Hundertwasser was an Austrian artist and visionary with an immovable belief that the built environment had to develop in harmony with Nature - not at its cost. Hundertwasser fundamentally believed in the concept of covering buildings with plants. For many living and working today some of his ideas could be considered.....to put it diplomatically.... 'cranky'. I would however urge anyone with the time to look closely for the significant babies in the Hundertwasser bath and to do so before throwing out both the water and the infants. Hundertwasser had a philosophy with regards building that underpinned the thinking. His philosophy was the foundation that supported the subsequent body of thoughts and ideas. Although I would probably agree that some of the ideas that sprung forth were a little questionable, I can only give heartfelt support to his philosophy. I would hope that it is now universally accepted, that our interaction with the natural world as individuals and society needs to change and thankfully, that process is ongoing. I do believe however, that to drive positive change, the philosophy needs to be strong and clear.

With specific regard to Green Roofs we are seeing an increase in their profile and their installation. Would it follow therefore that this must be positive change?........Well........possibly. I would ask the following rhetorical question (with multiple choice provisional answers):

'Green roofs are installed because?':

1. They are a significant measure to replace the lost natural environment and reduce the impact of construction (whilst still keeping rain water out of the building).
2. They make all involved feel noble and worthy (type of green roof irrelevant).
3. They tick the required environmental box (type of green roof irrelevant).
4. They oil the passage of projects through planning (type of green roof irrelevant).
5. They look a damn sight better than a bare roof.
6. They make money for suppliers and contractors.

The green roof process from conception to final delivery sometimes seems to be akin to a drawn out session on that plaything of the Devil- the Ouija board. Green roof possibilities are arrayed on the perimeter of the board. All parties (client, ecologist, environmental advisors, architect, manufacturers, planner, contractors, Uncle Tom Cobbley) put their finger on the glass. Due only to spiritual intervention the glass starts to tremble and move – no finger (sticky or otherwise) is ever seen to exert any pressure. The glass may move towards one solution only to veer at the last moment to another (the spectral phenomenon of value engineering shaking its chains). At this point some may say, 'well shouldn't the client/specifier have a bit more say than just a finger on the glass?'. In a perfect world....... of course. In a perfect world the client/specifier will be well versed in what they are trying to achieve and can clearly state what they want. In a perfect world clear planning requirements and robust specification (as the hard manifestation of a focussed green roof philosophy) would exist. Unfortunately we rarely operate in a perfect world. Back to the board and after much moaning, wailing and pressing of calculator buttons the 'ideal' solution is finally reached. Without the philosophy or a robust specification, the glass will often be driven to an ideal solution that resonates strongly with choice F. However, at this point the question that needs to be asked is: 'The 'ideal' solution.....but is that the correct answer?'.

I would want to make clear here that I am not sat writing this in my sandals, thoughtfully stroking my beard and fidgeting uncomfortably in my hair shirt. I do not spend happy hours pointing a bony and accusatory finger at all and sundry. After more than 10 years working in the UK construction industry specifically delivering Green Roofs I am certainly not against anyone making money out of environmental technologies. What I am against is the maximisation of profit at the expense of environmental worth. Returning to the Ouija board the spiritual intervention that is controlling that glass should be a sound and meaningful philosophy that pays close regard to the delivery of Green Roofs with real benefits . The building performance and biodiversity benefits of green roofs have been well documented. However, I think that there is one major benefit of green roofs that is hardly ever mentioned, and I would want to return to the words of that Austrian 'Hippy' Hundertwasser as to why green roofs are 'good':

A Grass Roof [makes] the body and the soul of the people feel good, those who look up to it as well as those who are under it.

Every Green Roof, no matter how big or how small, has the potential to change the way people both think and view the world. A good green roof should ripple out and propagate further green roofs AND green ideas. A poor green roof is not just a single lost opportunity. A poor green roof will in fact be more damaging than no green roof. A poor green roof will close the minds of people to ideas and further possibility and that is a very real threat.

I am 49 years old and as such, 30, 40 and 50 year environmental projections will have little direct influence on me (other than to allow me to hypothesise now as to the adapted flora and fauna that will be establishing on my 6' x 2' plot). They will however, affect my and your children. I would therefore make the following plea. Let us abandon environmental altruism. Everyone should think of themselves, their own family and the environmental legacy they will be handing to their own children as a priority and sod everyone else. Maybe, just maybe, emphasis on both personal risk and personal gain could be the way to drive long term and collective change.

'Aspirational' is a good word. 'Aspirational' smacks of blue skies, green hills and the sun coming up. It is not a word that is irrevocably linked with '....and niave'. I would hope that this piece is taken as 'Apsirational'. With your permission (or not I'm afraid as it is going to happen) I would want to finish by returning to that Austrian hippy cloth shedder Hundertwasser:

When we dream alone it is only a dream, but when many dream together it is the beginning of a new reality.