Concordia Greenhouse Project

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About the Greenhouse

The Concordia Greenhouse Project is based in the rooftop greenhouse of the Hall building (13th floor), where we have created an all-organic space geared towards education and research into urban sustainability, community building and food security. The project is a working group of Sustainable Concordia, a multi-stakeholder initiative that seeks to create a more ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable university community.

The greenhouse provides an environment for workshops, film screenings, research projects and community events, and is a springboard for spreading innovative solutions through popular education initiatives. We grow food and teas in the greenhouse year-round, and plant and maintain a number of small spaces on the SGW campus during the summer months. In 2011, the greenhouse founded the City Farm School, a practical training program and speaker series on urban agriculture, which is based on the Loyola campus.

Get in touch with us at concordiagreenhouse@gmail.com to learn more about our initiatives and upcoming events.

If you have a project proposal, let us know!

Everyone is welcome and we are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers!

Our Goals

We strive to promote sustainability within the Concordia and Montreal communities by:

• serving as a resource centre and a demonstration site for urban agriculture techniques and food security initiatives;

• acting as a springboard for innovative solutions and research in urban sustainability;

• offering workshops on sustainable city living and year-round food production;

• supporting the network of urban agriculture organizations throughout Montreal;

• linking students to volunteer and job opportunities in the community;

• providing a forum where socioeconomic, political, and environmental issues relating to food, energy, and water can be discussed.

Project History

While rooftop green space and high-rise farming currently seem to be pioneering ideas in urban sustainable design, Concordia's greenhouse is actually part of the original planning and infrastructure of the SGW campus. The greenhouse is nearly half a century in age! This cutting-edge concept came about entirely by accident. Initially, it seemed like an obvious place to build a greenhouse for the Biology department: the space faces south-west for optimal sun exposure and isn't blocked by the shade of any of the surrounding buildings. When the SGW and Loyola campuses merged, the sciences moved to Loyola. Eventually plans were made to tear the old greenhouse down, but interested students and faculty, as well as Sustainable Concordia, successfully petitioned to have the structure assessed and to commence a "rejuvenation" project. While the original concept of building a rooftop greenhouse seemed merely practical, it is perceived today as an innovative urban design that addresses socio-political and environmental issues such as public access to urban green space, urban sustainability, local food production, and food security.

Current Projects

Atrium Tea Garden
Aquaponics
City Farm School
Four Seasons Growing
Mackay Garden
Vermicomposting
Vert ta Ville

Financial Partners

Concordia Centre for Student Life, Sustainable Concordia, Concordia Student Union, Facilities Management, Arts and Science Federation of Associations, Sustainability Action Fund, School of Extended Learning, the President's Strategic Fund, Office of the Vice President (Services)