With a passion for productive infrastructure, Lauren Mandel works as a Project Manager and Rooftop Agriculture Specialist at the Philadelphia-based green roof firm Roofmeadow (formerly Roofscapes). At Roofmeadow, Lauren designs green roofs, oversees green roof construction around the country, and is integral to every rooftop agriculture inquiry and project that the firm encounters.
Lauren began exploring the viability of urban rooftop agriculture while in graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a Master of Landscape Architecture. With seven years of professional landscape architectural and green roof design experience, Lauren is in the process of refining her thoughts on rooftop agriculture in book form, which will be published by New Society Publishers in spring 2013.
In her spare time, Lauren lectures on green roofs and rooftop agriculture, and is currently assisting with the design of a potential 160,000sf rooftop farm in North Philadelphia. She also loves backpacking and extreme dog walking.
Contact: lauren.mandel@gmail.com / 518.221.6230
Work Experience
Roofmeadow | Project Manager + Rooftop Agriculture Specialist
Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC | Landscape Designer
Mithūn | Landscape Designer
USDA Forest Service | Wilderness Ranger
Maysie’s Farm and Conservation Center| Farm Intern
American Farmland Trust | Research Intern
Education
University of Pennsylvania | Master of Landscape Architecture
Skidmore College | BA in Environmental Science, Minor in Studio Art
Professional Membership
American Society of Landscape Architects
Hey Lauren! My name is Matthew Macchietto. I am a student of Bret Betnar, your fellow classmate. I am a third year undergrad student in Landscape Architecture. Bret referred me to your site- and we both love what you’re doing. Reason I am messaging you is that I am doing a studio project on rooftop agriculture and was wondering if you could send me any more images of your work for reference. What you’re doing really excites me and I look forward to reading into it further!
Thank you so much,
Matthew
Hey Matthew,
Thanks for your message, and I’m so glad that you’re enjoying the blog! Are there certain types of pictures in particular that you’re looking for? If so, then I can dig around in my files and/or point you in the right direction.
Give Bret my best!
Lauren
Thank you so much for responding Lauren. Do you have any sections or plans of any of your agricultural roofs?! If so, that would be awesome!
I’ll let Bret know that tomorrow by the way!
Thanks again,
Matthew
Hi Lauren,
I see a lot of interest in rooftop agriculture and wanted to let you know what we at GeoSphere Systems had been working on. We have designed (and have a soon to issued patent for) a solar powered hydroponic growth chamber that is able to replicate any growing environment in the world. Our system collects, concentrates, and then filters sunlight to the wavelengths optimally suited to the plants being grown. And, by using a closed chamber of commercial viability, we can control every facet of the growing environment while also cutting water use by 85 to 90%.
I would like to see our chambers on rooftops all over NYC and elsewhere to eliminate the “food deserts” now there that have resulted in high levels of obesity and Type II diabetes in most ‘inner city’ neighborhoods.
PhilZ
Thanks for the comment, Phil! Do you have a website up and running?
Hi Lauren,
My name is Kim Massare and I’m the President of the Lower Moyamensing Civic Association in South Philly. We are working in partnership with South Philly High at Broad & Snyder to green their campus and I was wondering if I could talk with you about establishing a rooftop garden and how we might go about creating a potential site plan. Love your work and am very excited about the new book!
Hi Lauren,
My name is Kim Massare and I’m the President of the Lower Moyamensing Civic Association in South Philly. We’ve been working hard over the past three years to green the campus of South Philly High at Broad & Snyder and have made some great connections with the school administration. I would love to talk more with you about the next frontier for our greening aspirations: the school’s rooftop! We’re interested in creating a rooftop design schematic that would assist us in fundraising for this next phase.
Hi Kim,
Thank you for your interest, and my apologies for the slow reply (I was out of the country without internet access)! Your project sounds very interesting, and I’d love to learn more about it. Feel free to email me at lmandel@roofmeadow.com with more details, or to set up a time to talk.
Lauren
Hi Lauren,
Congrats on all your efforts to promote the rooftop (and community) garden world! As a lifelong gardener myself, as well as a maker of garden furniture, I wanted to introduce you to one of my company’s latest creations – the Tomato Tower (http://nmndesigns.com/products/garden/tomato-tower/#ecwid:category=%202411172&mode=product&product=19258009).
I’d be glad to donate a couple of these to a future non-profit garden endeavor of yours to get some feedback on the item, as we look to expand our line of products meant for the discerning gardeners out there!
Milan Bhandari
nmndesigns.com
info@nmndesigns.com
Hi Lauren,
Congratulations on your book! I am a graduate student in journalism writing about urban agriculture/rooftop farms. I would love to interview you for my piece if you are free to chat for 15 minutes this afternoon or tomorrow. I was sorry to miss your presentation at the CCAE on Saturday night.
Thanks so much,
Sarah Baker
sarah_baker1@msn.com
http://www.sarahbakerstories.com