Page 74 - Winter_2020

The rooftop farm on UDC’s Building 44.

Rooftop before conversion.

Reclaiming
Reclaiming

the Fifth Plane
the Fifth Plane Photo © CONSYS Photo © BELL

Architects Turn Rooftops

into Usable Space

by G. Martin Moeller, Jr., Assoc. AIA

The roof is the quintessential symbol of shelter and, by Project: Urban Farm and Greenhouse at UDC Building 44
extension, a synecdoche—a figure of speech in which the 4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
part represents the whole—for architecture itself (as in the
expression “a roof over one’s head”). It is a building’s first line Architects: BELL Architects
of defense against the elements, and yet most occupants rarely Landscape Architects: Landscape Architecture Bureau
think about the roof above them unless it’s leaking. Structural Engineers: Silman
Over the past five years, BELL Architects has worked on Consultants: UDC Master Gardener Coordinator/Horticulture
Extension Agent
several projects in which a typical flat roof—the “fifth plane” of General Contractor: Consys
the building—has been converted from a largely inaccessible
area littered with mechanical equipment into a useful amenity. University of the District of Columbia (UDC), completed in
These projects, the firm argues, represent a form of resilient 2015. The centerpiece of the College of Agriculture, Urban
design, enabling existing buildings to adapt to changing needs Sustainability and Environmental Sciences Urban Food Hub, the
and opportunities without extensive (and expensive) interior rooftop farm not only provides space to grow fresh produce, but
renovations or additions. Reimagined rooftops such as these can also accommodates food preparation and distribution facilities,
also promote environmental sustainability and users’ health including a pantry serving UDC students who may not have
by helping to insulate the buildings, filtering rainwater, and access to adequate healthful food. The renovation also serves
enhancing access to fresh air and sunlight—especially welcome to reduce stormwater runoff, which can strain the municipal
amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
sewer system.
The UDC project was previously featured in the Winter
Urban Farm and Greenhouse 2015 issue of ARCHITECTUREDC as the recipient of an AIA|DC
at UDC Building 44 Presidential Citation for Design and Wellbeing.
The earliest of the rooftop conversions by BELL Architects
was the Urban Farm and Greenhouse atop Building 44 at the

72 RECLAIMING THE FIFTH PLANE