How green is my balcony!

Growing vegetables at home caught on during the most challenging phase of the pandemic in Hong Kong. Rebecca Lo tries to gauge if the amateur farming wave will sustain.

On a balmy summer evening recently, members of the American Institute of Architects' Hong Kong Chapter, went on a tour of K-Farm. Led by the chapter's past-president Vicky Chan and designed by his company Avoid Obvious Architects for the local NGO Rough C Limited, K-Farm aims to make farming fun by throwing innovative architecture into the mix.

K-Farm runs parallel to the Belcher Bay Promenade. The compound consists of three open-air pavilions, a reflecting pond, a fish pond and planters anchored on either end by a greenhouse and administrative buildings. It introduces farming to the local community and operates on a three-year renewable tenancy.

Chan noted how circles were used as a design motif throughout structures where hydroponic and aquaponic farming was practiced. "The vertical green wall, vertical farming racks and farming tables allow people with special needs to access farming without bending down," Chan explains. "All three shelters have rainwater collection and solar panels on their roofs, offsetting its electricity consumption."

He hopes that K-Farm will inspire the next generation of farmers to incorporate "cool" architectural features in their facilities. "We hope our vision allows more people to understand how urban Hong Kong can be more inclusive toward all kinds of living things. This organic farm also helps the ecosystem of the whole area. As the adjacent parks use pesticides, our farm has suddenly become an attraction for birds and insects. K-Farm is increasing the biodiversity along the waterfront."