News
In 2009 futurespace completed over 7000m2 of sustainable workplace for Google’s Australian HQ in Pyrmont, with a design review published in Indesign Magazine.
Neighbourhoods will be turned into "neighbourwoods" as part of a new program to turn Sydney's hot spots into cool urban forests.
RECORDINGS OF SPEAKERS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE WEBSITE LIBRARY.
The temperature of some of our cities, such as Melbourne, can be up to four degrees warmer than surrounding areas, but adequate green infrastructure may help reduce those temperatures.
A team of University of Melbourne and Monash University researchers is trying to establish how green infrastructure can interact with urban design to reduce temperatures in cities.
This is a very knew area of scientific inquiry and we are just scratching the surface. However, enough successful work has been done that compels us to start incorporating these tactics and strategies in our built environment as partners in progress. Our green standards are abysmally too low for any serious self-congratulations. By using grey water as green roof and living wall irrigation now, we can start evaluating the phytoremediation effects as we go. After mechanical filtration and phytoremediation, along with control of the contaminants we introduce into our environment, I see no reason why we can’t start using green water for a wide array of uses from laundry to washing food to washing ourselves, to irrigating food crops, to irrigating green roofs and living walls in areas short on potable water.
Attend an International Green Roof Conference ONLINE minus the travel, fares and associated costs. To Register our members can use the Price Discount Code 'GRAUS'
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The environmental benefits of green roofs have now been well documented, and include storm water retention, improved water quality and provision of a recycled water supply, evaporative cooling from plants, biofiltration of airborne pollutants, and increased carbon dioxide/oxygen exchange through photosynthesis.
Current research in Adelaide involves monitoring thermal performance, water quality and useage, and plant performance characteristics of extensive and intensive green roof beds on the 22nd level rooftop of ANZ House in Adelaide. Green roofs can minimise rising temperatures and the UHI in Australian cities, which would have a dramatic impact on public health, given that heat waves are now recognised as the nation's major natural disaster, ahead of bushfires and floods.
Graeme Hopkins and Christine Goodwin report