IGRA Green Roof News

Green Roof News 2/2012

International Green Roof Association Global Networking for Green Roofs

Dear Reader,

Contents

Green Roofs coming home – This slogan borrowed from the world of football can be aptly used to des‑ cribe the 3rd International Green Roof Congress to be held in Hamburg/Germany in May 2013. The port metropolis already belonged to the Premier League of German Green Roof Communities back in the 80s.

New challenges to be faced in the areas of climate protection and adaption, as well as in urban living quality, have put Green Roofs back on the agenda.

The International Building Exhibition (IBA) and the International Garden Show (IGS) are also both being held in Hamburg in 2013. It is the perfect choice of location to present the current status of Green Roofs and to discuss its connection with modern architectural concepts and urban planning solutions. You can find information about the exciting programme as well as further reports from the Green Roof scene in Canada, India, the Netherlands and the UK on the following pages.

"Bringing Nature Back to Town": The 3rd International Green Roof Congress 2013 VanDusen Visitor Center, Botanical Gardens Vancouver – A blooming roof idea Zuidpark Amsterdam – Europe´s largest rooftop farm Kidbrooke Village UK – High quality new homes and leisure spaces Chennai and Hyderabad – Green Roofs for a greener India Events: USA, Netherlands, Denmark, Portugal

Have fun reading!

Wolfgang Ansel Director IGRA

"Bringing Nature Back to Town":

3rd International Green Roof Congress 2013 The 3rd International Green Roof Congress is coming up! Please save the date for this exciting congress which will be organised by the International Green Roof Association (IGRA) from 13–15 May 2013 at the Empire Riverside Hotel in Hamburg, Germany. The event is embedded in the International Garden Show (IGS) and the International Building Exhibition (IBA) which are taking place in Hamburg in the same year.

From being a niche product to becoming a sustainable and lifestyle trend: Green Roofs have long since estab‑ lished themselves in national and international archi‑ tecture and have opened up a new growth market.

Under the patronage of the Federal Ministry of Trans‑ port, Building and Urban Development, the Interna‑ tional Green Roof Association (IGRA) and the German Roof Gardener Association (DDV) are hosting the 3rd International Green Roof Congress from 13–15 May 2013 in Hamburg. The focus of the discussions and talks will be on sustainable urban development and the spectacular Green Roof projects by renowned architecture firms, as well as on current technical www.igra-world.com

developments and international Green Roof guide‑ lines and standards. The lecture programme will be complemented by practical workshops and Green Roof excursions in and around Hamburg.

Register your place at the congress before 01 March 2013 and take advantage of a free Green Roof excursion at www.greenroofworld.com.

Green Roof News, 2/2012

2

The 2013 Congress:

Three Days of Lectures, Workshops, Presentations and Excursions Monday, 13 May 2013: Excursions

Workshop 1: Green Roofs – Practical Experience

Excursions in and around Hamburg will demonstrate the versatility of Green Roof use for residential houses, public buildings and within the context of modern urban planning.

• Planning, Installation, Maintenance • Technical and Ecological Performance • International Guidelines and Research

Excursion 1: Past – Present – Future: Green Roof Techniques in Changing Times Excursion 2: Urban Roofscapes – Recreation, Sports and Fun

Workshop 2: Green Roof Policies – Urban Planning and Stormwater Management (in cooperation with HafenCity University and Ministry of Urban Develop‑ ment and Environment Hamburg)

Tuesday, 14 May 2013: Lectures and Workshops

• International Green Roof City Network • Climate Protection and Climate Adaption • Stormwater Management

Lectures – Morning Session

Wednesday, 15 May 2013: Lectures

The lectures will focus on new technical developments and Green Roof applications in architecture, land‑ scape architecture and climate protection.

Experts present latest developments in Green Building Certification and look at the ecological use of Green Roofs in a subsequent panel discussion. Renowned architecture firms will present their innovative projects for roof and facade use.

Green is the New Black Kai-Uwe Bergmann; Director of International Business Development BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group); Copenhagen, New York Urban Waterscapes – Rainwater in Urban Planning Prof. Herbert Dreiseitl; Town Designer and Landscape Architect; Atelier Dreiseitl; Überlingen, Singapore, Beijing, Portland Breathing Architecture Wong Mun Summ; Architect; Founding Director of WOHA; Singapore Green Roofs – Quo Vadis Roland Appl; Green Roof Engineer; President of IGRA; Nürtingen Facade Greening – Construction and Vegetation Prof. Dr. Manfred Köhler; Landscape Architect; University of Applied Science; Neubrandenburg Workshops – Afternoon Sessions Practical workshops team experts and their know-how with questions from participants.

www.igra-world.com

• Newton Suites (Singapore) – Residential Highrise with Sky Gardens • Zuidpark (Amsterdam) – Europe´s Largest Rooftop Farm • Unilever Headquarter (Hamburg) – World Architecture Festival Award 2009 • Podlasie Opera (Bialystok – Poland) – Green from Head to Toe • VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Center (Vancouver) – Living Architecture • Fichtebunker (Berlin) – Roof Gardens in the Heart of Berlin • Forum Marmara (Istanbul) – Shopping in a Green Environment • Tivoli Congress Centre and National Archives (Copenhagen) – A Publicly Accessible Rooftop Park Registration and Accommodation The registration fee for two days, including workshops, working materials and meals, will be EUR 495,- (plus VAT); one-day tickets are available for EUR 295, (plus VAT). Early bird registrations will receive a discount.

Arrangements were made with several hotels in the vicinity of the congress venue. For detailed information please visit the website: www.greenroofworld.com.

Green Roof News, 2/2012

4

3

The Keynote-Speakers:

Experts from Different Disciplines Kai-Uwe Bergmann – BIG: Denmark, USA Kai-Uwe Bergmann heads the business develop‑ ment unit of the Danish architecture firm BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), which currently ranks as one of the most successful international firms.

Their unusual buildings and designs in Asia, Eu‑ rope, the Middle East and the USA show new

Herbert Dreiseitl – ATELIER DREISEITL: Germany, Singapore, China, USA Herbert Dreiseitl is a town designer, landscape architect, water artist and interdisciplinary planner. A trademark of his work is the inspiring and innovative inclusion of water to overcome environmental urban development challenges and to combine modern

Wong Mun Summ – WOHA: Singapore Wong Mun Summ is co-founder of WOHA, one of the best known and award winning architec‑ ture firms in South East Asia and winner of the International Highrise Award 2010. The Ger‑ man Architecture Museum Frankfurt recently

Peter Busby – PERKINS + WILL: USA Peter Busby leads the business of Perkins + Will in San Francisco. The global architecture and design firm with more than 1,500 professionals in 24 locations is characterized by a philosophy of social responsibility and a commitment to sustainable design. As founder

Martin Haas – haascookzemmrich/ STUDIO 2050: Germany As a partner in Behnisch Architekten, Martin Haas was responsible for, amongst other things, the Unilever Headquarters and the Marco-Polo-Tower in Hamburg, the maritime museum OZEANEUM in Stralsund and the “Norddeutsche Landesbank”

www.igra-world.com

ways to make life in the city attractive and varied. They are also role models as far as sustainability and energy efficiency are concerned. Bjarke Ingels’ “hedonistic sus‑ tainability” architectural concept includes such wonders as a waste incinerating plant in the shape of a ski slope, the residential developments 8House and Mountain Dwellings and the spectacular Courtscrapter W57 pro‑ ject in New York.

technology and aesthetics. The Atelier Dreiseitl has produced ground-breaking contemporary works in urban hydrology, stormwater management and landscape architecture, and is represented worldwide with offices in Ueberlingen, Singapore, Beijing and Portland.

showcased a retrospective photo exhibition about WOHA where themes such as added value through common areas and the interpenetration of buildings and landscape were presented. Some of the buildings recalled bold futuristic visions where plants were con‑ quering back the environment.

and past chairman of the Canada Green Building Council Peter Busby initiated the de‑ velopment of LEED in Canada. He has de‑ voted much of his time to his profession, to the community, the development of public policy and the advancement of sustainable education and practices.

in Hanover. Martin Haas is also a founding and board member of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), whose central work is the organisation and development of a certification system for sustainable buildings. He holds a guest professorship at the Uni‑ versity of Pennsylvania. In April 2012 Martin Haas founded his own firm haascookzemmrich/STUDIO2050 with projects in Germany and abroad.

Green Roof News, 2/2012

4

Prof. Dr. Manfred Köhler – UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES NEU-BRANDENBURG: Germany Prof. Dr. Manfred Köhler has been researching and teaching about the greening of buildings for many years and has published over 100 articles on the topic. His

Roland Appl – INTERNATIONAL GREEN ROOF ASSOCIATION: Germany Roland Appl, Building Physics Engineer, has been the technical director of a leading Green Roof system manufacturer for more than 25 years.

He is an author and member of the national working group for Green Roof Guidelines at the Ilya Mochalov – INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS: Russia Ilya Mochalov is the current Secretary General of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA).

With his Moscow-based company “Ilya Mochalov and Partners” he was involved in a number of key projects in Russia that demonstrate the possibilities for

research focuses on long term studies of the environmental effects of roof, facade and interior greening. As editor of the recently published German handbook “The Gree‑ ning of Buildings”, he has researched the most current state of facade-greenery (traditional systems and living walls).

Landscape Development and Landscaping Research Society (FLL) and of the DIN committee “Geoplastics and Geotextiles”. He has been president of the In‑ ternational Green Roof Association (IGRA) since 2008 and a speaker at many national and international con‑ gresses on the subjects of green roofing and roof use.

integrating landscape, urban design and planning in achieving implemented solutions.

Ilya Mochalov is Chairman of the Moscow Society of landscape architects and parttime lecturer at the Moscow State Forestry University.

The Congress Partners:

A Multidisciplinary Network Partners: IGS International Garden Show Hamburg

BDA Federation of German Architects

IBA International Building Exhibition Hamburg

ZVDH German Central Association of the Roofing Trade

HCU HafenCity University Hamburg BSU Ministry of Urban Development and Environment Hamburg FLL Landscape Development and Landscaping Research Society BGL Federal Association for Garden, Landscape and Sports Fields bdla Federation of German Landscape Architects

www.igra-world.com

B.A.U.M. German Environmental Management Association GALK Municipal Gardens and Parks Heads Conference DGNB German Sustainable Building Council ELCA European Landscape Contractors Association IFLA International Federation of Landscape Architects

Green Roof News, 2/2012

4

5

The Venue:

Hamburg – Green City on the Waterfront © Fotolia/thorabeti

HafenCity Hamburg – Europe’s largest urban development project Plenty of nature and visionary projects make Hamburg an experimental field for modern urban planning and thereby the perfect place to hold the 3rd International Green Roof Congress. Hamburg was named “Green Capital 2011”, the most environmentally friendly city in Europe.

IGS – International Garden Show Hamburg The International Garden Show will be held in Wilhelmsburg, Hamburg’s most verdant and water‑ rich district, from 26th April to 13th October 2013. The showground covers 100 hectares and offers visitors a colourful mix of parkland and water worlds. True to the motto “Around the World in 80 Gardens” the visi‑ tors are whisked through 80 different, imaginatively designed gardens and experiences.

IBA – International Building Exhibition Hamburg During the presentation year 2013 the IBA Hamburg will show the new development “Wilhemsburg Mitte” with its ground-breaking sustainable buildings, like the “Water”-, “Hybrid”- and “Smart Material”-houses.

Further highlights are the newly designed “Global Neighbourhood” and a climate protection concept which sets new standards with the “IBA Dock”, the “Energy Bunker” and the “Energy Hill Georgswerder”.

Congress Venue: Empire Riverside Hotel The 90 meter high Empire Riverside Hotel, situated close to the port of Hamburg in the heart of St. Pauli, towers over the river Elbe and embosses the skyline of Hamburg’s port with its Hanseatic elegance. The lifestyle hotel, designed by the renowned British archi‑ tect David Chipperfield, with its generous events and convention area and modern multimedia technology, offers optimal conditions for a successful congress.

www.igra-world.com

Green Roof News, 2/2012

4

6

VanDusen Visitor Center, Botanical Gardens, Vancouver:

A blooming roof idea Vancouver, located on the Pacific coast, is the largest and most economically powerful city in the province of British Columbia. The city has been home to the 22 hectare VanDusen Bota‑ nical Garden since the 1970s. In 2011 it got its new 1,800 m² visitor center with an outstanding orchid-shaped Green Roof. The variable roof pitch from 2 to 55° required various greening solutions.

The People behind the idea

had special requirements with respect to, for example, draining, irrigation and shear forces. The technical de‑ partement of the Green Roof system manufacturer met the various requirements by providing three different Green Roof systems, which were installed by the local landscape construction company Houston Landscapes. the wooden roof, followed by a double layer of root resistant bitumen waterproofing. Specialists were called in for the planning and construction of the Green Roof because each of the different slopes on the roof had Successful planting using indigenous grasses represent the typical meadow character (© ZinCo)

The internationally renowned Canadian architect, Peter Busby, and Canada’s leading landscape architect, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, developed this unusual blooming idea with their teams. Both of them are strong believers in “Building with Nature”, which is represented throughout their life works. Cornelia Hahn Oberlander was already a decisive pioneer in Green Roofs in the 1970s. This senior is known for integrating her land‑ scape designs with the overall architectural concept and the natural surroundings. Her technical expertise goes hand in hand with her concern for creating cultural, so‑ cial and environmental references in her work. She has succeeded yet again with the VanDusen visitor center.

The architects and landscape architects managed to create an ensign which celebrates nature in the city.

Incorporation in the whole The VanDusen Botanical Gardens want to teach people about the importance of biological diversity and the need to maintain it. A cascading garden at the new vi‑ sitor center shows different environmental zones found in the Pacific region: wetlands, forests, and meadows.

Every bench, every stone and every plant is of local ori‑ gin. Spaces and paths allow people to enjoy this nature and lead them gently towards the visitor center. The glass fronts let you look straight inside and the unique roof makes the building look as if it is growing out of its surroundings. The visitor center is a role model for sustainability and environmental protection in the 21st century and provides a living meeting place for inspira‑ tion, information and enthusiasm for the plant world.

The roof in the star role The roof, inspired by the organic form of an orchid, is made up of several rolling areas which represent the petals. Some of these flow seamlessly into the ground level surroundings. The slopes and curves of the roof area vary from 2 to 55° and presented a major, but surmountable, challenge for the wooden roof construction. A leakage alarm system was installed on the wooden roof, followed by a double layer of root resistant bitumen waterproofing. Specialists were called in for the planning and construction of the Green Roof because each of the different slopes on the roof

www.igra-world.com

had special requirements with respect to, for example, draining, irrigation and shear forces. The technical departement of the Green Roof system supplier met the various challenges by providing three different Green Roof systems, which were installed by the local land‑ scape construction company Houston Landscapes.

Distinctive features of the steep pitched roof area A special shear resistance protection to keep the vege‑ tation from slipping was a decisive factor in ensuring the reliability of the Green Roof construction. For the roof areas of up to 25° a multifunctional drainage element of expanded polystyrene ensured sufficient interlocking with the substrate on the pitched roof and shear forces are diverted into stable eaves. In the steep pitched roof Additional shear barriers were added area (25°–55°), grid elements on the pitched roof to keep the from slipping in the future which interlock to create a wide vegetation (© ZinCo) and stable surface, are filled with substrate to secure the area.

Additonal shear barriers carry the weight in this area. While dimensioning the stable eaves and shear barriers not only was it necessary to take the wet weight of the Green Roof into consideration, but also the snow load. Normally extra irrigation in The multifunctional drainage element adequate stability and dry periods is a focal concern for provides substrate interlocking on the pitched roof area with slopes of up to 25° sloped roof areas. A permanent (© ZinCo) irrigation system for the visitor center in Vancouver isn’t neces‑ sary though, thanks to the plant choice and the particular micro climate created by its proximity to the ocean. Vancouver has an average of 166 days of rain each year and is thus considered a very rainy city with an average total rainfall of 1181 mm/year.

Grid elements were used on the steep pitched roof as their stable structure provided the necessary security and stability (© ZinCo)

Green Roof News, 2/2012

7

Plants for water purification

Awards

The Green Roof imitates the characteristic north east pacific meadowlands with over 20 different plant types.

For example, Sedge (Carex acuti-formis) and Bullrush (Juncus) were used in the flatter areas and Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus) and Wild Hyacinth (Camassia) were used for the pitched areas. All of these plants have pro‑ ven to be very efficient in breaking down ammonium, nitrate and phosphate and therefore contribute deci‑ sively to purifying the rainwater of organic substances.

The sedum plants, which are very drought resistant, were planted on the steep pitched roof. The biological di‑ versity of the roof of‑ fers a great habitat for many bird and insect species.

The visitor center has already been awarded LEED pla‑ tinum status for its environmentally friendly and sustai‑ nable construction. The conception and construction of the visitor center also met the high demands of the Living Building Challenge LBC standards. This is the most fastidious rating system for “Green Buildings” in the world, with guidelines such as: the building must be powered by local, renewable energy sources; wa‑ ter supply must be covered 100 % by rainwater har‑ vesting and water treatment must be conducted with‑ out using chemicals. Water purification is carried out biologically thanks to the vegetation. This bio reactor is the first of its kind in Vancouver. Further LBC standards include aspects of healthy living requirements, such as materials used or light and natural designs. By meet­ing these standards the VanDusen visitor center has proven sustainability and environmental protection – an achievable role model for the 21st century.

Green all around – that’s how nature and architecture fuse together (© ZinCo)

Tip: Here is a link to a time-lapse film about building the Green Roof: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbwQpDy56oI

Architect Peter Busby (Perkins+Will) will present the VanDusen Visitor Center and the basic features of sustainable design at the 3rd International Green Roof Congress 2013 in Hamburg.

Zuidpark Amsterdam:

Europe´s largest rooftop farm Based on a future oriented renovation concept the former headquarters of Vroom & Dreesmann in Amsterdam have been converted into an inspiring and sustainable workplace. The icing on the cake is the roof, where a 3,000 m² rooftop farm was built, the largest in Europe!

Sustainability? This principle is suitable for both new developments and refurbishment. Research has shown that during a 30 year life span of a building 65 % of the CO2 footprint is determined by the construction and demolition process and only 35 % by the use of the building. The longer the useful life of a building, the less it contributes to the CO2 emissions in a coun‑ try. Viable alternatives to demolition which consider en‑ ergetic improvements as well as new working concepts are therefore desirable. That is precisely the reason why Jan Huijbregts, real estate entrepreneur and concept developer, decided that the Zuidpark in Amsterdam, a 60`s standard concrete building close to the motorway A10, should undergo a substantial alteration after the contract with its former major tenant Vroom & Drees‑ mann was terminated.

Ex-“Grey-Mouse” Huijbregts thorough overhaul of the office building is now complete. He has transformed the inconspicuous

www.igra-world.com

"grey mouse" into what he calls "a place meant to meet, inspire and work". Companies like Huijbregts think that sustainability is of paramount importance for the performance of a building. The sustainable re‑ furbishment Zuidpark will therefore also soon host the first fully electric powered taxi company in the Nether‑ lands. The charging stations can be used for the taxis at night and rented by Zuid‑ park residents during day‑ time. The sustainable cha‑ racter of the building is also illustrated through the use of the roof. A vegetable garden was constructed The "grey mouse" is transformed into "a place that can be described as to meet, inspire and work” true to the project the hitherto largest urban motto “Stay Connected” (© Van der Tol) agriculture project on a roof in Europe!

Not purely recreational Urban farming, i.e. urban agriculture, is the cultiva‑ tion, processing and distribution of food in an urban environment. Unlike other manifestations of urban agriculture the approach in the case of the Zuidpark rooftop farm is mainly recreational, without an econo‑ mic profit background – the crops are produced and

Green Roof News, 2/2012

8

used for the needs of the Zuidpark residents and served in a common restaurant. Apart from the recreational as‑ pect, the project has some specific additional objectives which should not be neglected. First, the project will serve as a role model and encourage other building owners to create their own ur‑ ban faming projects and ex‑ change experiences. Another goal is to connect people: in‑ terested Zuidpark residents can register for a gardener group. Sowing, weeding and harvesting the roof garden together is not only fun, but also creates a bond between people. For those who are not addicted to garden work, the rooftop offers picnic tables for breaktimes. Furthermore, various rooftop events take place in the course of the year.

So the rooftop farm is not only a gardening place, but also a © PROGEO platform to exchange ideas, create social networks and develop friendships. A third aim of the project is connected to a special initiative by the Department of Work and Income of the municipali‑ ty of Amsterdam. A group of unemployed young people was involved in the construction of the roof garden.

And last but not least, rooftop gardens are making the city more liveable and sustainable.

Time Pressure The completion of the rooftop farm in Zuidpark stood under great time pressure because the owner Huijbregts wanted the building to be ready for the Provada 2012, a famous real estate trade fair in Amsterdam in June

2012. His plan was to offer excursions to the Zuidpark by electric taxis for interested trade fair visitors, so that they could see the innovative renovation concept and Europe's largest rooftop farm with their own eyes. As a result the demanding and comprehensive urban agri‑ cultural project had to be completed in an astonishingly short time of only a few weeks.

Technical Components The fully bonded waterproofing membrane and the Green Roof System for the 3,000 m² rooftop farm were provided by Mastum Roofing and Van der Tol Gardeners. Both companies are members of the Dutch association “Leven op Daken” (IGRA Green Roof Leadership Award 2011). In addition, the investor decided to install a leak detection system by the com‑ pany PROGEO Monitoring GmbH. The establishment of the vegetable garden was coordinated by Beet & Boon, an Amsterdam based company specializing in urban agriculture. This unique collaboration created the platform for an intensive information exchange where knowledge in the field of roof gardens and urban agriculture has come together. For the plan‑ ting areas a roof garden substrate was used that was especially developed for urban agriculture. The mini‑ mum substrate height of 30–40 cm enables the roof gardeners to grow various herbs and vegetables.

Higher substrate layers which offer more opportunities for plant production are also possible. But it is impor‑ tant to note that the weight of the substrate layer must always meet the load bearing capacity of the roof.

And special attention has to be paid to fall protection systems, like guard rails or protective plant containers at the edge of the roof in order to guarantee that the visitors of the roof garden enjoy a safe and comfort‑ able stay.

Kidbrooke Village UK:

High quality new homes and leisure spaces Kidbrooke village in London SE3 is one of the largest urban regeneration programmes in the UK. The modern suburb is a well balanced combination of over 4,000 private and afford‑ able homes, acres of parkland and a good infrastructure with schools, shops, community faci‑ lities and an improved trans‑ port system. The regeneration project by Berkeley, meets Code 3 for Sustainable Homes. The principle of sustainability is also reflected on the roofs, as many of them are equipped with a Green Roof system to encourage biodiversity. The specified systems for the roof met a strict list of criteria from Berkeley who

www.igra-world.com

required a BBA (British Board of Agrément) accredited structural waterproofing solution that could be laid to zero falls and would last the lifetime of the scheme.

Hydrotech proved ideal for this project as its monolithic nature enabled its use in the phased construction and allowed quick installation. In addition, it is available with a choice of warranties. The first apartments in Phase 1, City point, are now complete, incorporating landscaped podium areas, private balconies, terraces and main roof areas. The roofing specification inclu‑ ded Hydrotech inverted waterproofing systems with Hydrogard 20 for the hard landscaped areas and Hydrogard 40 Anti-Root for the soft landscaped areas.

The Green Roof areas comprised ZinCo intensive and semi-intensive Green Roofs containing growing sub‑ strate and appropriate planting.

Green Roof News, 2/2012

9

In total, Tilbury Contracts will install over 12,000 m2 of Alumasc waterproofing across a total of seven blocks.

Tilbury, who were already prequalified to work with Berkeley, put together a highly experienced and trained team of installers who brought Phase 1 of the project to a successful conclusion. Green Roofs from Alumasc are available in four broad application categories to

suit all needs from extensive sedum roofs to fully land‑ scaped parkland, backed up by appropriate waterproo‑ fing systems to provide a complete roofing solution from a single source.

For more information, visit www.alumascwaterproofing.co.uk

Chennai and Hyderabad:

Green Roofs for a greener India According to a recent UN report, the world’s urban areas will double their size within the next 20 years. In view of this evolution headed by emerging countries such as China and India, it emphasises the importance of developing greener and healthier cities and integrating nature into town planning, e.g. by dint of Green Roofs.

India is well aware of this demographic and urban development and is ready to face the challenges and opportunities arising from it. Actually, India’s “green awakening” has already occured more than 10 years ago and the concept of building in a greener and more sustainable way has already taken root.

In 2001, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), a non-government, non-profit, industry organisation playing a proactive role in India’s industrial develop‑ ment process, decided to found the Indian Green Buil‑ ding Council (IGBC), whose vision is: “to enable a sus‑ tainable built environment for all and facilitate India to be one of the global leaders in sustainable built envi‑ ronment by 2025”. The IGBC’s definition of a green building is "one which uses less water, optimises energy efficiency, conserves natural resources, generates less waste and provides healthier spaces for occupants, as compared to a conventional building."

CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre (© CII /IGBC)

They hold a good example to show that they act accor‑ ding to their beliefs. The CII – Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre (CII – Godrej GBC) is one of the 10 Centres of Excellences of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and offers advisory services to the industry

www.igra-world.com

in areas such as green buildings, energy efficiency, water and environmental management, renewable energy, etc. The Centre sensitises India’s major stake‑ holders to adopt green practices and facilitates market transformation. It is located in Hyderabad. In November this year, the IGRA had the great pleasure to visit the Centre, which is located in a Green Building that was awarded the LEED Platinum Rating in 2003 and that features a roof garden covering 60 % of the roof area.

This was the first Platinum rated Green Building outside of USA and the third in the world.

Reading this, one certainly believes that Green Roofs have to play an important part in “Green Buildings”, because of their numerous benefits. Reality looks a bit different. Though there is increasing awareness of the positive effects of Green Roofs in India, they are not a matter of course yet and there still are a lot of uncer‑ tainties to overcome.

Roof India 2012 Since one of our core aims is the support of the Green Roof market on an international level by sharing knowledge and expe‑ riences in the field of Green Roof technology, the IGRA was very pleased when 3 years ago, we were asked to endorse the Roof India exhibition, Asia’s pioneering roofing event. Since then, we have IGRA Booth at the Roof India 2012 in Chennai (© Roof India) been supporting this event and this year, the IGRA decided not only to endorse it, but also to physically participate in the Roof India exhibition that took place in May in Chennai.

Along with a local IGRA member, we presented the current state of technology in the field of Green Roofs and held a lecture on the benefits of Green Roofs, best practices and reviewed international policies and future trends. It was a real pleasure to be there and to share information on ecological and sustainable Green Roof concepts in India and around the world. We were both surprised and very pleased by the great interest and acceptance shown to the IGRA. Though most visitors

Green Roof News, 2/2012

10

had heard of Green Roofs, they were not fully aware of all their ecological and economical benefits. A number of them were even quite anxious about Green Roofs.

The reason seemed to be general issues with roof con‑ structions, uncertainties on load bearing capacities and leakage problems of the waterproofing.

Green Building Congress 2012 Within the framework of suppor‑ ting best practice in Green Roofs in India, the IGRA was honored to be invited as a speaker at the IGBC’s Green Building Congress 2012 that took place in Hydera‑ bad late October. The Green Building Congress is India’s Conference inaugural (© CII / IGBC) flagship event on Green Buil‑ dings, organised to further advance the Green Buil‑ ding movement within the country.

It was an excellent event with a high level of conver‑ sation both among the speakers & the visitors and a true concern shown by the major drivers & stakeholders.

The main message we got out of the conference is: what is done today must be done in a sustainable way.

Codes and standards for sustainability may not be man‑ datory, but everyone should work towards it. A big issue mentioned was the additional cost of a Green Building.

Many architects explained that if well conceived right from the beginning, such a green concept is not more expensive than a standard building would be.

Though all those topics and visions were really interes‑ ting, we missed the true green element that is nature.

To build greener and healthier cities, it is essential to compensate for the nature lost to building development by rebuilding it wherever possible, e.g. on the rooftops, bringing nature back to town. LEED India, just like many Green Building rating tools, does not prescribe the use of specific material or technologies, but sets a perfor‑ mance benchmark that is to be achieved with optimal resource inputs. Unfortunately, such rating tools leave little room to appreciate and take into account the manifold benefits of Green Roofs, that can`t always be quantified. Still, it is possible to combine Green Buildings with Green Roofs and take advantage of it, since Green Roofs can make an important contribution towards main issues that affect India and that are dealt with by LEED India, such as global warming, heat island effect, energy savings, stormwater management, rainwater harvesting, etc. This is what we showed du‑ ring our lecture on “Green Roof Technology, Standards and Green Building Ratings”. This IGRA lecture aroused very much interest and we are confident that mindsets and practices will change for the best soon. “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” (Chinese proverb).

Events:

USA, Netherlands, Denmark, Portugal Portland (USA): Gunderson Ecoroof in Local Band's Music Video Green Roofs are exciting just by themselves, but when you put an energetic rock band on a Green Roof, you can expect great things.

That's exactly what happened when the Portland Oregon-based band Rags and Ribbons teamed up with Perceptions NW, Gunderson LLC's Dave Harvey, and Amy Chomo‑ wicz (Ecoroof Program Administrator, City of Portland) to create a music video featuring a Green Roof. The video's compelling story incorporates Gunderson's Green Roof to send a message about the positive impact Green Roofs have on the environment. Accor‑ ding to the Portland Mercury, "this video should do for ecoroofs what 'Thriller' did for dancing zombies."

Given that description, it's gotta be special.

Cuijk (Netherlands) – Green Building Award Some 190 people attended the first Dutch Green Building Awards Ceremony in Cuijk, which were presented by the Green Roof and façade journal “Dak&Gevel Groen“. Over 300 innovative and exemplary roof and facade greening projects were submitted. According to the organizers, more than 10,000 people cast their vote via the internet and social media networks which were set up for this purpose.

Before the 15 winners were invited up on to the stage though, participants were able to find out about exciting new projects, new techniques and current research from 15 speakers.

IGRA Director, Wolfgang Ansel, gave IGRA Director Wolfgang Ansel presented Green a presentation on the urban planning Roof initiatives in Europe, with Green Roofs as a guest speaker. North America and Asia

Check out the video here: http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=50716

www.igra-world.com

Green Roof News, 2/2012

11

Copenhagen (Denmark): World Green Roof Congress 2012

Lisbon (Portugal): International Green Roof Workshop '12

The World Green Roof Congress 2012 was held in Co‑ penhagen from 19–22 September under the motto “Ur‑ ban Grey to Urban Green”. Dorthe RØmØ (City of Co‑ penhagen – Denmark) and Dusty Gedge (livingroofs. org – UK), two untiring and dedicated Green Roof en‑ thusiasts in their respective countries, were mentors and initiators of the event. Dorthe RØmØ managed to integrate Green Roofs in the climate plan of the Danish capital in what was really a relatively short time. The fruits of her efforts, which were given the IGRA Green Roof Leadership Award at the 2nd International Green Roof Congress 2009 in Nürtingen, could be viewed and evaluated by some 250 congress participants from 30 countries during the congress and the accompa‑ nying Green Roof excursions. The Green Roof brochure “Green Roof Copenhagen” was published to coincide with the congress. Apart from explaining the advantages of Green Roofs and describing the municipal Green Roof policy, the brochure included descriptions of many examples from around the country’s capital city.

The 45 congress presentations also gave updates on current research and urban applications as well as on Green Roofing techniques.

On the 24th of October the big‑ gest event ever held about Green Roofs in Portugal took place at the University of Lisbon – Faculty of Science. This workshop, which was organized by the Portuguese Green Roof company LANDLAB On the stage – IGRA member in cooperation with the University Paulo Palha (Neoturf) of Lisbon, brought together local Green Roof stakeholders with Green Roof experts from various countries who shared the knowledge and work that they have developed in this area. The list of speakers from abroad included Edmund Maurer (City of Linz, Austria), Tobias Emilsson (Marie Curie Green Roof Systems Project, Sweden), Simon Perneel (Green Building Projects, Belgium) and Roland Appl, (President of IGRA, Germany). The event was attended by more than one hundred people from a number of different professions e.g. architecture, landscaping, municipalities, parks, students, environmental engineering and biologists. The feedback from the participants was very positive and the organizers are sure that this event will contribute to the sustainable development of the Green Roof market in Portugal.

Municipal representatives from Chicago, Paris, Nor‑ way and Copenhagen closed the lecture programme by discussing the significant role that Green Roofs could play in future urban planning.

A short video of the workshop is available at: http://landlab.pt/noticias_d.php?id=31

Policy Makers: Dorthe RØmØ and Tina Saaby (City of Copenhagen), Fabienne Giboudeaux (Paris), Unn Ellefsen (Ministry of Environment, Norway), Michael Berkshire (City of Chicago) and Dusty Gedge (livingsroofs.org)

Publisher International Green Roof Association (IGRA) Office Nuertingen PO Box 20 25 72610 Nuertingen – Germany e-mail: info@igra-world.com phone: +49 (0)7022 7191980 web: www.igra-world.com Editor Wolfgang Ansel/Sabine Früh ansel@igra-world.com The International Green Roof Association (IGRA) is a global network for the promotion and dissemination of Green Roof topics and Green Roof technology.

The contents of these pages are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the written approval of IGRA.

www.igra-world.com

Green Roof News, 2/2012