[Field Homework 3] Ecological City

Theme

The assigned site was a ‘rooftop’ which was then expanded upon as “Ecological City”. It explores how despite Hong Kong enduring high levels of pollution as a result of its heavy urbanization, some individual farmers and architects took advantage of unutilized roof spaces for rooftop gardens, known as “green roofs”. Green roofs can be simple as vegetation integrated on top of residential buildings or walkways (such as the new Kai Tak sky garden), or gardens and farms that produces edible produce on the available space. The 2 sites explored – Hysan Place and HKU rooftop garden (now defunct and some plant relocated to the herb garden) both demonstrate varying uses of small scale and large scale farming techniques with the available space. For example HKU’s herb garden stores recycled rainwater or tap water in tanks to hydrate plants. Both gardens exposed access allows for sufficient wind at high elevations to transport nutrients and yet to be sprouted seeds to other locations. Along with enabling farmers to grow their own desired produce without increasing air pollution through importing produce overseas. Furthermore, these 2 sites visited only represent the small potential of how “green roof” farms can be integrated across Hong Kong’s cityscape. As professor Matthew Pryor of HKU estimated that 41,600 buildings can be converted into green roofs. Green roofs are not just exclusive to HK island as the New Territories Tai Lung Laboratory integrated an intensive green roof, to Kwun Tong’s City Farm located in a heavily industrialized district.

Methods

Mainly researching the definition and key features of green roofs through Architectural Service Department reports assisted in discovering sites and their beneficial impact. Then for researching the potential and the current uses of green roofs, HKU’s Professor Matthew Pryor’s “Productive Green Roofs” presentation allowed for a greater understanding of the forces behind and ecological purposes of the green roofs. Additionally 2 faculty of education staff members were attending to the herb garden whom also attended to the prior rooftop garden. Much of the techniques and space utilization that were originally managed in the rooftop garden were also performed at a smaller scale in the herb garden. The staff also mentioned some of the produce were relocated to the herb garden however much of the original produce and plants had to be given away, with the original soil being stored elsewhere. The research conducted online prior to photography onsite and the first hand accounts of the attending staff, all served as informative guides in producing the video.

Video Production 

Originally, onsite photography on the Hysan Place rooftop garden and City Farm’s Kwun Tong facility was considered. However, after emailing and contacting the staff it resulted in no response or no access being authorized. This created difficulties which were compensated by filming the façade and low angle shots of Hysan Place which still provides a small aspect of onsite photography. HKU’s rooftop garden was a significant setback during filming, fortunately some of the staff and even some plants from the defunct garden were attending in the smaller herb garden. To enhance the overall editing and structure of the video, simple fade transitions were used and a complex transition was used in the start of the video. Furthermore comparing Hong Kong’s ecological progress to a brief shot of 1982’s Blade Runner will provide a contrasting view for audiences in how Hong Kong surpasses the dystopia Ridley Scott envisioned for urban cities.

Reflections

A lot of content and research had to be cut from the final cut to fit the 2:30 minute runtime (even then the film’s runtime ended up going to 2:35 minutes long). Information regarding the sharing of seeds between farmers, the 2 categories of more advanced green roofs (Extensive and Intensive) and reducing of chemical pollutants in the air had to be cut out. Even then the latter half of the video was edited to be paced faster to include as much content and may have resulted in dialogue or information provided too quickly.
Perhaps if there were no Covid restrictions or if the staff allowed for photography on their rooftop gardens, the final video may have portrayed a more commercial and large-scale usage and understanding of green roofs, rather than the small scale of the Herb garden. Lastly, difficulties in how the “space” of rooftops are used to an advantage was encountered, as again, the Herb garden was the only accessible site for photography and information.

References 

Lee Ho-june Daniel (3035823827)