fertilizer production (Ref. 1). This project provides a real-world example of how sustainable systems can be incorporated into everyday urban design to enhance resilience and functionality. At the ROOF WATER-FARM, water from rooftops and surrounding households is channeled into a treatment plant, where it is analyzed for micropollutants and purified. The treated water is then used for both fish farming in aquaponics systems and plant irrigation in hydroponic farming. The nutrient-rich water from the fish tanks nourishes plants, while also contributing to the production of food. This integrated approach actively supports climate protection by managing rainwater runoff and using plants for CO2 storage, helping to mitigate the urban heat island effect (Ref. 4). This demonstration site embodies how cities can move toward a circular economy, where wastewater is reused for both farming and water management. The project also serves as a hub for learning and experimentation in sustainable urban design, with the greenhouse acting as a space for collaboration and innovation in infrastructure development (Ref. 2; Ref. 5). By incorporating these technologies into urban environments, the ROOF WATER-FARM demonstrates a future where buildings and neighborhoods efficiently recycle water, produce food, and reduce environmental impact.
Overview over the site
Grit Bürgow
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Other
- Green areas for water management
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Improvements to water quality
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Effective management
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: agriculture
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable production
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Agriculture/ crop production
- Other
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments), Creation of any other green urban spaces, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Scientific research of biodiversity or ecosystems, Other
Project objectives
To ensure the hygienically safe treatment of rainwater, greywater, and blackwater as a sustainable alternative to drinking water and artificial fertilizers for agriculture and aquaculture (Ref. 5).
To promote the sustainable management and use of rainwater (Ref. 2).
To enable sustainable urban food production utilizing wastewater (Ref. 4).
To contribute to climate adaptation and mitigation by using plants for evaporation to influence the microclimate and for CO2 storage (Ref. 2).
Implementation activities
The ROOF WATER-FARM demonstration site, located in Block 6, showcases nature-based solutions (NbS) for sustainable water management and food production in urban areas. It includes systems for greywater treatment, converting wastewater into reclaimed water suitable for non-potable uses, and analyzing micro-pollutants like pharmaceutical residues (Ref. 1).
The site also integrates hydroponic and aquaponic systems for growing vegetables and fish, demonstrating sustainable food production (Ref. 1; Ref. 4). Blackwater is recycled into liquid fertilizer for plants, contributing to a circular resource use system (Ref. 1; Ref. 4). Additionally, rainwater is collected and managed through technologies that support water sustainability (Ref. 2).
This project highlights how urban environments can use NbS to address water scarcity, enhance food security, and promote sustainability. It operates in partnership with StadtManufaktur at TU Berlin and aquatectura (Ref. 2).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover)
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Unknown
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Regional government
- Researchers/university
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project started in 2006 as a research cooperation between various companies and research institutes under the lead of TU Berlin and the Senate Department for Urban Development and Housing (Ref. 8, Ref. 9). From 2013-2017, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research funded the project. The building owner (unknown) provided the space (Ref. 1). Since 2020, the project has been a partner of the urban living lab StadtManufaktur at TU Berlin and has been taken over by the office network aquatectura. Aquatectura is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the greenhouse. Other partners for technical maintenance are the start-up HydroTower, student project workshops at TU Berlin, and the company Nolde & Partner (Ref. 2)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
NBS research project (e.g., H2020, Urban Living Labs, national research projects), Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public national budget
- Corporate investment
- Research organisation / University
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Other
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Expected lowered local temperature
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Expected enhanced carbon sequestration
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Achieved improved water quality
- Improved stormwater management
- Expected improved stormwater management
- Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
- Expected enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
Economic impacts
- Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
- Expected increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
- Generation of income from NBS
- Expected generation of income from NBS
Socio-cultural impacts
- Unknown
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Roof Water Farm (n.d.). Block 6 in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Roof Water Farm (n.d.). Über uns. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
3.
StadtManufaktur Berlin (n.d.). Reallabor ROOF WATER-FARM – Blue-Green Infrastructure for the Circular City. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Kreislaufwirtschaft in Österreich (n.d.). Roof Water Farm. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
5.
aquatectura (n.d.). Roof Water-Farm. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
6.
District Office Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg of Berlin (n.d.). Zahlen und Fakten. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
7.
aquatectura (n.d.). ROOF WATER-FARM 2.0. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
8.
FuturArc (2020). Roof Water-Farm. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
9.
Roof Water Farm (n.d.). Partner. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
10.
Million, A., Bürgow, G., Steglich, A. (eds.) (2018). Roof water-farm: Urbanes Wasser für urbane Landwirtschaft. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
The Roof Water Farm greenhouse
Grit Bürgow
Roof Water Farm
http://www.roofwaterfarm.com/ueber/
Roof Water Farm
http://www.roofwaterfarm.com/ueber/
Roof Water Farm
http://www.roofwaterfarm.com/ueber/
Roof Water Farm
http://www.roofwaterfarm.com/ueber/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.