Greenroofs.comConnecting the Planet + Living Architecture

Voted one of 2013’s “100 Most Creative People in Business” from Fast Company – at # 3, no less, Diana Balmori has been artfully leading the combined fields of landscape design, architecture and urban planning for decades, and it is a must to watch her Keynote Video: “Green Roofs to New Cities” from our Greenroofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2015 ~ Connecting the Planet with Living Architecture: People, Projects & Design above or on our VS2015 Virtual Summit 2015 playlist on our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube.

It’s been a year since we concluded our third Greenroofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit, and as promised, we are now releasing the 23 videos from our 30+ international speakers to the general public.

Based in New York City, Diana Balmori is the renown landscape designer and principal of Balmori Associates. She has received numerous accolades over the years, and has been internationally recognized for her progressive body of work.  Diana says, “The big picture is that half of the world lives in cities; it will be 2/3 by 2025.  Cities are major producers of all the things which are feeding climate change. Green roofs are a simple tool we could us to change this effect, if used at the macroscale.  Green roofs can also play an urban role as open space and as connectors.”

Diana was one of the early proponents of greenroofs and living architecture, and her 2005 research piece/inventory study on Long Island City – and its resulting “Asthma Alley” – demonstrated how living roofs could affect a direct health-oriented benefit in communities. This research resulted in greenroofs being constructed atop Silvercup Studios and the Gratz Industries Company.

Diana and her firm recently completed the enormous new governmental city of Sejong, Public Administration Town in South Korea.  Based on the previous natural attributes of the mountains and rivers on the site, her large masterplan introduced the idea of a landscape taking the primordial organizing idea to organize the architecture – the result is buildings interconnected with sweeping, continuous greenroofs.

All of these projects will be addressed in her Keynote video, along with others.  Her “Green Roofs to New Cities” video was produced by Stacked Up TV Productions, with visuals by Joseph Maida, Mark Dye, Efrain Mendez / archframe.net, Bilbao Ria 2000, University of Iowa and Balmori Associates with the design teams of each project.

Diana Balmori, PhD, FASLA, IFLA

New York, NY, USA. Diana Balmori founded Balmori Associates in 1990. The landscape and urban design practice is recognized internationally for designing sustainable infrastructures that serves as an interface between landscape and architecture. In 2006, she created BAL/LABs within Balmori Associates, to further push the boundaries of architecture, art and engineering: Green Roofs, Floating Islands, Temporary Landscapes, Forms of Representation, and Zero Waste City, among others.

Diana keeps an active voice in national policy and decision-making on topics that relate to landscape design, architecture and urban planning. She has served as: member of The United States Commission of Fine Arts in Washington, DC; a Senior Fellow of Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, DC; a member of the Allston Development Group at Harvard University, Boston, MA; on the Board of The Van Alen Institute, New York City; The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation for the World Trade Center Site, New York City; and as a Committee Member for the Comprehensive Design Plan for the White House.

Diana’s opinion-editorials and articles about her work have been featured in Dwell, The Architects Newspaper, Monocle, El Pais, PBS, WNYC, Design Observer, and Utne Reader, which named her one of fifty “Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World” in 2009. She was named Fast Company’s Third Most Creative People in Business (June 2013) and one of ten Innovators by Architectural Digest (September 2013).

Her book A Landscape Manifesto (Yale University Press, 2010) has received international attention and was recently translated into Chinese. Her most recent book is Drawing and Reinventing Landscape (A/D Wiley, 2014). Since 1993 she has been a Critic at Yale University in both the School of Architecture and the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Read about “Green Roofs to New Cities” by Dr. Diana Balmori video’s 5 Key Learning Objectives which I identified for participants of the Virtual Summit 2015.

We welcome your input and suggestions to make our Greenroofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2017 more accessible, interactive, and a just better all around global social media experience!

~ Happy watching,

Linda S. Velazquez, ASLA, LEEP AP, GRP
Greenroofs.com Publisher

~ Also enjoy these released videos available now from our Greenroofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2015 ~ Connecting the Planet with Living Architecture: People, Projects & Design:

“Biosolar Roofs” by Nathalie Baumann and Dusty Gedge.

“Versatile Living Walls & Roofs: International Applications for Agriculture, Energy Conservation, Pollution Attenuation, and Aesthetics” by Dr. Bob Cameron.

“Greening Rooftops in Alberta: People, Place + Projects” by Kerry Ross.

“Stewardship of Rooftop Ecosystems” by Michael Furbish, Brad Garner, and Dr. Whitney Griffin.

“The Development of Revolutionary Large Scale Vegetated Infrastructure Projects in Latin America and the Foundation of a New Industry” by Pablo Atuesta.

“Two Extremes in Waterwise Design from Denver, Colorado and Athens, Greece” by Andrew Clements and Karla Dakin.

“From Passive House to the Cold North—How Vegetative Envelope Components Impact Buildings Panel Session with Dr. Bob Cameron, Dr. Allen Lee, Dr. Karen Liu, and Chris Wark.”

“A Higher Purpose – Benefits to Human Health and Education through Green Roofing“ by Elizabeth Hart.

“A Green Building Should Look Green, Which Means Hairy! Dr. Ken Yeang Keynote Interview by Linda Velazquez.”

“The Greenroofs.com 2014 Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design + a Look into 2015″ by Linda Velazquez and Haven Kiers.

“Greenroofs.com’s VS2015 Opening Address from Linda Velazquez.”

Promos:

The Greenroofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2015 Speakers.

Invitation to the Greenroofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2015.

VIRTUAL SUMMIT 2015 teaser from Groncol.

Small Scale Green Roofs at the Virtual Summit by Dusty Gedge and John Little.

By now I’m sure you’ve heard about our upcoming Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2015, but just in case here is our latest Press Release:

The World Wide Web. – (February 27, 2015) – Building on the success of our inaugural Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit in 2011 and our our second foray in the world of virtual conferences in 2013, it is with great pleasure to announce our third biennial:

Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2015 –
Connecting the Planet + Living Architecture: People, Projects & Design

“Building upon Greenroofs.com’s legacy of innovative, groundbreaking online conferencing, the 2015 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit guarantees visionary speakers, exemplary information sharing, and lively commentary from leading trendsetters and experts in our industry of living architecture.” ~ Linda S. Velazquez, Founder & Publisher, Greenroofs.com

Keynote Speakers

People:
Creative thinkers, innovators, and trailblazers sharing project-focused organic “vegitecture” – green infrastructure ideas.
Friendly and knowledgeable exhibitors on hand live at the Expo.

Projects:
International icons of sustainability demonstrating early successes plus current & visionary case studies of excellence in design.

Design:
Proven standards of diverse green technologies plus dynamic, cutting edge, forward thinking schemes for greening the planet with building integrated greenery.  Bioclimatic design promoting biodiversity, biomimicry & chic sustainability meet high-tech and low-tech approaches.

Why Virtual?
As important as physical conferences are, the proliferation of international events makes it impossible to exhibit and attend them all in terms of time and money.  At a fraction of the cost of a physical conference, you have an incredible opportunity to meet and greet awesome experts and practitioners in our field – without leaving your office or increasing your carbon footprint.  Every day, the new ubiquity of architectural greening gains new advocates, designers, and specifiers – be a trailblazer by connecting and participating online!

When?  Live event on April 6 – April 12, 2015 with all video presentations available on demand.

The fun part is the interactive online socializing, held during the Live Social Weekend Hangout on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday April 10, 11 & 12!  Join us for live Speaker Q & As, chat hangouts at the Sponsor Lounge, the Inspiration Nook, the “It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere” Lounge, and the spectacular Expo Pavilions.

Presentations will be on demand through May, 2015 where you can also continue to connect with your peers.

What?  We’re shining a virtual international spotlight on vegetative roofing and greenwalls integrating technology, multimedia, along with the limitless global reach of the Internet.  World renowned speakers and experts are just a click away during the long weekend of lively Q & A sessions, with plenty of social networking and virtual fun!

Mission:
To inform, share, and create a global social media experience for imagining, learning & networking via the power of the Internet.

Raising awareness of our burgeoning market and industry, the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2015 continues as an interactive platform for the interchange of ideas through a combination of keynote speakers, expert panel sessions, moderated chat sessions with live Q & As, on-demand presentations, plus live chatting at the Sponsor Spaces, Social Media Areas, and the spectacular Expo Pavilions showcasing vendors and organizations from across the world.

Participants:  Network and connect with your peers in real time, be inspired by our featured presenters, and learn about new companies, products, and projects on our live Expo dates.

Speakers:  Share your project, sustainable vision, and experience on a global platform.

Exhibitors:  Enhance your live trade show experience by spotlighting your company to our highly targeted international audience, increase your exhibiting ROI’s, and reduce your carbon footprint in our eco-friendly environment.

Visit our About, Speakers, and Agenda pages and contact us for Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunity Information.  Registration will be available soon.

Event Platform Provider
In 2015 the Virtual Summit will be powered by 6Connex.

“6Connex has been a leader in the virtual environment space since 2009, powering Virtual Destinations for career fairs, corporate universities, product launches, onboarding, user conferences and other applications. You’ll truly enjoy their virtual technology immersion from any device.” ~ Aramis M. Velazquez, CEO, Greenroofs.com

For more information:

Aramis M. Velázquez, CEO
Greenroofs.com, LLC.
(888) 477-1326
aramis@greenroofs.com

Please stay tuned for additional speakers and the final Agenda!  Registration will be opened soon – it will be great to connect with everyone online once again!

Happy surfing,

~ Linda Velazquez

As you may have heard by now, due to an overwhelming response,  Greenroofs.com, in association with the World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN),  is pleased to announce that our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2013 – Connecting the Planet + Living Architecture: People, Projects & Design has been extended to  April 13, 2013.

Here’s the rest of our Press Release from yesterday, March 12, 2013:

“Thank you to all of our fantastic speakers and exhibitors for making the 2nd Virtual Summit a spectacular experience!

To our attendees, we invite you to take your time and watch all of our awesome Keynotes, Panel Sessions, Collaborative Presentations and Individual Videos from our Virtual Summit 2013 – all available on demand now.   Re-visit our Rare Earth Sponsor, Tremco Incorporated, at the Expo Pavilion as well as all the rest of our Exhibitors and Associates.  And keep up the networking.

If you haven’t signed up yet because you didn’t think you’d have enough time to participate and see it all, now you can – from the comfort of your computer, laptop, tablet, or smart phone.   Now’s the time for you to start networking with your peers – international leaders in their fields!”   ~ Linda S. Velazquez, Founder & Publisher, Greenroofs.com

When?   Online February 12 now through April 13, 2013.   You can still:

• Watch all content, now On Demand;
• Visit the Exhibitors in The Expo Pavilion and Associates Pavilion, download material, request a chat, send them emails, etc.;
• Read and add commentary to any Q & A Session Transcript;
• Post commentary in the Auditorium, Networking Lounge, etc.;
• Network via all the social media features: view attendee profiles, use video, audio or text chatting options + send emails, vCards, etc.   Check out Who’s Here at the click of a button!
• Send us an under 3-minute video of your idea/work for the Inspiration Nook.

Who?   World renowned speakers and experts are just a click away during an additional whole month of lively speaker videos, panel sessions, unlimited social networking, and virtual fun capitalizing on the limitless global reach of the Internet.   See the Agenda and Speakers pages.

What?   Virtual Summit Topics:

• State-of-the Market & Potential
• Sustainability Strategies
• Biophilia
• Sky Parks in the Public Realm
• Top 10 List of Hot Design Trends
• Urban Ecology
• Green Walls & Maintenance
• Phytoremediation
• Women Business Leaders
• Updates from Vancouver, B.C., Singapore, Hamburg, Mexico City, Malmö, Copenhagen, Spain, Australia, and China
• Lessons Learned from Award Winners
• Integrated Water Management & Wastewater Recycling
• Investing in Green Roofs
• Skyrise Agriculture
• Hydroponic Living Wall Systems
• The Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort
• Green Roofs & Solar
• Vegetation Development Over Time
• Coastal Green Roof Design & Native Plants
• Featured Presentations from the 2012 Hangzhou China World Green Roof Congress

Our mission embraces extremely affordable pricing.   Regular Price $99.

Discounts:
Associates $59
Greenroofs.com Advertisers/Readers & WGIN Members (GRHC: receive GRP credits) $39
Students/Faculty/Staff & Government $29

Check out all the associates, WGIN member organizations, and Discount Codes.

Why Virtual?

As important as physical conferences are, the proliferation of international events makes it impossible to exhibit and attend them all in terms of time and money.   At a fraction of the cost of a physical event, you have an incredible opportunity to meet and watch video presentations and panel sessions from awesome thinkers, movers, and practitioners in our industry – without leaving your office.   Jump into the greenest conference model there is and join in the conversation – get on the leading edge by connecting!

Register Now & See You Online!

Thank You to Our Rare Earth Sponsor: Tremco, and all our Exhibitors!

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About Greenroofs.com
Since 1999, Greenroofs.com has been the international greenroof industry’s resource and online information portal. We inform, promote and inspire through the interchange of ideas, projects, news, videos, events, research, people, company and community updates and marketing opportunities; exclusives include the Sky Gardens ~ where cool green meets lofty blue Blog, Contributing Editor Columns, and Guest Features. Greenroofs.com is the publisher of the International Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database, The Greenroof Directory, greenroofs.tv, Greenroofs of the World™ 12-Month Wall Calendar, and the Sky Gardens ~ Greenroofs of the World™ WebTV series. Visit us at www.greenroofs.com.

About the World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN)
The objectives of World Green Infrastructure Network are to be a globally-important motivator of the use of green infrastructure in cities; expand opportunities for member organizations to learn about green roof infrastructure science, technology, practice, economics and environmental and social benefits; promote education in green infrastructure benefits particularly at university levels and trade school levels, to provide skills for the green roof industry that can be expected to develop more widely; promote green infrastructure research and extension in soundly-based green infrastructure development; provide sound networking and conference study opportunities for member organizations; and to publicize the global environmental and cost-saving advantages of green infrastructure, especially those related to reducing climate change problems.

For more information:

Aramis M. Velázquez, CEO
Greenroofs.com, LLC.
(888) 477-1326
media@greenroofs.com

If you’re interested, see the Press Release in English and in Spanish.  If you haven’t yet, I really hope you will join us!

~ Linda V.