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A Look Back at the
2008 Top 10 Hot Trends in Greenroof Design
Survey
By Haven Kiers, MLA,
The Design Editor
January 17, 2009
Hello
Greenroof Designers!
It’s time to start the New Year in green roofs with a look back at the
one we just had. Remember in the early days of 2008 when Linda and
I asked you to tell us about the latest trends in green roofs in our
Survey? Well, we took the year to let them develop and grow and
have now compiled them into a nifty summary of the past year’s biggest
green roof trends.
First off, here's a a review on "How do
we decide the final
Top 10
List of Hot Trends in
Greenroof Design?" Essentially, we decide from our own design and editorial
experience, exposure to the media, and from you, our readers! How
do
we determine the number of projects in each category? That one's
easy - time constraints for presenting an albeit fast-paced PowerPoint
in about 20 minutes. In 2007 we were a bit over zealous and had 10
examples in each category (not to mention the intro), so for 2008 we
limited ourselves to "just" six or seven to illustrate each trend.
As a recap, here are the final results from
2008:
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Greenroofs.com 2008
Hot
Trends
in Greenroof
Design
Top
10 List:
10) Client
Specific ‘Boutique’ Greenroofs
9)
PreFab Modular Homes are Fabulous
8)
Greenroofs as Art & Architecture
7) Parks
& Interpretive Greenroof Spaces
6) Solar
& Vegetative Roofs as High Performance
Buildings
5)
Greenroofs for Biodiversity
4)
Institutional & Office Parks - Setting the
Example
3)
Eco-Communities & Eco-Cities
2) Sky
High Cool Green Schools
1) The
Influence of LEED on Design Professionals =
Pushing the Green Envelope
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Without further
ado, here is a Summary of the
2008 Top 10 Hot Trends in Greenroof Design
Survey
(projects which were included in either our
2007 or 2008 Top 10 Hot Trends Lists are
noted with the corresponding year):
1. What do you see as the current market
drivers?
There were quite a number of market drivers
propelling growth in the green roof industry
in 2008, including everything from “major
weather events” and “desperation” to
“trendiness” and “aesthetics.”
Differences were most noted across
countries, as Mathew Frith of Peabody Trust
said, "In Britain it is now probably climate
change, but also still with strong emphasis
on biodiversity conservation (which has been
the stimulus to renewed interest over the
past 10 years)." And while Dusty Gedge
of Livingroofs.org agreed, adding, "In the
UK biodiversity is still the big driver
along with stormwater," Manfred Köhler of
Hochschule Neubrandenburg believed client
needs included the extremes of
"sophisticated high end design - on the one
other hand: the tree hugger, and the other,
the urban gardener."
Overall, the two drivers that came up most
frequently, however, were environmental sustainability (with an emphasis
on stormwater management) and marketing.
Chris Scott of
GreenTech stated, "Environmentally conscious end users drive the
demand for greenroofs," and Joe DiNorscia of
Skyland USA, LLC feels "The tipping point has been reached in North
America in terms of thinking about long term care of the environment and
green roofs fit that mind-set."
It seems that the recent success of green
roofs relies on these two interconnected notions – one, that green roofs
are inherently good for the environment, and that two, because of this,
their installation can increase the “green” credibility (and therefore
marketability) of an organization. It’s also interesting to note
that “cost savings” were only mentioned by one survey respondent.
Apparently, the long term savings of a green roof still aren’t all that
appealing or at least perceptible to most people.
Since there will always be a wide range of
drivers and desires for green design, with as many innovative ways to
incorporate them, this question demanded this category on the list: #
10) Client Specific ‘Boutique’ Greenroofs,
which in fact will probably always hold this position as a catch-all for
the truly unique projects of the world.
2. How important do you see the proliferation of
LEED™ buildings as a market driver?
There is no question that LEED is an extremely important market
driver for the green roof industry. In fact, LEED responses were
so popular that we placed it at the number 1 spot on the 2008 List with:
1) The
Influence of LEED on Design Professionals =
Pushing the Green Envelope
According to most respondents, LEED is “a
huge driver,” “very, very important,” and “almost every LEED project has
a green roof.” One of the reasons for this is that many LEED
buildings earn points for incorporating practices or materials that
aren’t observably “green.”
However, green roofs provide a visual cue to
people and let them know that they are looking at a “green building.”
As Dr. Bill Retzlaff, of
G.R.E.E.N. at SIUE, stated, “A green roof makes a statement, gets
LEED points, and is visible.”
Another benefit to the proliferation of LEED
buildings is that people are beginning to realize that up-front
investment is “more economical than cutting corners.” Although
LEED buildings (and green roofs) may cost more initially, they tend to
pay for themselves and even save money down the line.
Yet let's not forget the human element, as
eloquently expressed by reader Martha Shaw: "LEED buildings increase in
importance when they champion the people living in them, just as
architecture has always done when it takes a populist and humane step."
In any case, "The Influence of LEED"
clearly deserved the number one spot as a category of its own, but there
were numerous examples of LEED certified buildings throughout all of the
Top 10 List.
3. What are the directions sweeping our design profession? Why
are we building greenroofs?
The answers to this question were all over the board and covered
nearly every possible reason for building green roofs, from stormwater,
heat island and cooling benefits to long term cost benefit analysis.
Here is just a sample of some of the responses:
“Wider acceptance of an overall impression that environmental
degradation is real and can (must) be dealt with at the local level (one
project at a time) to make a difference in the future,” Martin A. Haber,
ASLA, Roy Ashley & Associates, Inc.
“Housing today -- and I live currently in suburbia -- has been revealed
like the naked emperor as being ridiculously impractical in so many
ways. We need smarter designs that can cope with the future and
yet allow us to comfortably thrive.”
"Growing in intensity is housing
developments. This has the potential to dwarf any previous aspects of
green roof benefits due to the shear scale and broad application.
Commercial green roofs, the current vast majority of examples, are
usually located in developed areas - no clear cut forests, not
overturned farm land. Farm land and forested lands are the
province of housing developments. Increasingly these resources are
becoming battle grounds, whether over water or habitat or a number of
other concerns," Patrick Carey, hadj design. This type of
comment contributed to: # 3)
Eco-Communities & Eco-Cities.
“Design professionals are becoming more focused internally on
sustainable buildings, which means that the client is getting a more
environmentally preferable building which can include greenroofs.”
“Homeowners are considering greenroofs because city dwellers need green
space to recreate. People also want to decrease their carbon
footprint, especially when there are incentives to do so.”
“In terms of energy, there are some businesses that are facing spiraling
costs and have needs that can not even be met by conventional buildings.
Internet Service Providers, for example, are finding conventional HVAC
systems inadequate to keep their server rooms cool enough for good
operational efficiency.”
"Greenroofs as a BMP for stormwater credit.
More incentives are necessary so builders and developers find it cost
efficient to do greenroofs. Money talks. If it doesn't make
the builder/developer money, he/she won't do it (generally)," Bill
Brigham, ASLA, City of Atlanta.
And the simply flippant, "It's hip to have a green roof."
4. Which built innovative projects have informed clients and spurred
additional market interest, and what types of greenroofs are clients now
demanding?
It’s no surprise that many of the respondents chose either their own
projects or projects that were locally accessible to them as the ones
that have informed clients and spurred additional market interest.
Highlighted projects included the
Minneapolis Public Library (2007),
ASLA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. (2008),
Millennium Park in Chicago (2007), the
Laban Dance Centre in Deptford, London (2007), the
Ford Motor River Rouge Plant (2007) and
Silvercup Studios in New York City.
As for the types of green roofs clients are
now demanding – usable roof space, low maintenance and pre-planted dominated the results.
5. Which greenroof projects received the most press & why – and do
you feel it was justified? In other words, how important is media
exposure?
The green roof media darlings were the
ASLA Headquarters, (2008) above, the
Clinton Memorial Library in Little Rock (2008), and the
Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. (maybe Obama will fall in love with
green roofs now that his daughters attend). Most respondents felt
that any and all green roof press was justified.
Cindy Marso, of Ann Rieff Garden Design, put
it best, “The more we hail these types of plantings and show the myriad
benefits and the beauty to the general public, who will be able to
resist?”
And according to Greg Long, of
Capitol Greenroofs, LLC, the importance of media exposure cannot be
overstated. “I can not emphasize how important publicity is for
the design community when promoting greenroofs. On a couple of my
projects, jurisdictions have even devoted a web site where people can
view the roof through an on site camera. It even seems like on
some projects I have been asked to help with communication plans and
press kits.”
6. What new plant types (grasses, for example) or design palette
styles (Asian-inspired or native communities, for example) have you
seen?
The big trend here is with native and rare plants that provide
biodiversity. As green roofs mature in the marketplace, so do the
types of plants that are used. More frequently, designers are
shying away from the ubiquitous sedums towards regionally adapted plant
palettes. Projects like the
California Academy of Sciences (2007) in San Francisco boast native
wildflower mixes, and organizations like the
Lady Bird Johnson Center (2008) have launched research programs to
study the use of native plants on green roofs.
But fear not for the much maligned sedums!
These sturdy workhorses will always have a secure spot on a green
roof.
7. Share some of the innovative technologies that you've seen
incorporated into greenroofs.
Many of the innovative technologies our respondents described make
use of stormwater runoff. Examples include: greywater irrigation
technologies, cisterns, and detention ponds and dry creek beds to
capture roof water. Respondents were also excited by new lighter
weight growing medium mixtures and pre-vegetated modules that were light
enough be used on retrofit projects.
For example, Nathalie Hallyn of The Kestrel
Design Group, Inc. said, "Green roof projects with holistic design that
maximizes function and aesthetics; e.g. green roofs that are planted
with wetland plants to maximize evapotranspiration and building cooling;
unique habitat features in urban areas where there is no space for them
on the ground."
And Sarah Murphy of Canopy likes the idea of
mixing high tech with low tech by using construction debris, such as old
bricks, to create a patio on a green roof and then incorporating
photovoltaics into the design as well.
8. Who are the influential and creative designers driving design and
fostering growth, expression, or awareness?
We didn’t get an overwhelming response to this question. Many
respondents simply left it blank. In fact, not one designer
received more than a single vote. Some of the answers included:
Paul Kephart and Rana Creek, Stephen Brenneisen, Reid Coffman, Paul
Mankiewicz, William McDonough, Steven Peck, Linda Velazquez, Ed
Snodgrass, Perkins + Will, HOK, Fox + Fowle and universities such as the
University of Georgia (UGA) and Penn State.
As one response succinctly stated,
“Remarkably, the design community in my opinion isn't doing as much as
they could to promote these systems...”
Should this be taken as a call to action?
Is it time for green roof designers to step up to the plate and make
their voices heard?
9. Share with us what you consider “Visionary” Built Projects - why,
where are they, and by whom?
Again, slim pickings. People responded with the types of
projects they would like to see, not necessarily ones that had already
been built.
Here’s a taste of the reality and
perception: “I feel that every greenroof is visionary in its own right
because on every project you always have to find creative ways to fund
the project and then during the design phase have to make critical
decisions on what components and elements either remain in the design or
get "value engineered" and removed from the job. ‘Visionary’
projects come at such a cost that many clients could never afford such
an undertaking.”
10. Share with us thoughts on Visionary Proposed Projects - why,
where are they, and by whom?
There was a little talk about William McDonough’s proposal to grow
rice on rooftops in China (2007), but beyond that, this group of
respondents is not impressed with any proposed or conceptual projects.
11. If you had to just name one, do you
have one favorite greenroof project overall, as well as just one from
2007 – and a quick why?
The "quick why" was quick indeed, usually described with a one-word
adjective including: meaningful, stunning, important, experimental.
Notice how many of these fall into the "institutional" category - it
would seem people are looking for leaders on a grand scale.
Readers didn't differentiate their preferences by year, but the
contenders were:
Clinton Memorial Library, Little Rock, AR (2008) see above, in #
4)
Institutional & Office Parks - Setting the
Example.
Zurich
Central Railway Station, Zurich, Switzerland. We had too many
examples of biodiversity already in this category, especially from
über-biodiversity-friendly Switzerland.
North Park 500, Atlanta, GA. Our Institutional & Office
Parks category was full here, too.
Ballard Library, Seattle, WA (2008) in # 4)
Institutional & Office Parks - Setting the
Example.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Conference Center, Salt
Lake City, UT (2008) in # 4)
Institutional & Office Parks - Setting the
Example.
ACROS Fukuoka Prefectural International Hall, Fukuoka, Japan (2007).
"Asian Crossroads Over the Sea" was highlighted in 2007 in # 8)
Living Roofs and Living Walls = a Living Skin for Green Buildings.
328 Euclid, Toronto, Canada. 328 Euclid was highlighted in
2007 in # 3) Cool Green Residences: Organic Integration of Mind, Body
& Soul.
School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University,
Singapore (2008) - although this project could have represented
# 8)
Greenroofs as Art & Architecture, we
placed it in
#
2) Sky
High Cool Green Schools.
The Top 10 List Itself
At the end of the survey, we also asked respondents to review and edit
our preliminary, Working List that we had been compiling since mid-2007,
which initially was:
10) Client-Specific Boutique Greenroofs
9) Do-It-Yourself Greenroofs
8) Pre-Fab Modular Homes are Fabulous
7) Greenroofs as Art and Architecture
6) Parks, Zoos & Botanical Gardens - Outdoor Living & Research
5) Solar and Vegetative Roofs as High Performance Buildings
4) Museum and Corporate Greenroofs - Setting the Example
3) Luxury Green Homes, Eco-Communities & Eco-Cities
2) Cool Green Schools of Higher Education
1) The Influence of LEED on Government and Design Professionals
Only a handful of people suggested position
changes or new categories altogether, in particular from Mathew Frith,
who contributed this list:
10) Greenroofs as Art and Architecture
9) Do-It-Yourself Greenroofs
8) Code for Sustainable Homes; what can green roofs do to assist in
meeting this?
7) The Influence of LEED on Government and Design Professionals
6) Solar and Vegetative Roofs as High Performance Buildings
5) UK-based green roof research to meet demands of policy-makers
4) Client-Specific Roof gardens (boutique and otherwise!) for luxury
residences
3) Green roofs to meet the impacts of climate change
2) Development of green roof policies in regional planning
1) Green roofs for biodiversity
In addition to Mathew's list above, the one
standout from everyone's overall input was that we had to include
biodiversity as its own trend, resulting in 2008's
# 5)
Greenroofs for Biodiversity.
Our initial # 9) from the Working
List, "Do-It-Yourself Greenroofs," while an ever-increasing trend among homeowners, simply
didn't have enough momentum yet so we included examples in
# 10) Client
Specific ‘Boutique’ Greenroofs.
Another reworked category was
#
4) Museum and Corporate Greenroofs - Setting the Example, just a bit
too restrictive, which morphed into
4)
Institutional & Office Parks - Setting the
Example.
One particularly funny Brit's comments
followed these categories, which he obviously didn't care for: # 10) Client-Specific Boutique
Greenroofs, # 8) Pre-Fab Modular Homes are Fabulous, and #
7) Greenroofs as Art and
Architecture:
"urghhhhhhhhhh."
So what does this all mean?
It’s clear that the green roof industry is
growing and that there are a number of market drivers propelling it
forward. The main aspect that seems to be missing (and made
apparent though the results of this survey) is a strong and
purposeful sense of design in green roofs.
Clearly, we need visionary projects.
And we won’t have visionary projects within visionary leaders to design
them. The last thing we want is for green roofs to fall by the
wayside because a downturn in the economy is making them less
attractive. The way to save green roofs is to build their visual
and aesthetic appeal.
Any thoughts on what 2009 will bring to the
industry? Should we send out another survey? What questions
would You like to see asked?
Send us your perspectives
by January 31, 2009 and we'll compile some more questions for you to
contribute to the 2009
Top 10 List of Hot Trends
in Greenroof Design.
Now get out there and design!!!
~ Haven Kiers
The Design Editor
Publisher's Note: Haven't seen the actual paper from 2008?
Download the lengthy PDF
THE 2008 TOP 10 HOT TRENDS IN GREENROOF DESIGN by Linda S. Velazquez, ASLA Associate, LEED AP, Publisher/Editor & Design
Consultant and Haven Kiers, MLA, Design Editor & Design Consultant.
Click to see the Lists and PowerPoints
for either the
2008
or
2007
Top 10
List of Hot Trends in
Greenroof Design.
Haven
is the Design Editor here at Greenroofs.com and welcomes your comments.
Haven Kiers holds a
Master's degree in Landscape Architecture, and works as a landscape
architect in California, with Mono County where she lives with her
husband and baby girl. Haven designs and presents nationally about greenroofs, and is also a trainer for the Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Green Roof 101, 201,
and 401 Courses.
You may contact Haven at: DesignEditor@greenroofs.com.
The opinions expressed by our
Guest Feature writers and editors may not necessarily reflect
the beliefs of Greenroofs.com, and are offered to our readers
to simply present individual views and experiences and
open a dialogue of further
discussion, debate and research. Enjoy, and if you have
a particular comment, please contact the author or send us an
email to: comments@greenroofs.com.
Chic Sustainability
A Look Back at the
Hot Trends in Greenroof Design for 2007
By Linda S. Velazquez and Haven Kiers
Last May, Greenroofs.com Publisher Linda Velazquez and Design Editor Haven Kiers presented a lively and fast-paced session of the hottest avant-garde greenroofs around at the 5th Annual Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference, Awards & Trade Show in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our completely subjective choices were based on our exposure and opinions in the greenroof world here on Greenroofs.com and from a multitude of multimedia including architecture and design magazines, news articles, websites, blogs, radio interviews, TV shows, you name it!
Revisiting our
Top 10 List and these project vignettes is a great way to have a little fun and hopefully jumpstart everyone's creative juices for the new year. These are both new and rediscovered projects that we can draw inspiration from, talk about, delight in, and emulate in 2008 and beyond. To learn more about each project, click the hyperlink and see the complete profile in The Greenroof Projects Database.
We are presenting our updated original paper here from the Design Track, Session 2.4: Innovative Uses of Green Roofs along with new photos and projects from our actual PowerPoint presentation from the Minneapolis conference. It's hard to be cutting edge and avant-garde with the latest design trends when the paper is due months before the conference! By presentation time we had added and edited projects according to new information hot off the presses.
Look for our second installment, aptly titled
"The 2008 Top 10 Hot Trends in Greenroof Design," at next year's Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference, Awards & Trade Show in Baltimore, MD. And new this time around will be our Greenroof Design Trends Survey ~ we want your opinions on what you consider to be the latest greenroof trends. What projects do you consider noteworthy, pushing design limits, sexy, awesome? What living roof applications are no longer just unique but you see becoming actual trends within the market and industry? Who are the designers to keep an eye on?
Participate in our
2008 Greenroof Design Trends Survey, now available online.
We expect to hear back from you!
HOT TRENDS IN DESIGN 2007:
CHIC SUSTAINABILITY, UNIQUE DRIVING FACTORS & “BOUTIQUE” GREENROOFS
Greenroofs are constantly touted for their ecological benefits but rarely for their contribution to the current architectural vernacular. This inaugural yearly list will look beyond the function of greenroofs and instead focus on the top 10 hottest architectural trends in vegetated rooftop design.
Greenroofs deliver much more to the urban landscape than just the obvious ecological, economic and aesthetic attributes of stormwater management, temperature and energy reduction, and provision of additional green space. Why do clients want a greenroof? Should a greenroof be defined solely by its function as an ecological cover? Can greenroofs also be sexy and outrageous? Are they the next big design trend in architecture? How are designers pushing the limits? These are the questions that underpin our collection of innovative projects and market drivers from across the globe.
We offer a fast-paced
Top 10 List of vignettes that thrum with oppositions of our established perceptions and experience, highlighting out-of-the ordinary applications, specialty designs and even bizarre projects on the boards. Looking beyond stormwater and heat islands, we'll explore plans for innovative recreation, including a rooftop ski slope in Delft, the Netherlands, and a converted helipad-turned-temporary grass tennis court 692 feet in the air in Dubai. We’ll look at less typical greenroof market drivers, such as a 670 SF doggie greenspace for a 10-year old, 9-pound Yorkie and a rooftop garden with plants from the Bible as a teaching laboratory for ministers. See a native desert greenroof in the American southwest and an old fashioned front porch perched on a greenroof in the middle of Manhattan, complete with squeaky screen door and a rocking chair. Explore greenroofs that defy expectations of sedum and wildflower meadows and instead integrate sleek and sexy vegetation with the building form. Proposed projects we'll delve into include plans for rice paddies on rooftop farms in China and the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Village with 50% greenroof coverage...
The Top 10 List of Hot Greenroof Design Trends for 2007:
10) Unique Market Drivers: Boutique Greenroofs
9) Sports & Recreation in Unexpected Places
8) Living Roofs and Living Walls = a Living Skin for Green Buildings
7) Eco Resorts, Hotels & Therapeutic Gardens
6) Food on the Roof: Skyrise Urban Ag
5) Physics-Defying & Cutting-Edge Applications
4) Government and Big Box Retailers as Big Environmentalists
3) Cool Green Residences: Organic Integration of Mind, Body & Soul
2) Bigger is Better – Mega Greenroofs
1) Visionary Proposed Projects
Favorites not on “The List”
On a lighter note, and before we get to the real thing, here are some categories and projects that for one reason or another just couldn’t cut it for our
2007 Top 10 List. But we’re going to show them, just for fun…
 |
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A new organic way to green the skyline: The “Green Gherkin,” Inhabitat's April Fool’s ‘07 Inspiration – CHIA vegetated wall and roof panels?
Too bad it’s not real! |
Greenroof Transportation? Leave it up to the Swiss! Interestingly, the company advertised is a medicinal herb company. Photo Courtesy:
Rob Berghage from Penn State. |
 |
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Fashion & Décor: What to wear at your next green party from Inhabitat…And how to dress your tablescape and surroundings for green chic sustainability and success, too! |
And our favorite fantasy living roof of all time not on “The List” is...Edible Residential Greenroofs in Middle Earth: Unfortunately, Hobbits were not eligible this year, but were encouraged to try again… |
And now without further ado, back to the real thing - download the complete PDF:
HOT TRENDS IN DESIGN 2007:
CHIC SUSTAINABILITY, UNIQUE DRIVING FACTORS & “BOUTIQUE” GREENROOFS...
Linda S. Velazquez,
ASLA Associate, LEED™ AP, is publisher and editor of Greenroofs.com and is the designer of The Greenroof Projects Database. She has a Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture degree and also is a greenroof design consultant.
When not too busy editing, she occasionally writes
Sky Gardens ~ Travels in Landscape Architecture which features areas of the world currently greening their roofs
(now morphed into the
Sky Gardens Blog!). Linda welcomes your comments; contact her at: lindasv@greenroofs.com.
Haven Kiers also holds a degree in Landscape Architecture, based in Davis, CA, currently happily working as a new mom. Haven designs and presents nationally about greenroofs, and is also a trainer for the Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Green Roof 101 and 201 Courses.
Haven
is the Design Editor here at Greenroofs.com and welcomes your comments.
You may contact Haven at: DesignEditor@greenroofs.com.
Chic Sustainability
Inaugural Column, October 2005
Green, Chic, and Sexy - And Good for You, Too!
By Haven Kiers
All Photos Courtesy Haven Kiers unless otherwise noted.
Let’s face it. The current mental image most Americans have of green roofs is one of scraggly overgrown plants that turn brown in the winter and make the house below look messy and poorly maintained. In most minds, a green roof is for hippies who want to save the world. It belongs in places like Berkeley, atop a straw bale house half buried in the earth with solar panels lining the driveway. Unfortunately, the green roof industry hasn’t done much to try and change that perception. Rather than actively working to package the green roof as the latest innovation in design, the green roof industry has instead been focusing on how good it is for the public (environmentally, economically, and educationally). And as we all know, no one wants to invest in something simply because it is good for them.
The challenge, therefore, lies in finding the right balance between idealistic principles and cutting edge design. My goal is to try to present the green roof as something sleek, chic, and sexy, without sacrificing its social and environmental appeal. I want to give green roofs the attention and fanfare they rightly deserve from people that otherwise wouldn’t give them a second glance.
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Left: Vancouver Public Library in Vancouver, B.C., Canada; Photo Source: Landscape Architecture Magazine of 5.98; Right: BedZED in London, England; Photo Source: Beddington Zero Emission Development |
For this first column, I’m going to highlight a mixture of green roofs that don’t fall into the typical mold. Let’s start by looking at a few green roofs that make use of color as a means of expression. In Bordeaux, France, architects planted the entire roof expanse of an air traffic control center with rows of lavender. The intense purple is a stark contrast against the gray tarmac and concrete of the runway system (I should know; I snuck through the security booth to get a gander at it!). Not only does it stand out as a beacon for pilots looking to land, but it also provides a sense of regionalism.
At the Vancouver Public Library, in Vancouver, B.C., Cornelia Oberlander used cool colors to create serpentine bands of contrasting grasses that provide visual relief for office workers above. Architect Bill Dunster followed a different tact for the BedZED - Beddington Zero Emission Development (an environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient mix of affordable housing and work space in Beddington, Sutton, England), combining brightly painted vents with cobalt blue photovoltaics and a rainbow hued mat of sedums to create an explosion of color on the rooftop.
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Left: The Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in France;
Right: Mowing the Roof. |
Construction of green roofs has come a long way from the leaky earth sheltered homes of the seventies. In Paris, France, architects Andrault, Pavat, Prouvé, and Guvan used a stepped system of plastic grids to contain panels of turf across the 45 degree slope of the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. The close-cropped grass of the pyramidal building seemingly defies the laws of gravity and begs the question, “How do they mow that lawn?” Luckily, I happened to be visiting the site on a day when they were mowing and saw the technology in action: a cable and pulley system rigged to a standard push lawnmower does the job.
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Vertical supports, above and below; Photos by Haven Kiers |
In Southern France, architects Jourda and Perraudin created one of the world’s suspended green roofs, an 8,000-square meter umbrella-like roof, hanging from poles like a circus tent. Blanketed with a mixture of wildflowers and grasses, the roof of this international school in Lyon creates a giant canopy for the classrooms below. I visited this site during a week when school was not in session and so was unable to go inside and really experience the building. Still, just being able to see the immense poles required to support the roof up close was pretty spectacular.
While some green roofs rely on color or technology to intrigue and attract, others depend on form and space. At the main terminal of the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, sedum covered glass pyramids seem to explode from the roof, peeling back the structure of the building and revealing windows into the bustle of the terminal below. Like most airport terminals, the structure consists of two levels, a level below for departing passengers and a level above for arriving passengers. Entering taxis and cars on the second level are therefore afforded an eye-level view of the green roof (as a departing passenger, the roof is a little trickier to find; I had to take an elevator all the way to the top of a neighboring hotel before I realized that I had been under it all along!).
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Amsterdam International Airport Schiphol Plaza Greenroof
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The proposed Renzo Piano redesign of the California Academy of Science in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park creates a roof of mounds and valleys that dip and rise in various heights and sizes, creating pockets of shade and opening vistas into the parkland beyond. The building is supposed to be completed by 2008, and I, for one, can’t wait to see it. Visitors will be able to climb up onto a viewing platform and study the roof’s topography up close.
But not all green roofs need to be chic and modern to capture attention. In less urban settings, green roofs can help blend structures in with their natural surroundings. The architect Peter Zumthor used the setting of the Swiss Alps to its best advantage by seemingly merging his thermal baths into its slopes.
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Peter Zumthor's naturalistic approach in the Swiss Alps. |
The turfed roof becomes a natural extension of the grassy hillsides above it, and the local quartzite and concrete building juts out like a rock embedded in a quarry. So complete is the blending of architectural structure and landscape that the sight of goats grazing on the roof does not seem out of context. If there is one green roof that I recommend going to visit, this is it!
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Goats, grassy hillsides, and grassy greenroofs blend together in Switzerland with ecological beauty. |
Let me conclude by reiterating the main premise of this column: The fact that green roofs are environmentally friendly does not preclude them from being aesthetically appealing.
Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori says it best:
"We often see plants on roofs of modern buildings, but they hardly ever blend in with the architecture. This is because rooftop gardens are usually designed by ecologists, who dislike artificial things. They would rather suppress the artificial to better express the plants. But I think both the plants and the building have to look good. It's not easy, but I want them to get along well."
~ Haven Kiers
The Design Editor
* Reader Email From: Philosophically Understated in Stuttgart
Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 6:57 AM
To: DesignEditor@greenroofs.com
Subject: The world's only suspended greenroof in Lyons, France
Dear Writers,
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Photo Source and Credit: Jörg Breuning, Green Roof Service LLC. |
I really enjoy reading the articles, especially when people aren't quite correct. The "world’s only suspended greenroof in Lyons, France," for example, is actually a rather typical roofing method here in Europe. Here in Stuttgart, Germany, we have a 130,000 sf suspended greenroof, see above. I believe it was built in 1995 or earlier. On this particular project I have been up on the roof only once and I took this picture in August, 2005, from a spot where you can see many other greenroofs. As a local you know all the good places to go within a city :) and when I offer greenroof tours this isn't a place where I go (because you have to walk 30 min. and most guests are not used to that).
This suspended greenroof is an extra heavy system to keep the roof down during heavy storms because underneath it is open space, as parking lots for buses. The building is owned by the public transportation company and they have at least 2,000,000 sf of greenroofs on all their buildings together in Stuttgart. I will find out more when I am in Germany in mid July - mid August.
I know that Americans like all the superlatives while the Germans prefer the understatement.
When talking about greenroofs the word "only" sounds good but most likely you will find that it has been done before; usually "new" designs have already happened elsewhere, although it may be hard to believe. Suspended roof construction with or without greenroof is a common technique in Germany or at least in Stuttgart. Maybe you have seen a photo of the DaimlerChrysler V6/V8 engine plant? On this project they combined this roof technique with a kind of traditional factory design.
Prof. Jörg Schlaich (70 years old) and his former teacher Fritz Leonhardt started out with all kinds of suspended construction (actually both are from Stuttgart). With projects all over the world (many prototypes in Stuttgart) they have taught this technique to many, many people all over the world, too.
Basically I wanted to say that in Stuttgart many things are just accepted as normal, although they may be celebrated every year somewhere else (whether it was the place where the first car was built - Gottlieb Daimler, Porsche = VW Beetle, Robert Bosch, etc.). As I said, perhaps it is the simply the philosophy of German understatement of the people, or it could be the lack of marketing skills - who knows?
Regards, Philosophically Understated in Stuttgart
Publisher's Note: I did change the captions on Haven's Lyons greenroof just a bit to reflect this fact.
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