Building-Integrated Agriculture: A New Way of Rethinking the City

In a world where cities concentrate more and more population and food demand every year, one central question arises: how can we produce food without constantly expanding farmland? Among the emerging solutions, building-integrated agriculture is attracting increasing attention. The idea is simple but ambitious: to transform walls, rooftops, or façades into productive spaces, capable of supplying vegetables, fruits, or herbs while also improving comfort and the sustainability of buildings.Recent research and pilot projects in China, Egypt, and Europe show that this is no longer a utopia but a reality under experimentation.

When Walls and Roofs Become Food Producers

Across the world, several projects already demonstrate how buildings can become food producers. In China, schools in Shenzhen, Beijing, and Shanghai have tested hybrid façades combining solar panels and vertical farming. The results are impressive: useful daylight inside classrooms increased by 5 to 19%, glare was reduced by more than 20%, and thermal comfort remained stable throughout the year [6].

In Egypt, in Port-Said, a social housing project integrated agricultural balconies. Residents saw this as a promise of aesthetics and cleaner air, while experts evaluated the technical feasibility. Three design options were proposed and, according to 75% of the experts, integration is possible with only minor adjustments. Maintenance, mentioned by more than half of them, however remains the main challenge [7].

In Europe, the idea also appealed to architects. In Wuppertal, Germany, a former department store was redesigned as a vertical farm. Its vast structure, unused for years, could accommodate indoor farming, a covered market, coworking spaces, and a rooftop garden. A way to transform an empty building into a new community hub [8].

Multiple and Measurable Benefits

These experiences are not isolated curiosities. They are part of a broader trend studied by researchers. A review of 166 articles on agricultural façades highlights multiple benefits: thermal improvements comparable to conventional green façades, reduced cooling needs, added shading, and, above all, food production in urban environments [1].

The benefits extend beyond buildings. Integrated agricultural systems can reduce food transport distances, limit emissions linked to logistics, and strengthen cities’ resilience to supply chain disruptions [1]. They also create new urban uses: a roof becomes a greenhouse, a façade becomes a vegetable garden, a vacant department store becomes a vertical farm and a marketplace [8].

These promises come with significant challenges. The first is economic: initial costs remain high, including reinforced structures, advanced climate control systems, and maintenance [1]. The second is regulatory: most building codes do not recognize agriculture as an urban use, which complicates permits [3]. Finally, maintenance is crucial. The Egyptian example is revealing: 54% of experts considered maintenance the main obstacle, well ahead of design constraints [7].

These limits show that it is not enough to place a greenhouse on a roof or hang modules on a façade. These projects must be conceived as integrated ecosystems, where the building and the agriculture work together, and where responsibilities for management and maintenance are clearly defined [3][7].

The Hidden Weight of Carbon and Materials

To truly assess the value of these projects, we need to broaden our view. A “carbon-centric” study reminds us that some vertical farms offer very high yields but at the cost of significant energy use. Conversely, simpler systems produce less but also consume less. The real challenge is to evaluate the entire life cycle: not only food production but also the indirect benefits for the building (better insulation, reuse of waste heat, water management) [2].

Another study, conducted on integrated rooftop greenhouses in Europe, revealed that the structure itself carries a heavy weight in the carbon balance. Steel alone accounted for up to 67% of the total footprint, and polycarbonate between 20 and 45%. But by changing material choices or adjusting the design, it was possible to reduce the overall impact by 24%. These figures show that structural design is not a secondary detail: it is one of the main levers for making these projects sustainable [5].

Keys for the Future

Existing research and projects highlight several useful lessons:

1. Seek synergy: an integrated farm must exploit the building’s resources : heat, water, surfaces, and in return improve its performance [2].

2. Invest in the right spaces: schools, balconies, rooftops, and vacant buildings provide concrete and available opportunities [6][7][8].

3. Optimize structure: materials and design determine a large part of the environmental impact [5].

4. Engage residents: aesthetics and ease of use are often more decisive than technical figures [7].

5. Anticipate rules and costs: without a clear business model or adapted regulatory framework, these projects will remain prototypes [1][3].

   
   

Conclusion

Building-integrated agriculture is no longer a futuristic idea. In China, Egypt, Germany, and elsewhere, concrete projects show that it is possible to produce food in the heart of cities, while improving comfort, reviving abandoned spaces, and reducing environmental impacts. But to scale up, technical, economic, and regulatory barriers still need to be lifted.

In short, these projects transform our walls, rooftops, and balconies into living, productive spaces capable of strengthening urban resilience. They open a new path: that of a city that is no longer just a place of consumption, but also a place of production and regeneration.

Sources

[1] Shi, Y. et al. (2025). A Review of Research Progress in Vertical Farming on Façades (VFOF). Sustainability. [MDPI]

[2] Imam, M. et al. (2025). A carbon-centric evaluation framework for building-integrated agriculture. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems.

[3] D’Ostuni, M. et al. (2022). Understanding the complexities of Building-Integrated Agriculture: Can food shape the future built environment? Futures.

[4] Muñoz-Liesa, J. et al. (2021). Life cycle assessment of integrated rooftop greenhouses. Resources, Conservation & Recycling.

[5] Muñoz-Liesa, J. et al. (2021). Structural impacts in iRTG systems. Resources, Conservation & Recycling.

[6] Hao, J. et al. (2024). Photovoltaic-shading integrated vertical farms in schools in China: daylighting, glare, and thermal comfort outcomes. Buildings.

[7] Waseef, A. et al. (2025). Integration of vertical farming in social housing balconies: perceptions of residents and experts in Port-Saïd, Egypt. Buildings.

[8] Bonekämper, J. (2025). Reinventing vacant department stores as vertical farms: A design study in Wuppertal. Frontiers in Built Environment.