GROOF experts led by IfaS worked on the design of the pilots from the beginning. Today, IfaS produced a very detailed and technical report about the design of ULG and IFSB's pilots. Have a look at the data and the technical choices made by the partners in this article. Read More
On September 23rd, Groof project participated in the inauguration of the Walloon platform in urban agriculture, WASABI, in Gembloux at the Centre of Research in Urban Agriculture (CRAU) of the University of Liège! This event has gathered over 200 specialists of urban agriculture, online and offline, for a full day of master classes and guiding tours of the different sites. In the presence of His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium and the Minister of Agriculture and Economy, Willy Borsus. Read More
Part I: Reducing the energy loss in the building. Installing a rooftop greenhouse not only gives us the opportunity to build a future proof and reliant urban farm, it also helps a lot with saving energy in multiple areas in the support building and the area around the greenhouse. This is the first article in a series of three parts, concerning mainly the energy loss reduction in the support building due to the greenhouse installation. The next two parts will cover the circular economy of material flows and the greenhouse as an energy collector. Read More
Article paru dans le journal Le Soir en Belgique - Le projet européen « Greenhouse to reduce CO2 on roofs » (Groof) vise à réduire les émissions de CO2 en milieu urbain en combinant récupération de l’énergie et production locale de végétaux dans une serre sur toit – une zone rarement exploitée sur les bâtiments en ville. Read More
Who do you think can benefit from the lessons learned from the GROOF project? The most benefits from the GROOF project can be obtained for professional or semi-professional food producers who are already established and can fall back on knowledge in the field. The GROOF project can add a lot of expertise on top that how a project can be adapted on a rooftop. Furthermore, even non-rooftop urban farms as well as classical horticulture businesses outside of cities can profit from the large knowledgebase laid out by the GROOF experts. Read More
Who do you think can benefit from the lessons learned from the GROOF project? Nicolas Ancion (NA): The knowledge developed within GROOF will be very helpful for the people involved in a rooftop greenhouse project. Moreover, I do believe that it could also be valuable for any urban agriculture project. Indeed, we do not consider the greenhouse as an objective, but as a tool allowing, in a specific context, to achieve environmental, societal, and economic objectives. Read More
Selon vous, à qui les enseignements du projet GROOF peuvent-ils bénéficier ? Les promoteurs immobiliers, les architectes et les ingénieurs vont pouvoir tirer de nombreux enseignements des projets développés grâce à GROOF. Le secteur de l’agriculture pourra aussi s’inspirer de ces expériences pour démystifier le travail d’Urban Framing. Read More
Thank you to our partners for their participation in the Groof master class at the inauguration of WASABI, the Walloon platform for urban agriculture in Belgium! An opportunity to share established knowledge on the themes of construction, production, energy and economic viability with the belgian public of the sector. Read More
On Tuesday, June 30th, the group of 10 Early Adopters, leaders of rooftop greenhouse projects coached by Groof partners since 2019, has attended an online webinar with PAKT, a project of 1800 m² urban farming built in Antwerp, in Belgium. Our group of Early Adopters has been inspired by this sharing of experience in the field of urban agriculture. PAKT bridges the gap between urban agriculture and "classical" agriculture by giving the farmers of the region visibility through their weekly market and sales platform. Read More
Selon vous, à qui les enseignements du projet GROOF peuvent-ils bénéficier ? Si les enseignements de GROOF bénéficient sans nuls doutes aux acteurs de la contruction ou de l’aménagement urbain, les professionnels des filières agricoles montrent un intérêt croissants au déploiement d’outils de production efficaces, et si possible rentables, en milieu urbain. Les importantes serres en toitures, notamment Outre-Atlantique, mais aussi progressivement en Europe, montrent qu’elles représentent un marché potentiel d’intérêt pour ces acteurs. Read More
