Green Roofs Australasia Newsletter

GRA NEWS

Recent Projects

Australia

Green Infrastructure for the Built Environment:-

City of Brisbane

Images: Brisbane proposal for 'urban forest building'

The vision is aligned with BCC Policy (Buildings That Breathe) and the 'Brisbane Vision Blueprint' so it's no wonder developers are proposing DA submissions like this. An inner-city suburb on the Brisbane River could be home to the “greenest residential building in the world” with ambitious plans currently under review by the city’s council. Development plans lodged last week by the Aria Property Group propose a 30-storey “vertical forest” and “a beacon for sustainability in South Brisbane”....... Read More

City of Melbourne

Images: Foster and Partners / Fender Katsalidis residential proposal for Maribyrnong River frontage.

The City of Melbourne will consider a proposal to create a mixed-use precinct on a large swathe of land on the edge of the Maribyrnong River. Designed by Foster and Partners and Fender Katsalidis, the development proposes to create “new opportunities to connect and engage with the Maribyrnong River.” The site occupies five parcels of land totally approximately 2.8 hectares at 156-232 Kensington Road in West Melbourne.......... Read more

Image: aka 'Green Spine' on the Yarra River Melbourne

A vegetated tower that is set to become Australia’s tallest building has been given the go-ahead by the government of Victoria. Located on Melbourne’s Yarra River, Green Spine, designed by Dutch architect UNStudio and Australia's Cox Architecture, will be part of the US$1.3bn Southbank, which is being developed by local property company Beulah International.......... Read More

Image: Atlassian 'Hybrid Green Tower', CBD Sydney

Unfortunately, the perfect Green project only starts when there are rare clients like Atlassian & designers like SHoP Architects from NYC and BVN from Sydney. Similarly, Stanley Quek from Frasers having the vision for 'One Central Park' on Broadway. These iconic projects occur because they are commercially driven based on sound CSR principles and not because of sustainable, innovative government planning policies that incentivise and encourage .......... Read More

International Projects

Paris, France

Images: Worlds Largest Urban Farm, Paris

The largest urban rooftop farm in the world uses vertical growing techniques to create fruits and vegetables right in the center of Paris without the use of pesticides, refrigerated trucks, chemical fertilizer, or even soil ..... Read More

The World vs The Pandemic

Image: Nature vs Covid

Nature is all around us. The sky, trees, air, wind, wildlife, and water are all parts of the great outdoors we CAN CHOOSE to experience every day. However, due to covid-19 social restrictions over the past 6 months, a majority are spending long periods indoors, surrounded by concrete and glass away from the natural elements that connect us all....... Read More

London UK

Image: London Trial - 'Smart Pillar'
A number of lampposts in Belgravia have recently been fitted with plant columns running up their length. It’s a trial to see if the green columns can help reduce pollution along the streets......... Read More

Düsseldorf

Image: Europe's Big Green Wall
An office complex has been completed in the centre of Düsseldorf that includes some 30,000 plants in its cladding. The 41,400 sq m Kö-Bogen II project, designed by local firm Ingenhoven Architects, has the appearance of a green hill in Gründgens Square, between the iconic Dreischeibenhaus and the Düsseldorf Theatre. Two of the building’s walls and its roof are clad with steel pots, planted with grass and a type of evergreen shrub known as hornbeam.

ACROS 1995, Fukouka Japan

Image: ACROS Building, Fukouka, Japan

A Celebration 25 Years On for architect, Emilio Embasz

Emilio’s innovative research and vision began over forty years ago and his design philosophy is “the Green Over the Grey.”
Along the edge of the park, the building steps up, floor-by-floor, in a stratification of low, landscaped terraces which climb the full height of the building. Each terrace floor contains an array of gardens for meditation, relaxation, and escape from the congestion of the city. Culminating at the top terrace, the grand belvedere provides an incomparable view of the Bay of Fukuoka and the surrounding mountains....... Read More

Industry News

Floating Gardens / Floating Wetlands

Fytogreens floating gardens ( sometimes called floating wetlands) are designed to vegetate ponds, waterways, dams, quarries and waterbodies requiring either an aesthetic treatment, habitat production or water processing/rehabilitation to reduce pollutants.

The floating gardens / floating wetlands module is an effective and sustainable technology to improve water conditions. Floating wetlands water treatment requires plants to be vegetated on a floating mat while their roots are extended down to the contaminated water acting as biological filters.

The Fytogreen system is hydroponic, thereby plants receive all nutrition directly from the water column. This ensures plants direct all their potential to absorb nutrients, including pollutants and heavy metals, directly from the water they are growing in, rather than organics held within their rooting substrate. This is a highly efficient means of utilising vegetation to condition a site, aiding in rehabilitation and remediation towards healthier conditions and habitats......... Read More

Smart Tech for Green Roofs

Not only can you monitor the climatic conditions and moisture content of a green roof but also monitor the maintenance regime required to avoid building damage.

International Leak Detectors Aus (ILD) are now installing

PROGEO Smartex® If there's a breach in waterproofing you’ll receive an immediate report via your PC, tablet or smartphone, including an accurate location for repair.
ProtectSys® Now available to ILD Australia is remote, real time roof cavity monitoring. The system incorporates battery powered sensor boxes which transmit test results to solar powered central hub.

Read More about ILD service.

Green Walls & Rooftop Gardens Project by SkillSet

Roof gardens, vertical gardens and green facades offer a range of benefits to urban populations, helping to cool city environments, manage storm water and improve air quality. Australian city councils have acknowledged the advantages of this infrastructure in places where there is not space for traditional parks, supporting the construction of roof gardens, vertical gardens and green facades in their planning and policies. At the same time, the technology for construction is becoming easier to access, bolstering the popularity of green infrastructure and opening up job opportunities. While these roles are suited to people with existing skills and knowledge in horticulture and landscaping, specialist skills and knowledge are required to construct and maintain green infrastructure....... Read More

More Information on Green Infrastructure Policy / Projects & News

GRA are a founding member of the World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) which is comprised of 22 national associations.
Read more on the WGIN website for a comprehensive green global update.

Thanking GRA Sponsors

GRA is a not-for-profit association and we could not have survived from 2008 untill now without the support of our Industry Sponsors and members.

Please contact us if your company can provide support or if you wish to become a member.

STAY CONNECTED ON OUR WEBSITE & SEND US YOUR NEWS

XMAS GREETINGS & A SUSTAINABLE 2020

TO ALL OUR MEMBERS

PLEASE ACCEPT OUR BEST WISHES FOR A JOYFUL XMAS & A GREENER 2020

We will continue to advocate for the incorporation of green infrastructure into our urban fabric as a solution to mitigating the impacts of Climate Change just as we have done since 2007.
The task is still a challenge even as oue nation burns and suffers from drought.
Government Policy can make a difference so support us to lobby for CHANGE .... NOW!

THANKING OUR SPONSORS FOR MAKING OUR ADVOCACY POSSIBLE.

Green Roofs & Walls of the World 2019

THE VIRTUAL SUMMIT 2019 is NOW OPEN:

“Cooling a Warming Planet with Living Architecture”

Connecting the Planet + Living Architecture

The Mission of the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summits is to inform, share, and create a global social media experience online for learning and networking via the power of the Internet

PEOPLE Creative thinkers, social innovators, and trailblazers sharing project-focused organic “vegitecture”

PROJECTS International icons of sustainability: early successes + current & visionary profiles of excellence in design

DESIGN Diverse green technologies + dynamic and cutting edge designs for greening the planet with building integrated greenery: bioclimatic, biodiversity, biomimicry & chic sustainability

AGENDA

FREE Registration is open through November 30 – see the Agenda for Greenroofs.com’s Virtual Summit 2019 + watch your favorite Speakers NOW!

We’re very excited to share new individual and multi-speaker videos on:

living architecture and green infrastructure + live events + social media happenings.

REGISTER NOW_IT'S FREE

GRA Newsletter September 2018

GREETINGS FROM THE GRA PRESIDENT

BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL SHINES THE GREEN LIGHT

Developers will be encouraged to include GREEN ROOFS and communal space on new apartment projects under proposed changes to Brisbane’s City Plan.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk announced the amendments to the city plan on Sept 12 which will allow developers to incorporate a rooftop communal area without listing it as an additional storey.

"The proposed changes to the Brisbane City Plan will formalise council support for rooftop gardens and green spaces in new residential developments. These changes will allow new developments to include a rooftop communal area, without listing it as an additional storey,” Quirk said. “Council will also have the ability to ask developers to incorporate and maintain green spaces on the rooftops and walls of new apartment buildings, to support our vision of a clean, green and sustainable city. ”

The move by council will make it easier for developers to deliver higher quality and more comfortable and useable spaces. The roofscape of high density buildings is a huge opportunity to deliver world-class amenity for residents. Under the current rules, any roofed structure on an apartment building rooftop is defined as a “storey”. This means that a 10-storey apartment building with a fixed shade structure over a BBQ area or pool has been defined as 11-storeys under the City Plan.If the acceptance outcome for the site’s building height is 10 storeys, this has meant that the proposal is non-compliant. To avoid this, developers have had to provide rooftops without appropriate shading to protect its residents and visitors from Brisbane’s hot climate.

Quirk said that creating greenspace was one of the key messages of council's ratepayer-funded "Plan Your Brisbane" campaign.“Brisbane is Australia’s most biodiverse capital city, with more species of native plants and wildlife than any other in Australia and new developments that incorporate greenery contribute to our vision of creating a city of urban gardens.”

THE GREEN BUZZ IN SAN FRANCISCO

PROJECT OF THE MONTH

Some of the older members may recall hearing about this project at our 2011 conference in Sydney from RANA CREEK landscape architect keynote speaker, Raphael Garcia. Well now it's completed and the magnificent green roof has survived any budgetry concerns! YES! San Francisco's new $2.2 billion transit center, the 'Grand Central Station of the West,' is officially open to the public .

Located in a colossal white building that snakes its way through the city’s downtown South of Market district, the transit project was almost two decades in the making and was designed as a much-needed improvement to San Francisco’s notoriously clogged transportation systems. Routes on eleven bus lines stop at the transit center. In the future, so too will Caltrain, the Bay Area’s commuter-rail services, and California’s High Speed Rail, which will run between there and Los Angeles.

The center’s urban design has drawn comparisons to New York’s new Oculus transit station, while its rooftop park has been likened to The High Line in New York, a park that’s located on a former elevated rail line. But its new nickname harkens back further into Gotham’s history.The center has been dubbed the “Grand Central Station of the West.” It’s an apt moniker, given the building’s scale and $US2.2 billion budget.

Take a look around San Francisco’s new"Grand Central Station":-

Image: Domed skylights bathes the Grand Hall with natural light.

Within the Transit Hub there are various access points to connect with surrounding buildings, shopping facility and transport services. On the fourth level there is public access to the urban green roof park with child friendly play areas, water features and walking trails with exercise equipment.

Image: Entry to the fourth level green roof public park.

Image: Roof Plan. The green roof park is wedged between existing building over a length of 6 city blocks and has not disrupted the road or pedestrian traffic infrastructuire since completion.

Image: The rooftop park has a diverse variety of planting from trees to shrubs & groundcovers

Image: How green infrastructure can be seamlessly incorporated into into existing grey infrastructure.

NOTE TO SELF FOR CITY PLANNERS, ARCHITECTS & LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS - IT IS POSSIBLE.

THINK GREEN ..... USING PLANTS AS THE SOLUTION.

Matt Dillon

GRA President.

AWARDS

2018 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects VIC Award – Aspect Studios – Category – Small Projects – Tarrawarra Abbey

OUR Congratulations to Aspect Studios and all the team at FYTOGREEN AUSTRALIA that designed and installed the green roof.

267m2 – Semi-Intensive Sloping Indigenous Roof Garden at Turrawarra Abbey

Fytogreen DESIGNED installed a 200mm deep profile picturesque roof top garden on the new Fire Shelter at Tarrawarra Abbey. Part of the roof garden includes a 22ø slope section with a 300mm deep profile. A total 2,100 plants were used, spread between 24 species.As a response to the potential threat on extreme weather days, the green roof to this building can be wet-up via the sub soil irrigation system using site captured water with a pump on generator power.

AWARD WINNNING PROJECT: 2018 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects VIC Award – Aspect Studios – Category – Small Projects – Tarrawarra Abbey

PROFESSIONAL GREEN ROOF DESIGN TIPS_IRRIGATION

This is a new addition to our Newsletter because it's important that we share information for Professional Development.

We all know that global temperatures are following suit with heat waves wrecking havoc across the planet. 2018 is on pace to be the 4th-hottest year on record. (Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) via CNN).

This underlines the importance of considering very carefully the requirements for inclusion of permanent irrigation systems on intensive green roofs and in planters, whether they’re in London, Aberdeen, or wherever.

The total absence of or the provision of inadequate irrigation systems is one of the commonest reasons for planting failures on green roofs or within planters at either ground or roof level – regardless of rising heat rates. Here we take a quick look at some of the pressures and solutions for providing much-needed irrigation to our green spaces, but with an emphasis on green roofs.

With increasing urbanisation and higher density living, planners, landscape architects, and architects are trying to provide more affordable, high-quality, desirable living spaces that each have a sense of unique identity. And these locations very often incorporate green spaces or green elements within their designs.

This is all well and good. However, without providing the necessary elements for the plants to thrive, i.e., light, water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and a means to anchor their roots, no matter how well-meaning the intentions are, the long-term performance of the trees, shrubs or vegetation is undoubtedly compromised.

.So why do we see so many planters incorporating trees and hedging that could quickly exceed these basic requirements for growth – least of all water?

There are numerous permanent irrigation solutions available on the market, supplied either as part of the planter/green roof solution or as optional extras – and these can either be automated or manually operated.

Why go to all the expense of providing a system, actually either intensive or extensive, and plantings and possibly missing out on years of enjoyment for a small increase in the installation cost?

Image: Chester Bus Interchange extensive green roof, UK.

Permanent Irrigation Components

Typically, but not necessarily exclusively, a permanent irrigation system includes the following components:

1. Mains water and power
2. Tank, pump and housing
3. Control box or programmer
4. Water feed pipes, solenoids and associated signal cabling
5. A means of applying the water, i.e., drippers or pop-up sprinklers
6. Finally, training!

There’s little point in offering an automatic irrigation system unless the operator understands how to program and operate the controls. Training for the FM (facilities management) provider or client is very important unless the irrigation system is operated remotely by a third party via the web.

This all might sound a bit complicated and another problem to think about, but you might be surprised at how compact and simple some of the systems are.

Built-in Irrigation Reservoirs

Alternatively, if your pockets don’t stretch for an automated system, then there are many other non-automated solutions that could make a big difference to the performance, health and longevity of your planting – if there is a maintenance provider to actually manage them, regularly.

Uniform planting – where there is a single form of planting such herbaceous perennials within an area of green roof then the application of water can be controlled by a single solenoid – a pressure compensated drip line can be installed and secured on the substrate surface, usually under the mulch layer. At the appropriate time of day (or night) the irrigation controller turns the water supply on for a set duration so irrigating the plants uniformly.

Mixed planting – where the planting is mixed, i.e., lawn, trees and herbaceous, then the theory remains the same but the method of application may vary, i.e., drip line for some areas and pop up sprinklers for the lawn. Each distinct type of planting could require its own solenoid to take into account the duration and quantity of water that is required for that particular type of planting.

Over application – to avoid over application of water to the planting beds, a simple soil moisture meter or rain gauge is incorporated into the control system circuit. This enables the irrigation controller to tailor the amount of water applied to each of the areas. However, owing to the proximity of some green roofs to building facades and the potential problems this could present with regards to rain shadow, or that radiated from the adjacent surfaces, more than one moisture sensor may be required and each one carefully located to reflect an accurate and true moisture reading.

By specifying the correct green roof system or planter to suit the final planting density and, very importantly, the carefully considered plant selection, applying sound annual horticultural practices such as mulching, feeding, a structured maintenance programme, and installing plants at a size that enables slow acclimatisation to their new environment can mean less reliance on expensive permanent irrigation systems.

It’s simple, unobtrusive and I expect most people wouldn’t even realize what was inside it as the pump operates during the night when the garden is less frequented. Alternatively, for larger and noisier units, the tank, pump, and controller can be located within a dedicated plant room away from the garden.

Consider Irrigation of Intensive Green Roof Systems Early

None of the above removes the requirement for good sound horticultural practice such as weeding, seasonal mulching, thinning out the plantings, appropriate feeding or installing the plants at a size that enables them to slowly acclimatise to their new environment.

Nor does it mean that the planting scheme should be less well adapted to cope with those peaks in temperatures that we’re increasingly experiencing. Including an irrigation system shouldn’t be seen as a temporary fix to enable unsuitable plantings to struggle through prolonged periods of high temperatures.

We’re seeing increasing requests from clients to retrofit permanent irrigation systems on established, but possibly struggling, green roofs and planters. These retrofits are not only expensive, but cause disruption to tenants and client who are occupying the premises – disruption and expense that could have been avoided with more initial discussion during the concept and design stages of the project.

So to summarise, we are undoubtedly experiencing more frequent periods of unseasonably higher temperatures. Combine this with the already demanding environments of roofs, planters, and facades where we expect plants to not only grow, but to thrive. We need to be re-looking and re-appraising all aspects of the systems that we are offering – and asking ourselves ‘Can we do better?’ Only in this way can we help, in our small way, to make our urban spaces the pleasurable environments that they really ought to be

EVENTS

2018 National Landscape Architecture Awards

The 2018 National Landscape Architecture Awards will be held on Thursday 11 October as part of the 2018 International Festival of Landscape Architecture, to be held in the Gold Coast, QLD.

JOIN IN for an evening of friends, food, drinks & celebration, as we celebrate and recognise the very best of Australian landscape architecture. As the first major event of the 2018 International Festival of Landscape Architecture, the National Landscape Architecture Awards brings our industry together to mark another year of exceptional achievement in shaping Australia's landscapes.The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) is a celebration of the leading projects shaping green, open and public spaces across Australia. The annual awards program acknowledges the growing impact of landscape architecture on the spaces we inhabit, and recognises projects that stand out for their innovative approaches, that push the boundaries, or are considered to be of national significance.

Please stay in touch via our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. We'd love to hear from you!

NATIONAL NEWS

> The green roofs saving on energy costs

> Green roof revolution in Aus

> Sydneys biggest green roof

> New Zealand boom on green buildings_not recent

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

> Paris takes green buildings to heart

> Green Wall Insights

> New Delhi urban oasis renewal

> Hobbit house with green roof in NY

> New Gehry Facebook building has a green roof

> Why the poor need green roofs most.

RESEARCH UPDATE

> Global Green Roof Market Report analysis

Please stay in touch via our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. We'd love to hear from you!

RECENT PROJECTS

Fytogreen Hydrocell 40 / Eureka turf

Bolte Facility on the Yarra, Melbourne

Facebook HQ’s rooftop park designed by Frank Gehry.

Angel Hospital, Venice

For more projects and details, please visit our Project Gallery.

THANKING OUR SPONSORS!

DIAMOND SPONSORS:

FYTOGREEN AUSTRALIA

Fytogreen-logo

GOLD SPONSORS:

INTERNATIONAL LEAK DETECTORS / THE GREENWALL COMPANY / SIKA / ENVIROSYSTEMS

ILD-logo sika-logo envirosystems-greenroofsaustralasia

SILVER SPONSORS:

ANDREASENS GREEN / KNAUF INSULATION / THE HILLS BARK BLOWER / DCTECH

JOIN GRA & BECOME A MEMBER

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That's all for this edition of the newsletter. Please stay in touch via our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. We'd love to hear from you!

GRA Newsletter June 2018

GREETINGS FROM THE GRA PRESIDENT

Greetings to all GRA Members,

During June we will be focused on Urban Agriculture & Biophilic Design so stay posted!

Our presence on social media has spiked over the past six months. Here's where you can follow us:-

Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter YouTube

GRA welcomes your feedback to help us promote the further incorporation of Building Integrated Vegetation (BIV) systems; aka 'green roofs & living walls'!

GRA sits between the Landscape Industry & the Construction Industry which is not easy! None-the-less we have endured and established a bridge between these two industries over the past eleven years. At present, our main challenge is to remain flexible and respond to the major drivers of transitional change towards 'green infrastructure planning', of which, BIV systems are a significant component. The TBL benefits we promote are profound and in essence, are a 'no-brainer' towards the mitigation of climate change.

I believe the main drivers are linked to increases in urban population and the availability of healthy food.

Urban density is manageable, if there is a proportionate balance of green spaces which provide biophilic benefits from within, on & around the built environment. Singapore has proved that this is possible with the innovative, financial and legislative support from the government.

Urban agriculture is also a viable option using green roof and living wall systems to supplement traditional practices, that are under threat from climate variability, landscape degradation, transport-related emissions, labour costs and lack of government support. China has proved that this is possible by building new 'green cities' with equal building heights connected by bridges that link vegetated amenity and urban agriculture spaces with sustainable water management and GHG emission reduction design.

The technology is available to build carbon-neutral architecture, however as humans, we also need the incorporation of plants for our inherent happiness and well-being - we need plants in the same way that we need air to breathe and water to sustain us.

During June we'll be posting more information on urban agriculture and biophilic design.

We also look forward to receiving your feedback in the form of:

recent article links that you've found
new projects that you've completed or heard about
images, references to research, new legislation
innovative industry practices
educated opinions and comment

GRA welcomes two new sponsors:

The Hills Bark Blower: The experts at providing best practice delivery & installation of growing media for green roofs & living walls at any height. [Read More].
Design Composite Technologies (DCTech): Providing 'total system solution' technology for green star compliant thermal efficiency, optimum acoustic & fire performance. [Read More.]

GRA on the International Stage:

GRA has been building international networks globally for the past 10 years. In 2018 Dr Jana Soderlund, GRA executive for Western Australia will be presenting at the IFLA Conference in Singapore & Matthew Dillon will be presenting at the WGIC2018 Bengalore.

New Zealand:

Zoe Cooper, the NZ Executive spoke at the NZILA Conference just over a week ago on green infrastructure and specifically on the new Hundertwasser Living Roof Project. Zoe also spoke at TEDx Tutukākā on green infrastructure and how the incorporation of this technology can change not just the fabric of our cities but our lives with the connection to nature. This has been edited and sent to TED in NY - they decide whether to publish on TED website.

Follow the blog:-
https://www.4sight.consulting/blog/2018/4/12/tedx-tutukaka-tapuwae-footprints-in-our-sand

First Living Roof Guide for NZ - has been approved by Whangarei District Council - in final revision mode and will go to print / available to public June 2018 a transcript will be posted on to our website.

Warm regards from all of us at GRA.

Matthew Dillon (GRA President)