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Globally, people use roofs to dry out food, do their laundry and sleep. In Belfast, where we’re based, there's a culture of enjoying looking down on the city from up high, because it's in a valley. But because we were a conflict area for a long time, many people didn’t want to live, work or hang out in the city, and our roofs cape has been neglected.

Rooftop projects can be as big or as small as you want. They can be used as social or cultural spaces, for green or blue public facilities. But it's not just about commercial opportunities; it can be as simple as an individual turning his/her city balcony into a mini garden or vegetable patch. It's not just about doing it on a rooftop because it's "cool". It's about giving up the deep-rooted thought that roofs are off limits and embracing their challenges as opportunities. That can make a huge difference. For instance, we're helping turn the rooftop car park of a city central shopping centre into an outdoor space for employees, due to restrictions they now face indoors because of COVID-19.

Using rooftops creatively allows us to cope with many of the challenges faced by cities today--be those environmental, social, technological, or cultural. At the moment, we're being forced to rethink how we use public spaces due to COVID-19. With lots of restrictions on enclosed areas, we should be acknowledging rooftops as viable alternatives. For example, Rotterdam recently hosted a play that took place across its rooftops. Each roof lit up and hosted a different part of the drama, while residents sat and watched, listening to the action through headphones.

Are there any challenges? Rain is one. Also is health and safety. But there are creative and practical solutions to all the barriers we face. In fact, the challenges are what make rooftops so exciting----because they give you even more opportunities to be creative and solve problems. It is always a matter of trial and error.