A living laboratory at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Magoon Research and Education Station is exploring ways to cool buildings and homes without expensive electricity bills while increasing local food production.
Led by Andy Kaufman, associate professor in the Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR), the project evaluates vegetated roof and living wall systems designed for tropical island environments.
“There’s nothing like this that we know of in the world that’s this high-tech and this real-world application,” Kaufman said.
Eco-shed testing site
The half-acre facility features miniature structures called “eco-sheds” set in gravel to simulate dense urban centers. One traditional asphalt-shingle shed serves as a baseline control. Four experimental sheds test commercial tray installations along with single-layer planted roofs.
Kaufman and his team compare the performance of native Hawaiian and non-invasive ornamental plants under identical conditions. Solar panels power all monitoring equipment, keeping operations off the electrical grid.
Monitors located outside and inside each eco-shed record internal heat, humidity, soil moisture, and solar radiation. Early trials on unplanted roof media showed cooling capacity before vegetation took root.
“Before we planted, when we just had the media on, we had an eight- to nine-degree difference between the control shed and the sheds that had just the media on the roof,” Kaufman said.
Lowering temperatures and growing food
Living wall systems display culinary crops like tomatoes, kale, and herbs. These systems allow apartment residents lacking yard space to produce fresh food. The team spent five years developing lightweight growth media that retain nutrients and slow stormwater runoff into ocean waters.
Eighteen students contributed to building the site and data gathering. Kaufman wants to continue hosting public tours and partner with the landscape industry, the state Department of Education, as well as other local and State governments to expand green infrastructure across Hawaiʻi.
Funding is provided by the Ulupono Initiative, the City and County of Honolulu, and the Land Economics Foundation.
