Densely packed high-rises are the most space efficient way to house people, but they have also been accused of creating anonymous, atomised cities. But there are more and more architects discovering that cities can grow taller without sacrificing their liveability.
green roofs
The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) is calling for the development of a National Green Infrastructure Strategy to be led by the Federal Government.
The multimillion revamp of Green Square library and the 19-storey ”stacked forest” designed by famed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma are setting a new bar for Waterloo’s reinvention.
While a lot of focus on rooftop climate change measures is on solar panels, there’s another method that’s even greener – at least in the literal sense. Roofs covered in plants aren’t just aesthetically attractive – they also help to insulate buildings, slashing energy costs (both heating and air conditioning) by around 25 percent.
Scientific testing of Knauf Green Roof products is taking place in two locations in Sydney. Knauf is a major supplier of insulation products around the world. Their new Green Roll substrate is now available Australia. The product is made from rock mineral fibres providing excellent water retention for different landscape applications. Offering significant improvements at a lower cost and weight than typical green roof systems.
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.
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
To restore the balance in urban ecosystems, urban planners and designers have started to look for different ways to generate green spaces in an increasingly grey world. Green spaces benefit cities and their inhabitants by minimizing temperature variation, absorbing rainwater, reducing stormwater runoff and promoting biodiversity, all of which can improve the well-being of the cities inhabitants.