by Nina Sickenga & Tessa Florence Duste
RoofLab, the first public educational roof garden in the middle of Amsterdam.
Rooflab is a great place to be, to learn, to get inspired, to contribute and enjoy life!
Imagine, the weather is great, you are in Amsterdam and you would like to enjoy the sun as long as possible. You would love to have a drink, a view, some live music and hang out with friends. But at the same time you want to contribute to a growing community that reaches out for the development of Amsterdam as a smart city. We know exactly the place for you!
We invite you to the first Rooflab in the world where everything comes together.
A public educational roof that shows the possibilities of our smart cities exploration of biodiversity, urban farming and water storage. And what better place for such a roof, than on the building of A Lab.
A Lab, is housed in a great historic building, namely the former Shell laboratories on the north shores of the IJ in Amsterdam. With its giant roof, laboratory heritage and brilliant position in between the Tolhuistuin, A’DAM, the 3D Canal House and the Eye it is the ideal location for a public green Rooflab. And we did not even discuss the view yet (it is amazing).
Amsterdam Noord, a place that is rapidly transforming into a cultural, vivid, and energetic incubator where many great initiatives are exploring new possibilities.
The green Rooflab will exist out of subparts with different educational functions and goals. It is not simply a green roof or a terrace, it is something new and different, it is a place where you can get inspired, experiment and where you can escape the city for a while, but coolest of all, it is public. So YOU can actually be part of this growing Rooflab!
The roof as a stage to learn about the city!
Functions:
1. BiodiverCITY: A place, which will bring back biodiversity into the city.
2. Urban farming: The urban farm, existing out of vertical and horizontal farming and with different goals:
3. The grasshillroof: Relax, read a book or do some basking in the sun on a hilly landscape while the stored water is re-used for watering the plants.
4. The roof stage: The roof as a stage to learn about the city! A place for events, lectures and performances.
5. The roof café and workshop room: A great place where you can order drinks, lunch with products produced on the roof or have a workshop with a stunning view and inspirational environment.
6. Last but not least.. A roof terrace: A great place to enjoy the weather, hang out with your friends and enjoy a stunning view of Amsterdam.
Goals:
What is in it for you?
A great place to be, to learn, to get inspired, to contribute and enjoy life! We need you in our team of the growing Rooflab. In order to help support our green path towards a city which is in a collective urge to become smart. Help to realize this project and make people within Amsterdam, The Netherlands and all around the world aware of the importance of green in a city!
What do we need?
We would love to develop all six different parts on the roof. To make sure we built at least one part of this roof, we have divided the project in four phases:
Why a Kickstarter project?
With Rooflife we have been nominated for the TEDxAmsterdamWomen Startup Award. Last month we have presented Rooflife to a jury of ING, TOMTOM, Kickstarter en Secretary Plus and ended up in the final 3. The 29th of May we will pitch against the others and will be judged on our idea, story, vision and kickstart project!
Press
4. Elsevier
5. Vandebron
7. Want
9. Roomed
> We need a licence from the municipality of Amsterdam
> Escape route and fire safety
> Depending on volunteers for maintenance of the green
> Budget for annual roof maintenance