The Giving Garden @ Kim Tian

The Giving Garden @ Kim Tian is a community rooftop garden where fresh produce is grown, harvested and distributed to residents in the surrounding neighbourhood. Located on a previously concretised car park roof deck, the 1,020 sqm garden transforms an underutilised rooftop into a productive and communal green space.

The garden features more than 45 species of plants and at least 10 types of vegetables. Beyond providing greenery for surrounding residents to enjoy, it was envisioned as a space where the community could grow edible plants, learn about urban farming, interact with one another and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of gardening.

Existing Prefabricated Extensive Green (PEG) trays were raised by 200 mm to increase the available soil depth. While the original trays could primarily support groundcovers, the additional depth allows ornamental shrubs and vegetables to be incorporated, creating a more varied and productive landscape.

The design also responds to the structural constraints of a rooftop environment. Lightweight blocks were used for the planters to reduce loading, while the planters themselves were finished in different colours to create a vibrant yet welcoming setting for residents.

The garden contains a diverse mix of edible plants, including leafy vegetables, fruiting crops and woody edible species. These are complemented by flowering plants such as Stachytarpheta indica, Lantana camara, Costus spp., Ruellia spp., Hibiscus spp. and Tecoma spp.

The flowering plants have attracted butterflies, bees and sunbirds to the rooftop, supporting pollination of both ornamental and edible species. In this way, the garden combines productive planting with biodiversity-attracting greenery rather than treating the two as separate functions.

The Giving Garden also functions as an accessible learning and social space. Residents use the rooftop for leisurely walks and to observe birds, butterflies and bees, while the edible planting has encouraged greater interest in gardening.

The variety of plants grown also provides a physical learning environment where children can encounter and better understand edible plants. By combining food production, biodiversity and community activity, the rooftop demonstrates how otherwise unused urban surfaces can become meaningful shared green spaces.

Building owner: HDB

Area managed by: Tanjong Pagar Town Council

Landscape implementer: Garden Works