Of the fifteen projects nominated by the public, the jury picked three winners: the head office of the BP Refinery in Rotterdam (GROUP A), the crèche Kinderdagverblijf Catalpa in Diemen (DMV Architects) and Standing Garden in Arnhem (Nexit Architecten in collaboration with Buro Poelmans Reesink Landschapsarchitectuur). The green ‘filtration roof’ in Berkel-Enschot (Équipe Amsterdam) received an honourable mention. 

The jury also awarded a ‘green card’, a special commendation for a project that didn’t quite make it to the fifteen nominations. The green card was presented to the DakAkker, a ZUS project on the Schieblock in Rotterdam.

Jury: ‘In terms of technical accomplishment and significance to the community, this project is the perfect illustration of the importance of urban roof farming. What’s more, the project also generated a great deal of positive PR for the sector as a whole.’

The DakAkker is part of Test Site Rotterdam – one of the three Test Sites of the 5th IABR– and was partly financed by the Rotterdam Stadsinitiatief. The project was realized in close collaboration with Binder Groenprojecten, which was responsible for laying the garden, and the municipality of Rotterdam who supported the project as part of its green roof policy. The first rooftop vegetable plot in the Netherlands was created in April 2012; the vegetables are being grown on the 7th floor of the Schieblock and harvested by the Rotterdam Milieucentrum and enthusiastic volunteers. The sustainable produce is supplied to and used by restaurants in the area.

ZUS and the International Architecture Biennale will continue to work together. A new urban park will be created for the 6th IABR, in 2014, which explores the theme of the city and nature.