Greenery and diverse plant life will take over the roof of 1 Treasury Place to create an urban oasis, in a joint $2.5 million Melbourne City Council and Victorian Government initiative (not-for-profit Hort Innovation, a horticulture research and development company, has also contributed funding).
Humans, on average, spend the vast majority of their time indoors. Yet scientific studies on human health conclude that spending time in and around nature, or even just looking at natural elements, can have wide-ranging benefits. The real estate industry is closing the gap between these conflicting concepts by bringing nature indoors with biophilic building design.
Image: Hudson River developments NYC Courtesy: Related-Oxford
The New York mayor celebrated Earth Day by announcing a proposal that he claims would bar construction of many of the glass-and-steel towers that have joined the city skyline in recent years. The plan, which requires legislation in the City Council, is part of what he termed his own Green New Deal.
40 % of GHG emissions are from the built environment heating & cooling infrastructure. After all us humans need to be cosy in our cubes.IF building are the elephant in the room then why don't politicians take action on reviewing SEPP's , provide incentives & grants, mandate biosolar for new developments, provide greater FSR's for green roofs....etc and even review the BCA which is well due.
Green infrastructure, also sometimes referred to as GI, is an innovative approach to managing stormwater runoff. It utilizes natural processes, such as evapotranspiration and infiltration, to slow down stormwater to from overwhelming SW systems and polluting waterways.
When the 202020 Vision started in 2013, it set out to achieve 20 per cent canopy cover in Australia’s urban areas by 2020. It may not be achieved by next year but the aspiration has generated a vast amount of activity.
Plans are afoot to redesign an entire block in central Melbourne based on biophilic principles, creating an exciting new landmark in the city.
Canberra's relative abundance of green vegetation provides a natural canopy to reduce heat stress not only for humans but for our rich biodiversity. Investing in and maintaining our "living infrastructure" is critical to a healthy and liveable future.
