An Educational Urban Farm on a Parisian Rooftop: Learning, Cultivation, and Climate Intelligence by rerum architectes

An Educational Farm on the Roof is a pedagogical and productive architectural project by rerum architectes, transforming the rooftop of Collège Flora Tristan in Paris into a living laboratory for urban agriculture. Combining a greenhouse, an educational pavilion, and open cultivation areas, the project supports the work of Veni Verdi—an association dedicated to teaching students how to grow fruits, vegetables, and flowers within the school curriculum.

Originally conceived as a playground, the rooftop already possessed spatial and structural qualities suitable for productive reuse. Through a participatory budget supported by the City of Paris, the project reimagines this underutilized surface as an agricultural and educational landscape, developed through a frugal approach that carefully balances environmental responsibility, financial constraints, and long-term usability.

The design introduces two compact yet complementary enclosed volumes: a greenhouse dedicated to crop production and an educational pavilion subdivided into three distinct learning spaces. These built elements are embedded within a broader system of raised planting beds and open soil cultivation areas, forming a comprehensive environment where theory and practice intersect. Together, architecture and agriculture become inseparable tools for learning.

The project is structured around four core principles—support, shelter, recycle, and ventilate—which guide both the architectural logic and the educational narrative.

Support defines the structural strategy. To preserve the existing roof waterproofing, the new galvanized steel structure spans from wall to wall, minimizing penetrations while clearly expressing the role of each element. This legible construction system allows students to understand how architecture can respond intelligently to existing constraints.

Shelter addresses the distinct climatic needs of people and plants. While both volumes share a similar structural framework, their envelopes differ according to function. The greenhouse is wrapped in transparent polycarbonate to maximize solar gain and promote plant growth, while the educational pavilion uses translucent panels to provide soft daylight and thermal comfort for occupants. Polycarbonate was selected for its durability, UV control, and widespread use in agricultural contexts, reinforcing the project’s didactic character.

Recycle transforms water management into both a functional system and a teaching device. Nearly half of the rooftop’s rainwater runoff is collected and stored in a dedicated basin, then reused for irrigation. The visible routing of potable and non-potable water makes the entire water cycle understandable, turning infrastructure into an educational tool that reveals processes often hidden in conventional buildings.

Ventilate ensures adaptable and comfortable atmospheric conditions. Roof openings reinterpret the language of traditional greenhouses and are equipped with thermosensitive systems that automatically regulate airflow. On the façades, alternating solid and perforated polycarbonate panels enhance natural ventilation, supporting crop health while improving comfort in learning spaces.

By organizing the project around these four principles, the rooftop farm becomes an immersive environment where architecture actively supports ecological awareness and experiential education. An Educational Farm on the Roof demonstrates how school infrastructure can be reimagined as a productive landscape—one that integrates agriculture, climate intelligence, and pedagogy into the everyday life of students.

All the Photographs are works of Mary Gaudin