Around up of the latest news in green roofs from around the world from the Livingroofs Newsdesk - a selection including Banff, Singapore, Vancouver, Belfort and Edmonton with a chicken a shed in betwem.
Banff - Wildlife Bridges
The first of three Canadian features in this review, this is the kind of thing we like at Livingroofs.org - green roofs for wildlife and your can't get any better than bridges for moose, elk, bear and cougar!
Many wouldn't think of these bridges as green roofs, but that's what they are - the four 60 metre overpasses have native rocky mountain vegetation atop and are technically intensive green roofs though we're sure that maintenance input will be pretty low.
What about bridging over motorways and roads in our Cities so humans can mingle and the dreaded traffic is consigned underground? Well it has been done in Linz, Austria.
International Skyrise Greenery Conference 2010
Co hosted by IGRA who organised the first World green roof event in Neurtingen, Stuttgart in 2004, and the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology. This conference looks like one not to miss if you are anywhere in reach of Singapore.
The theme of the event: "Surfaces of creativity: Spaces of delight"
Creativity in greening urban surfaces is celebrated through innovations rooftop greenery technology, vertical greenery and the application of technologies and how they integrate with architecture/landscape. The conference aims to celebrate the 'delight' through an appreciation and understanding of the positive impacts of urban greenery: on the psyche and community, urban biodiversity, sustainability and the positive impacts on the urban heat island.If you haven't already you can register at the conference website and if you can't make it I am sure the proceedings of the event will be available from IGRA in due course.
will present the latest technological developments and new areas of application in the field of rooftop greenery and vertical greenery.
“Pave paradise and put up a parking lot.”
Joni Mitchells quote introduces a great little article form British Columbia on green roofs, thermal performance, urban heat island effect and stormwater. We are highlighting it because Vancouver, BC is hosting the Cities Alive Conference. LIvingroofs.org will be there presenting and we are looking forward to visiting one of the cities at the vanguard of green roofs in North America. And we know that the boss is desperate to visit the Vancouver Convention Centre green roof - one of the seven wonders of the green roof world. And this great video shows why (one of hte best green roof videos out there) - wonderful.
Chickens get the green roof they deserve
Small scale green roofs are something LR has been promoting for a long time. Here with a 'chic' little chicken shed. Architecturally it might be a bit over the top for the hens and we are not convinced that they will really appreciate the perfect lines and dimensions. But a great little green roof atop.
We know of a bigger chicken 'shed' green roof in Switzerland. We gather that a when the green roof was installed on the barn the organic chickens were more predisposed to get down to business of egg laying. Apparently the production went up overnight. Happy chickens, happy farmer and proof that green roofs should be everywhere not just downtown.
Edmonton goes for new sustainable green community
Stantec Green Roof Edmonton
Canada features again in the news round up as we have a soft spot for Alberta. The chief visited this year and was interviewed by for the Edmonton Government.
The City has announced plans for a 30,000-resident, sustainable community on the municipal airport lands - the masterplanning approach should include green roofs and other cutting edge water and sewage treatment systems. We like to celebrate visioning that takes an ecosystem services approach to the built environment.
Toitures verts - Green roofs France
Belfort, close to the Swiss border in Northern Eastern France has a new stadium bedeck with an undulating green roof. Great images and great project but as any regular reader of these pages we know, it is a bit of bugbear of ours that where are the flowers! The obsession with monoculture monochrome architectural approach misses out on the opportunity to do a full ecosystem services treatment when you design and build greenrooms. And of course the local French bees and butterflies would appreciate a little bit of nectar and pollen.
