Studio Gang Headquarters Wheat Prairie

the first-known wheat rooftop harvest

In collaboration with Studio Gang Architects, Omni Ecosystems designed and cultivated a wheat prairie rooftop atop the company’s Chicago headquarters. Omni designed this ecosystem not merely for one point in time or seasonal high point, but with a complete vision for its ecological succession.

Illinois’ ecological history, native prairies, and wheat fields inspired this roof’s design concept, which included a variety of native species such as wildflowers, shrubs, grasses, and trees. Winter wheat was used as a cover crop to help the prairie propagate, and the cover crop flourished into a vast rooftop wheat field. . The rooftop yielded a healthy crop of amber waves the following summer, which local students in an after-school program hand-harvested. Professional millers ground the grain into 66 pounds of high-quality pastry flour and a Chicago bakery baked it into pastries that the local students sold as a fundraiser. The initiative marked the first-known rooftop grain harvest and was publicly recognized by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel with a press conference and visit to Omni headquarters.

Wheat is an often overlooked capability of green roof agriculture, despite it being a predominant crop for major civilizations through all of history. Traditionally, productive green roof systems focus on vegetable and herb production. This collaboration between Omni and Studio Gang illustrates the feasibility of green roof grain production and proves the viability of rooftop wheat production.

“With more than fifty species planted on top of a historic building, our mini prairie functions more as a thriving ecosystem than a green roof, creating food and habitat for birds, butterflies, insects, fungi, and now people.” — Jeanne Gang, Studio Gang