Greenroofs.com: Christine's Ramblings

Vertical Gardens in Paris, July 2009
By Christine Thüring
August 4, 2009

All Photos by Christine Thüring unless otherwise noted.

Introduction

In early July 2009, the stars aligned to take me on a long-awaited trip to Paris, France. This may seem a bit dramatic, since booking a weekend to visit a major city on the same continent shouldn’t require celestial cooperation. Well, for whatever reasons, I had yearned to visit Paris for a long time but had never found the time or impetus to do so.

The reason for my interest in Paris is living walls, locally known as murs végétalisés or vertical gardens, as designed by the famous botanist-cum-artist, Patrick Blanc. I learned about these walls from a French intern who came to BCIT to learn about green roofs. At the time, Nicolas was a student at the French Institut National d'Horticulture, and had also worked for a company specializing in vertical garden installations. For us green roof folk, Nicolas’ perspective was unique and exotic. His photos revealed a dimension of ecological art which I’d never even dreamed could exist, neither conceptually nor logistically. What a treat!

And so it came about that in early July 2009, the perfect combination of invitations drew me, ﬁnally, to Paris. Completely independent of each other, some good friends from Canada were in Paris that same weekend. It’s always good to re-connect with friends, especially in new cities. Moreover, my home in the Tyrolean Alps had been trapped under bottomless rain clouds for weeks, and the cold dreariness was starting to get under my skin. Thus I prepared a detailed map of projects, booked my train, and spent a glorious long weekend in sunny Paris.

The Projects

Further to Nicolas’ suggestions, I compiled a list of projects from Patrick Blanc’s and from other websites. Of the eight projects on my list, I visited five and photographed three. Time constraints and/ or geographic inconvenience prevented me from even attempting to ﬁnd the projects at Jardin d’Acclimatation, Bois de Vincennes, and Montparnasse. For the ﬁrst two, I lacked addressed locations, which implied a high probability of aimless searching, and the third, Fondation Cartier in Montparnasse, is closed on Mondays.

Map of visited vertical garden locations in Paris, via Google.

Hotel xyz

The ﬁrst day in Paris began much like that of any tourist, at the famous Charles de Gaule Étoile. From this remarkable monument, which unites nine major streets and is the ﬁrst intentional trafﬁc round-about in the world, we took a brief stroll down the Champs Elysées, forked off south-west and found the ﬁrst site of interest.

Without address in hand, I would not likely ever have set foot inside this elegant hotel. Built in 1929 and since under the sponsorship of certain élite groups, one has the sense of entering a club of sorts . I think we were lucky with our timing, as the sound of vacuum cleaning and lack of guests suggested the hotel was in downtime and could accept silly guests off the streets. Out of respect for the hotel, I have not named it here.

Top third of vertical garden in Hotel xyz, Paris.

The vertical garden in the courtyard of this hotel is so big, and the courtyard so tight, that anything other than a ﬁsh-eye lens fails to capture the full scene. The garden covers one side of the courtyard, from the ground-ﬂoor up to the the building’s parapet. The other walls of the courtyard feature windows and small balconies of cast iron ﬁligree. The courtyard itself is a chic dining area with leather couches, a sweeping candle arrangement, and elegant table dressings.

At the top, where the vertical garden meets with a small square of blue sky, birds ﬂit around and send leaves ﬂoating lazily down to land quietly on the exquisitely set tables. The angle imparted by the shrubs creates a bizarre optical illusion to the observer below. As you look to the upward-growing shrubs, your sense of gravity begins to waver: suddenly you don’t know whether the shrubs are horizontal, or if perhaps they are actually vertical and the earth has shifted beneath you such that you are the horizontal one. Certainly our tea was expensive, but we didn’t expect it to render such an effect!

This vertical garden is clearly the work of a botanist. The bottom third of the wall, which receives only incidental light, hosts a tropical composition of at least 25 species of orchids, ferns, and ﬂowering plants. This part of the wall may be Patrick Blanc’s signature, as he has been a researcher of subtropical jungles since 1982. The middle part of the wall is planted mostly with ferns, small shrubs, and mat-forming herbs. Finally, the top section of the wall is planted with sun-loving shrubs, including some very obvious Buddleia.

One of Blanc’s most famous vertical gardens in Paris covers the entire north-west facade of the Musée Quai Branly. Again the ecologist’s touch is obvious here: the facade is oriented to the north-west, facing the River Seine with just a park and small streets in between, such that the climatic conditions permit the middle range of plants as seen in the Hotel, with the top again featuring sun-lovers like Buddleia.

As with any interesting feature of landscape architecture, it’s interesting to watch people’s reactions to such a dramatic wall of vegetation. Faced with something so strange, so new, so surprising, all observers are united as one. Whether security guards, architects, grandmothers, living architecture fans or normal tourists, each of us experiences at least a moment of awe.

Of course that’s when the questions set it, the curiosity that can quickly transform the magic of creation into logical formulae. How are the plants held in from falling out? What kind of substrate do they grow in? How much maintenance is required? How often are plants replaced? How much water does it need (or rather, how wet does it need to stay)? Where does the water come from and how is it supplied?


Musée Quai Branly, something for everyone (with the Eiffel Tower nearby).

Fortunately, the magic of these vertical gardens is easily maintained as it’s difﬁcult to ﬁnd the answers to such questions. Patrick Blanc himself is highly inaccessible. At best, the local employees can say that the murs végétalisés require a lot of water. The waiter at the Hotel said their vertical garden is automatically watered ﬁve times/ day. I recall some of Nicolas’ photos showing Musée de Quai Branly fronted by a sidewalk of puddles.

Musee du Quai Branly - a view upwards.

BHV Homme

My third and ﬁnal vertical garden in Paris was on a small medieval street in downtown Paris, above a storefront window. BHV (from Bazaar de l’Hôtel de Ville) is a big department store in France with its ﬂagship store facing Rue Rivoli and l’Hôtel de Ville (City Hall). One block behind the grandness of the main building, BHV Homme sits humbly facing its rear facade. Covering about 2/3 of this small, shadowed building, a vertical garden radiates a green vibrancy that is totally contrary to its built environment.

BHV Homme, 12 rue Temple en Paris.

I was struck by the local climatic conditions facing this apparently successful project. Considering Paris’ characteristically hot summers, the south-west vantage of this facade and its concrete environment ought to be deadly for any plant. However, being located in the medieval district of Le Marais, which is typiﬁed by tight little streets, Rue Temple feels more like a sunken moat than a street. Indeed, the walls of the main BHV store rise steep and high for the whole length of the block. Could it be that the vertical garden here is protected by this shading, like an urban canyon? Does the angle of the street, with relation to the sun’s path, further protect the vertical garden from dessication?

BHV Homme, 12 rue Temple en Paris.

As at Musée Quai Branly, here we ﬁnd the familiar middle- and top plant palettes, with impressive shrubs creating shade at parapet heights. My visit to the site was at around 15:00, and the vertical garden was in full sun (although neighbouring buildings were shaded). I wonder whether the vertical garden is shaded for the majority of the day? It’s clear that the sun has limited range on Rue Temple, but clearly there is enough to maintain a vibrant vertical garden.

Summary: Vertical Gardens in Paris

In summary, I scouted a total of five sites and was rewarded with three existent projects. Regarding water consumption by these systems, I’m certain that approaches for sustainable water use could easily be integrated, if not already so (e.g. greywater recycling). In addition to those mentioned, I look forward to returning to Paris in in 2016 to visit the vertical garden in Musée de Radio France (currently under construction). I also learned that the Ministere de Culture does not actually have a vertical garden (hopefully this has been updated on Patrick Blanc’s website by now), but features rather a 170 m2 experimental garden recreating an Australian dry forest in an (off-limit) courtyard.

Green spaces in Paris

Beyond these luxurious vertical gardens I was surprised at how little green space Paris has. Having has been settled for over 2,000 years and spared destruction by WW2, most of the city’s green spaces are remnants from the past. Extravagant gardens of the rich, for example, have since become important lungs and recreation grounds for the city. For instance, Marie de Médici’s Florentine-style garden at Palais de Luxembourg is an essential green space for the Left Bank of the Seine, while Catherine de Médici’s formal Tuileries Gardens now spreads before the Louvre. Cemeteries also represent major green spaces, as do institutional military ﬁelds (e.g. Champs Mars by the Eiffel Tower, or Esplanade des Invalides). Unfortunately, sitting or walking on the grass in these parks is not always permitted.

I was also surprised at the quality of water in Paris’ fountains and ponds. In front of the Gothic church of St. Eustache, for instance, the elaborately landscaped waterfalls and pools were completely dried out, nothing but ﬁne green algae clinging to life in the few remaining wet spots. It was surreal to observe people engaged in the usual city park activities (reclining, sitting, reading, sketching, nuzzling, etc.), seemingly oblivious to the fact that their backdrop is a pool of scum rather than a bubbling waterfall. This was not the only such green pond in Paris, either.

Nevertheless, in spite of the intensely urbanized places, Paris does behold some green features. Near the modernized area of Les Halles, a series of trellised pathways grant lovely shade and connect the network of landscaped public gardens. These allées would have been built around late 1970s when, after 800 years as Paris’ original marketplace, the area was demolished and renovated.

In addition to the few renovated areas of the city, many of Paris’ modern buildings have rooftop gardens, some which are visible from below.

Christine Thuring has been focused on green roofs since 2001. After interning with a green roof company in Germany, she earned a MSc from Pennsylvania State University's Centre for Green Roof Research (2005). She helped organize the World Green Roof Congress in Basel (2005), as well as the green roof presence at United Nations' World Urban Forum III in Vancouver (2006). Christine has served as researcher and teacher of green roof courses at BCIT Centre for Architectural Ecology, and helped develop Green Roofs for Healthy Cities' 401 accreditation course. She has been the Student Editor at Greenroofs.com since 2004. Sign up for her Student Forum Newsletter, "Students on Green Roofs" and her column "Green Roofs on the Curve." All feedback and comments are warmly welcomed, please share your thoughts with us!

Reporting on the 2nd International Green Roof Congress 2009 – Bringing Nature Back to Town

Greenroofs.com Exclusive
By Christine Thüring
June 20, 2009

All Photos Courtesy Christine Thüring unless otherwise noted.

Compared to the first event in 2004, this second congress featured speakers from 10 countries and drew 270 delegates from 40 countries. Simply walking the exhibition or meandering through a coffee break was akin to moving through an international airport. While English was the primary language, countless accents were undeniably present and many original languages rang out in communicative chorus. When recalling the diversity of professions in attendance (architects, roofers, botanists, developers, academics, planners, etc.), and combining this with the internationality of the assembly, one gains a sense of how exciting and significant green roof technology has become, if only in cross-linking boundaries and cultures and overlapping disciplines.

European and Eurasian presence extended across the full geographic range, from Ireland and Spain, through Israel, Macedonia and Serbia, and everything in between. Asia/ Oceania sent representatives from China, Thailand, Singapore, India and Australia, while the Americas sent professionals from Chile through Brazil, up through Montserrat and Puerto Rico, the U.S. and Canada. In short, the congress lived up to its name, unlike any green roof gathering to date!

In the classic tradition of European conferences, the K3N Stadthalle in Nürtingen was an elegant and perfect-sized venue for the congress. Comfortable conference rooms and excellent catering set the atmosphere indoors, while the neighbouring park and terrace café made fresh air a nice treat.

On May 25th, IGRA offered two excursions for the experientially inclined. Both excursions were booked out, with 70 people touring Stuttgart region (in a double-decker bus) and 50 people visiting projects along the Rhine to the German solar capital, Freiburg. A perfectly sunny day (perhaps even a tad hot) blessed the excursions, as the following two days of presentations would present thunder storms and cooler temperatures.

That evening, all congress participants united for a catered reception hosted by the Mayor of Nürtingen. The Kreuzkirche, a church renovated in the 1980s and since used for cultural events, is associated with the K3N town hall across the park. Welcoming speeches were made by the Mayor, IGRA president Roland Appl, and by President of the German Roof Gardener Association (DDV), Reimer Meier.

The congress took full advantage of the facilities at K3N (Kunst. Kultur. Kongresse. Nürtingen), with a big hall hosting the sessions on green roof architecture, and two smaller conference rooms for concurrent workshops: policy measures, and planning/ installation. Simultaneous translation was available for all sessions with special headsets (while adrenaline-pumped translators steamed up their booths at the back of the hall).

Session: Green Roof Architecture

The Green Roof Architecture presentations introduced successful and idealistic realizations of living architecture, whetting participants’ appetites and boosting the creative enthusiasm in the room to a nearly perceptible buzz. Indeed, perhaps as a blinking bumblebee perceives its first flowering meadow of spring, the diversity of projects was so abundant and colourful that intellectual and creative thirsts were quenched to euphoric bliss.

The unique visions of architect Emilio Ambasz, accompanied by his own fables, made not only for a poetic presentation but also a dreamy keynote later that evening. From Copenhagen, the Mountain Dwellings, which “combine the splendours of the suburban backyard with the social intensity of urban density,” has won many awards including “world’s best residential building.” Other stunning projects included FiftyTwo Degrees in Nijmegen, Fusionopolis in Singapore, Zaragoza’s International Exhibition, California Academy of Sciences, and many more. Experts on passive house design and solar building design illuminated the abundance of solar energy that is freely available.

Workshop: An international comparison of funding and support for green roofs

Congress participants broke into two groups for the afternoon of day 1. In the policy meeting, municipal representatives from various cities presented their programs, experiences and lessons with regards to green roof support and programming. German cities included Düsseldorf, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Munich, and Berlin, while international representation from Linz (Austria), London (UK), Portland (USA), and Copenhagen (Denmark) rounded the session off. Lively discussions were enhanced by an unexpected power outage caused by a thunder storm.

Workshop: Planning, Installation and Maintenance

With input from experts each certified with lifetimes’ worth of practical experience, this workshop covered the basics with regards to green roof planning, installation and maintenance. From the essential basics on waterproofing, to tips in plant selection, the workshop also granted essential plant information from a nursery, as well as installation and maintenance experiences from Germany and the Netherlands.

IGRA Awards 2009

For exemplary municipal engagement in promoting green roofs, the cities of Düsseldorf and Copenhagen received the IGRA Municipality Award. As the first large German city to conduct a comprehensive mapping program for green roofs, Düsseldorf has identified more than 730,000 m² green roofs. Read more about this in Katja Holzmüller’s article "Climate protection, naturally – green roofs in Düsseldorf: financial support and quantitative analysis of aerial photographs." Dorthe Rømø received this same award for Copenhagen, for having introduced green roofs as a new initiative with opportunistic basis in the momentum from the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference, which will be hosted in the Danish capital in December 2009.

For the IGRA Architecture/ Construction Award, architecture firm Donnig + Unterstab of Rastatt was distinguished for establishing a new model for school buildings: a passive house design, this school in Neckargemünd features an extensive green roof and three large-scale photovoltaic facilities. From Singapore, Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) was also distinguished for its project “Fusionopolis” which features intensive green roofs on the 5th, the 17th/ 18th and the 21st/ 22nd floors, with the highest roof garden at approximately 80 m altitude.

Zeppelin Excursion

In his forward, the patron of the 2nd International Green Roof Congress, Wolfgang Tiefensee (Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs) stated that “The way in which we design our cities plays a key role in making our society sustainable.” The vision of human activities in harmony with nature may seem like a dream of the future to many. On the very last day of the congress, however, IGRA demonstrated the living truth of this vision. On May 28, 2009, from the quiet levitation of a Zeppelin, the congress’ final green roof excursion showed how urban districts with green roofs can blend into the surrounding landscape.

At a consistent altitude of 300 m, a happy group of green roof professionals (max. 12/ flight) floated quietly above the idyllic patchwork landscape of Lake Constance’s north shore. Of the panorama windows inside the gondola, several are operable to permit photography without Plexiglas scrapes or glare. In fact, Zeppelins have been used for the special niche for aerial photography since the early 1930s. Research missions of difficult and/ or vast landscapes (like the Arctic or great deserts) benefit tremendously from the excellent maneuverability and propulsion of airships, not to mention minimal vibration, quiet propellers and a gondola with great layout flexibility.

Back in 1895, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin received Patent No. 98580 for the first “dirigible airship with several lifting bodies arranged in series bow-to-stern.” His Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH, established in 1908, still exists today; one of its subsidiaries, Luftfahrzeug Motorenbau GmbH, was the precursor of Maybach Motorenbau GmbH, today’s MTU. At the height of its popularity, in 1929 the LZ 127 embarked on a round-the-world trip with four stopovers (Tokyo, Los Angeles, Lakehurst NY, and Friedrichshafen, Germany). During the 1930s, the LZ 127 offered very popular and constantly booked out passages from Europe to South America. Before the tragic Hindenburg accident in 1937 in Lakehurst NY, the LZ 127 had traveled 590 accident-free trips covering a total of 1,700,000 km.

Unlike its technological forefather from the adventuresome turn of the century, the Zeppelin NT (New Technology) is filled with non-flammable helium, and has powerful engines with swiveling propellers, state-of-the-art avionics and fly-by-wire flight controls which enable maneuvers similar to those of helicopters. The rigid framework of the Zeppelin NT, also different from the original design, comprises triangular carbon-fibre frames and three aluminum longerons braced by aramide cables. All the main components of the airship, including gondola, empennage and engines, are mounted on this rigid structure.

This excursion was peaceful yet exciting at the same time. Passenger exchange is carried out as a dynamic balancing act: while the Zeppelin sits lightly on the ground, its tail moving in whichever direction the prevailing winds push it, two passengers quickly disembark so that 2 new passengers can board. Once in flight, the landscape below is close enough to physically sense its different qualities (e.g. air quality of forest vs. town vs. shopping centre) yet far enough for the “model” effect, where cars look like toys and people like ants. Along the route from Friedrichshafen to Ravensburg, we passed over orchards, forests, farms, towns, shopping centres, etc. We saw residential developments that have been entirely covered with green roofs, or which were built in the 1970s or 1980s and are being renovated one green roof at a time.

In Summary

Overall, this 2nd International Green Roof Congress was a tremendous success (see the International Green Roof Congress 2009 "Green Roof Visions Perfectly Transferred" Press Release here). The program and quality of participation aside, its organization was excellent, from flawless excursions to secure coat check. For participants staying near Stuttgart airport, an awkward location for public transit, the congress kindly arranged a special shuttle service. The food was also very good, even for the vegetarian audience (which is remarkable in this land of meat and potatoes): many Swabian specialties were complemented by nice salad buffets (including asparagus cocktails!), beautiful dessert spreads, and lots of fresh fruit and juices throughout the day. From the ubiquitous logo, it was clear that the event’s biggest sponsor was ZinCo GmbH, and the majority of presenters used ZinCo systems for their projects. Nevertheless, any exclusivity or specific jargon could be easily tuned out given so many other superlatives comprising the event.

The proceedings from this congress are stunning not only in the thoroughness of documentation (all papers available in full length, English or German), but also in the quality of the colour print and binding. Proceedings are available under www.greenroofworld.com, specifically here, for €39.80 plus shipping and handling (ISBN 978-3-9812978-1-2).

For green roof professionals, such conferences strengthen our sense of community, enhance our knowledge, connect people, refresh our visions, and sometimes even present magical glimpses of those visions manifest. The vision of a world which, from above, is covered with photosynthesizing plants and solar energy harvesters may be inspiration enough.

Now consider the proof from the IGRA congress that so many and various interest groups and sectors agree with this shared vision; moreover that the idea of rooftop greening is so effectively spreading to other parts of the world! I would hazard to guess that all 270 participants from the 2nd IGRA congress returned home inspired, motivated, encouraged, and stoked to be part of this exciting movement.

Please drop us a line below with your comments!

Green Buildings in India
By Christine Thüring
March 2009

All Photos by Christine Thüring unless otherwise noted.

In early January 2009, I was fortunate to visit the first green roof in India. Further to hosting these unique “roof gardens,” the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) building in Hyderabad was also the first LEED® Platinum rated Green Building outside the USA at the time of its opening in 2004. In fact, at the time of its construction, it was one of only a handful of LEED Platinum buildings in the world!

Before getting into the details of the building, I cannot overlook my luck or the goodwill that permitted this spontaneous visit. Truly, my chances of finding this green roof were so close to nil I may as well have been looking for a needle in a haystack. Despite months of attempted networking, I remained without any responsive contacts. I was uncertain of the name of the building since, I would discover, I’d been using the wrong keywords. Even after I’d found my way to the city district where the building is located, my inquiries about anything “green” were met either with disappointment (as Indians really wish to be helpful) or offers to sell green things (e.g. t-shirt).

It may have been Luck, but I’d like to think that any of Hinduism's 30 million gods have a soft spot for determined green roof enthusiasts. Whatever the reason, somehow I championed all these obstacles and found my way to the CII building. How exciting to see the green roofs from the street entrance! After four weeks traveling around South India, I felt like I’d found my way home, to something familiar yet exotic and new. Stoked with luck and radiating blessedness, now imagine being told by Security that admission was impossible due to the 4-day festival of Sankranthi: the entire nation was on holiday, could I return next week?

A few times in my life I’ve experienced moments of such desperation that the world seems to slip into a different dimension, if only for a split second. In this case, the chemistry of stoke combined with sudden and profound disbelief must have transmitted a charge to the depths of the Universe. After some time spent between negotiations and alternating team huddles, one of many security guards informed me that I would be met by someone who happened to be in for the day. I could enter.

LEED® Platinum in India – CII, Hyderabad

While the rest of the country was flying kites and eating sweets to celebrate the 4-day harvest festival of Sankranthi, I was extremely fortunate to meet with Mr. K. Sivaram, an energy specialist and Counsellor at CII, who was just in to catch up on some work. After four weeks of absolute foreignness, what a strangely comforting touch of familiarity this presented! Mr. Sivaram generously toured me around the site and, over a cup of sweet chai, explained to me the status, experience and vision for green architecture in India.

The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) opened its first chapter in Hyderabad in early 2000. With support from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), IGBC created its own LEED® Green Building Standard by fine-tuning the ratings to reflect Indian conditions and priorities (e.g. more points for water conservation). As of January 1, 2007, the LEED® India Green Building rating system has certified a number of LEED®-New Construction and LEED®-Core and Shell buildings in India. The IGBC has six chapters, with the steering committee seated in Hyderabad.

The CII is the first building in India to achieve LEED® certification (October, 2003). As Mr. Sivaram explained, this building serves for demonstration, but is also considered an experiment “to see what can be achieved.” It comprises a balance between imported and locally-available technologies, with some imports currently being indigenized. From performance windows to waterless urinals, wind towers and biological water treatment ponds, this building is as modern as it gets. Not likely by coincidence, the best toilets in India are also found here.

The CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre was inaugurated by the president of India in July, 2004. Seat of the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), around 18 staff occupy the daylit office spaces of the complex, which also includes a large conference room and sheltered walkways. As an entity, the CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre is a unique and successful model of public-private partnership between the Government of AP, Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co and Confederation of Indian Industries, with technical support from USAID.

Pausing for a moment to consider the bigger picture, recall that South India represents a living remnant of one of humanity’s earliest human civilizations. Together with Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, Ancient India was one of the world’s three earliest urban civilizations with remarkable planning and infrastructure flourishing between 2600–1900 BCE. Visiting one of the greenest buildings in the world after a month exploring this heritage (ancient temples, exotic palaces, medieval European colonies) was a quick fast-forward to the present (or, perhaps, the Future).

As it is, Hyderabad is one of India’s fastest developing cities. Located in south-central India in the state of Andrha Pradesh (AP), Hyderabad is not only famous for pearls, gems and spicy pickles, but also for its role as the IT hub of India. The CII building sits in the northern district of “Cyberbad,” near HITEC City. A construction site across the street advertises an up-market residence named “Legend Platinum.” Were it not for the Indian style of land use that persists everywhere (i.e. ubiquitous vendors, free-roaming cows, burning garbage), the buildings here are so modern that a weary traveler could easily believe they’d been transported to the West.

An example of everything done right, the CII building emanates a distinct taste of the Future, both for India and for the rest of the world. To India, the facility challenges the realities of poorly managed infrastructure which can so rapidly blur the vision of a healthy and sustainable future. However, embedded as it is within one of humanity’s earliest civilizations, the über-modern CII facility in Hyderabad authenticates the motto we’d frequently encountered in our travels: in India, anything is possible.

The Green Roof

Of the 20,000 ft2 footprint, 55% of the CII-building is covered by extensive green roof. An information brochure summarizing the Green Features for the CII building value the “roof garden” for its insulating qualities. Measurements attest that the green roofs provide valuable insulation for the conference centre and offices, but this benefit is not likely perceptible under the concrete walkways. Given the minimal highlights or information about the green roofs at the CII building, it is clear that they are only part of a much greater package.

The green roofs on the curvey building are divided into parcels that are separated by parapets. On top of a concrete roof, the green roof system begins its build-up with three layers of waterproofing. According to Sivaram, leaky waterproofing is the paramount concern with regards to green roofs in India. Yet another point of familiarity!

The green roof system comprises 2” of sandy soil topped with the same pervious paver blocks used at grade, and overlain with a uniform grass sod. In their appearance and composition, the green roofs are identical to the grassy pedestrian and parking areas at grade.

On the 30°C day of my visit, the grassy rooftops were being irrigated to the point of puddling. The pervious paver blocks prevented any compaction. Water is definitely a key design consideration for green buildings in India, where a hot and dry season is sandwiched by two monsoons (SW Summer Monsoon and NE Retreating monsoon). Of the 810 mm annual precipitation in Hyderabad, for example, most of it occurs during the monsoon months of June – October. As part of the zero discharge design, recycled water from the building is used for irrigation and any runoff is directed to percolate at grade. During the dry season, the green roofs are irrigated daily.

In Closing

India is in a fascinating position with regards to issues of global sustainability and the environment. With the world’s 12th largest economy at market exchange rates and the 4th largest in purchasing power, it is one of the world’s fastest growing economies. Still a developing nation, however, India is not bound by the Kyoto Protocol and suffers from high levels of corruption, not to mention poverty, illiteracy and malnutrition. Its emissions are growing as steadily as its economy, its middle class, the use of motorized vehicles, and the trendiness of shopping malls.

In Hyderabad, the construction sites and the visibly burgeoning middle class presented the concepts of global ecological footprint on perfect display. What will our world be like when the new transportation infrastructure is in place, and the up-scale residences occupied? Will green buildings in India assume their true potential? Will green technology assume the dominant status quo that so many states would like but few will commit to?

Rather than playing catch-up with the West, India has begun to tap into cutting edge technology and enforce visionary policies, all the while maintaining clear sight on its traditions, which may hold immense meaning for the global economy and the global environment. In India, anything is possible!

Publisher's Notes: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the growth of industry in India, partnering industry and government alike through advisory and consultative processes. Visit the Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre website's Photo Gallery, and click on "Green Building Tour" on the right for more photos.

See the CII - Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre profile in The Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database. See the Platinum CII - Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre LEED Project sheet showing the 56 points achieved here, and access the U.S. Green Building Council's Certified Project database list here.