Raising the Roof(top) Garden

Chatham University just made its mark on Pittsburgh’s iconic skyline… you just might need to zoom in a little to see it. Students from Chatham’s Falk School of Sustainability placed raised garden boxes on top of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, creating a rooftop garden experience that benefits visitors to the Convention Center and the planet alike.

Chatham students in the “Growing Sustainably” Food Studies class received hands-on experience collaborating on the design of the rooftop garden space, an increasingly popular sustainable feature in many cities. Rooftop gardens help minimize the Urban Heat Island effect, improve sound and temperature insulation, provide safe resting places for traveling wildlife, and can aid in controlling rainwater runoff. And as the gardens on top of the Convention Center prove, they also lend a touch of natural beauty to the striking silhouette of our city.

Want to learn more about the Food Studies program at ChathamU? We offer a Master in Food Studies, a MAFS + MBA dual degree, and a major and minor for undergraduates interested in Food Studies, including an integrated undergraduate and masters degree program.