The public space above the Radboudkwartier (Hoog Catharijne, Utrecht) is made accessible by means of a roof garden where chickens scuttle and vegetables are grown. Employees and students in the area maintain the garden.

The system made tangible in this project enables a broad-based implementation. The staff of the surrounding businesses actively exploits the space and feels responsible for the maintenance of the garden. A strong point of the Tuinfabriek is that that it can be applied in multiple places. The design skills make the difference to the degree of success and survival of the system. Ester van de Wiel brings the public space even closer to humans.