Living Architecture

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme Hopkins ◽  
Christine Goodwin
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Open Space ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Interior Space ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Living Wall ◽  
Urban Heat

Extensively illustrated with photographs and drawings, Living Architecture highlights the most exciting green roof and living wall projects in Australia and New Zealand within an international context. Cities around the world are becoming denser, with greater built form resulting in more hard surfaces and less green space, leaving little room for vegetation or habitat. One way of creating more natural environments within cities is to incorporate green roofs and walls in new buildings or to retrofit them in existing structures. This practice has long been established in Europe and elsewhere, and now Australia and New Zealand have begun to embrace it. The installation of green roofs and walls has many benefits, including the management of stormwater and improved water quality by retaining and filtering rainwater through the plants’ soil and root uptake zone; reducing the ‘urban heat island effect’ in cities; increasing real estate values around green roofs and reducing energy consumption within the interior space by shading, insulation and reducing noise level from outside; and providing biodiversity opportunities via a vertical link between the roof and the ground. This book will appeal to a wide range of readers, from students and practitioners of architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning and ecology, through to members of the community interested in how they can more effectively use the rooftops and walls of their homes or workplaces to increase green open space in the urban environment.

scholarly journals Effect of Substrate Depth and Planting Season on Sedum Plug Survival on Green Roofs

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin L. Getter ◽  
D. Bradley Rowe
Keyword(s):  
Survival Rates ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Heat Island ◽  
Major Objective ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Successful Establishment ◽  
Urban Heat ◽  
Growing Conditions ◽  
Substrate Depth ◽  
Planting Season

Abstract Green roofs, a roofing technology that entails growing plants on rooftops, provide many benefits such as improved stormwater management, energy conservation, mitigation of the urban heat island effect, increased longevity of roofing membranes, reduction in noise and air pollution, and improved aesthetics. Plants on rooftops are more susceptible to extremes in temperature and drought due to their shallow substrate and elevation above ground. Because of these unfavorable growing conditions, plant selection and season of establishment are critical. The major objective of this study was to quantify the effect of substrate depth and planting season on successful establishment of plugs of Sedum species on green roofs. Plugs of nine species of Sedum were planted in East Lansing, MI, in autumn (September 20, 2004) or spring (June 8, 2005) and then evaluated for survival on June 1, 2005, and June 1, 2006, respectively. Overall, spring planting exhibited superior survival rates (81%) compared to autumn (23%) across substrate depths. Sedum cauticola ‘Lidakense’, S. floriferum, and S. sexangulare were not affected by season of planting. Sedum cauticola barely survived at any substrate depth or planting season, whereas the latter two exhibited nearly 100% survival regardless of planting season. All other species had superior survival percentages when planted during spring.

scholarly journals The Role of Extensive Green Roofs in Sustainable Development

HortScience ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1276-1285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin L. Getter ◽  
D. Bradley Rowe
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Weight Restrictions ◽  
Green Industry ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Urban Heat ◽  
Extensive Green Roofs

As forests, agricultural fields, and suburban and urban lands are replaced with impervious surfaces resulting from development, the necessity to recover green space is becoming increasingly critical to maintain environmental quality. Vegetated or green roofs are one potential remedy for this problem. Establishing plant material on rooftops provides numerous ecological and economic benefits, including stormwater management, energy conservation, mitigation of the urban heat island effect, and increased longevity of roofing membranes, as well as providing a more aesthetically pleasing environment in which to work and live. Furthermore, the construction and maintenance of green roofs provide business opportunities for nurseries, landscape contractors, irrigation specialists, and other green industry members while addressing the issues of environmental stewardship. This paper is a review of current knowledge regarding the benefits of green roofs, plant selection and culture, and barriers to their acceptance in the United States. Because of building weight restrictions and costs, shallow-substrate extensive roofs are much more common than deeper intensive roofs. Therefore, the focus of this review is primarily on extensive green roofs.

scholarly journals An Evaluation of the Potential Energy Benefits of Installing Green Roofs in Hong Kong

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rina D. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Potential Energy ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Cool Roof ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Margin Of Error ◽  
Urban Heat ◽  
Annual Reduction ◽  
Story Building

Green roofs help mitigate the urban heat island effect, increase available green space, and reduce energy consumption of buildings. This thesis estimates potential energy benefits of installing green roofs on buildings in Hong Kong. EnergyPlus, a building energy simulation program, is used to model an extensive green roof installed on a two-story building in downtown Hong Kong. Indoor and outdoor temperature data were collected from the green roof. Model calibration is performed using monitoring data, meeting the set acceptable margin of error of ± 20%. Air conditioning usage from April to September is approximately 232 kWh less in the room under the green roof that for the original roof showing that green roofs can reduce heat flux from the roof into buildings. Compared to other energy saving technologies, the cool roof provides a savings of 184 kWh over the green roof, translating to a $55 annual reduction in energy costs.

scholarly journals The impact of climate change will hit urban dwellers first – Can green infrastructure save us?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rüdiger Grote
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Urban Heat ◽  
The Impact

Two phenomena that can cause large numbers of premature human deaths have gained attention in the last years: heat waves and air pollution. These two effects have two things in common: They are closely related to climate change and they are particularly intense in urban areas. Urban areas are particular susceptible to these impacts because they can store lots of heat and have little opportunity for cooling off (also known as the urban heat island effect). In order to mitigate these impacts and to establish an environment that protects human health and improve well-being, implementation of green infrastructure – trees, green walls, and green roofs – is commonly proposed as a remedy. More trees, hedges and lawns are intuitively welcome by people living in cities for their beautifying effects, but to which degree can such greening actually counterbalance the expected effects of climate change? In this review I would like to investigate what science can offer to answer this question.

scholarly journals Evidence of the Climate Mitigation Effect of Green Roofs—A 20-Year Weather Study on an Extensive Green Roof (EGR) in Northeast Germany

Buildings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manfred Köhler ◽  
Daniel Kaiser
Keyword(s):  
Urban Heat Island ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Good News ◽  
Urban Heat Island Effect ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Heat Island ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Urban Heat

Approximately 10 km2 of new green roofs are built in Germany every year. About 85% of these are Extensive Green Roofs (EGR). An EGR with several research features was installed on new buildings belonging to the University of Applied Sciences Neubrandenburg in 1999. The results of the almost 20-year permanent survey of the climate effects of the green roof in contrast to gravel roofs are presented here. High-quality sensors, similar to those used by official weather stations, are in use, and data is collected every 10 s and aggregated to hourly values which enable comparisons to official measurements made by the DWD in Neubrandenburg and Berlin. The results show the typical urban heat island effect (UHI) and the mitigation effect of EGR. Whilst the temperature increased over the years due to the urban heat island effect, the temperature within the growing media in the green roof remained constant. The EGR has a stabilization effect of 1.5 K. This is good news for all those seeking a UHI mitigation solution for city centers. In a best-case scenario, the green roof potential of cities in Germany is between 3 and 8%. A value of 50% can be achieved for all buildings; roofs represent about ¼ of urban surfaces, and the cooling effect of 1.5 K in 20 years is a reasonable contribution to cooling cities and achieving environmental goals by greening urban surfaces.

scholarly journals Experimental Winter Monitoring of a Light-Weight Green Roof Assembly for Building Retrofit

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4604
Author(s):  
Fabiana Frota de Albuquerque Landi ◽  
Claudia Fabiani ◽  
Anna Laura Pisello
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Positive Energy ◽  
Light Weight ◽  
Building Retrofit ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Urban Heat ◽  
The Impact

Green roofs are a recurrent solution for improving environmental quality in buildings. Such systems can, among other things, reduce the urban heat island effect, improve indoor thermal comfort and visual quality, and reduce energy consumption in buildings, therefore promoting human comfort. This work presents the winter monitoring of a light-weight green roof assembly with the potential to be implemented in extensive urban areas. The green roof monitoring was compared to those of previous bituminous and cool-coating applications. Results show that the system was able to decrease heat losses maintaining a positive energy flow from solar radiation gains and a more constant indoor temperature. In a well-insulated construction, the impact during the cold season was discreet. However, compared to the reference building, a slightly lower indoor air temperature (about 1 °C) was registered.

scholarly journals An Evaluation of the Potential Energy Benefits of Installing Green Roofs in Hong Kong

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rina D. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Potential Energy ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Cool Roof ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Margin Of Error ◽  
Urban Heat ◽  
Annual Reduction ◽  
Story Building

Green roofs help mitigate the urban heat island effect, increase available green space, and reduce energy consumption of buildings. This thesis estimates potential energy benefits of installing green roofs on buildings in Hong Kong. EnergyPlus, a building energy simulation program, is used to model an extensive green roof installed on a two-story building in downtown Hong Kong. Indoor and outdoor temperature data were collected from the green roof. Model calibration is performed using monitoring data, meeting the set acceptable margin of error of ± 20%. Air conditioning usage from April to September is approximately 232 kWh less in the room under the green roof that for the original roof showing that green roofs can reduce heat flux from the roof into buildings. Compared to other energy saving technologies, the cool roof provides a savings of 184 kWh over the green roof, translating to a $55 annual reduction in energy costs.

Evaluating the Effect of Green Infrastructure in Mitigating the Urban Heat Island Effect Using Remote Sensing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Fidani ◽  
Ioannis Daliakopoulos ◽  
Thrassyvoulos Manios ◽  
Manolis Grillakis ◽  
Vasiliki Charalampopoulou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Urban Greening ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Urban Heat ◽  
Operational Program

<p>Urban green infrastructure in the form of green roofs and vertical gardens is gradually becoming a mainstream development option to mitigate the negative impacts of dense urbanization, and primarily those associated with the urban heat island effect and the consequent vulnerability due to climate change (Nektarios and Ntoulas, 2017). Nevertheless, the quantification of the effect of green infrastructure in comparison to conventional infrastructure as well as tree parks and gardens, can be a challenge in a rapidly changing urban environment, especially due to historical gaps in environmental parameter monitoring. Here we propose the use of land surface temperature (LST) [<sup>o</sup>C] produced using freely available LandSat imagery at 30 m resolution, to evaluate the effect of green infrastructure on urban surface temperature. The method relies on the comparison of historical LST timeseries of an area of interest which has undergone urban greening interventions with adjacent city blocks that have retained their conventional urban character. The method is applied to evaluate the impact of the recently constructed Eco Campus Orange (ECO) garden, which has resulted from the renovation of 4 city blocks in Paris, France. Within an area over 3 ha, ECO employs environmentally friendly materials and 100,000 plants to feature 2,300 m<sup>2</sup> of green wall and “the largest green roof of Europe”. For the area of interest, over 250 LandSat 5, 7, and 8 multispectral images dating from 2010 to 2020, were analyzed after Ermida et al. (2020). Results show that, since its construction, LST at ECO quickly dropped by over 2 <sup>o</sup>C, reaching the LST levels of adjacent urban parks. The method is ideal for ambient temperature timeseries reconstruction where long-term monitoring is sparce and can be applied to evaluate drastic landscape changes such as urban greening or vegetation thinning.</p><p><strong>References</strong></p><p>Ermida, S.L., Soares, P., Mantas, V., Göttsche, F.M., Trigo, I.F., 2020. Google earth engine open-source code for land surface temperature estimation from the landsat series. Remote Sens. https://doi.org/10.3390/RS12091471</p><p>Nektarios, P.A., Ntoulas, N., 2017. Designing green roofs for arid and semi-arid climates. The route towards the adaptive approach, in: Acta Horticulturae. International Society for Horticultural Science, pp. 197–202. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2017.1189.39</p><p><strong>Acknowledgements</strong></p><p>The research was co-financed by the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program RIS3Crete (COMPOLIVE: ΚΡΗΡ3-0028773)</p><p>The research of MG was co-financed by the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program "Human Resource Development, Education and Lifelong Learning", under the Act "STRENGTHENING post-doctoral fellows / researchers - B cycle" (MIS 5033021) implemented by the State Scholarship Foundation.</p>

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