Namba Parks

It's funny those particular projects that fly under the radar, even when you are looking straight at them. Treehugger has a case in point, from a post on Green Roofs in Osaka, particularly with the Namba Parks project.


:: image via Treehugger

Built in 2003, "Jerde Partnership Architects "conceived Namba Parks as a large park, a natural intervention in Osaka's dense and harsh urban condition. Alongside a 30-story tower, the project features a lifestyle commercial center crowned with a rooftop park that crosses multiple blocks while gradually ascending eight levels. In addition to providing a highly visible green component in a city where nature is sparse, the sloping park connects to the street, welcoming passers-by to enjoy its groves of trees, clusters of rocks, cliffs, lawn, streams, waterfalls, ponds and outdoor terraces."


:: image via Treehugger

:: image via Metaefficient

There is a bunch more info on Jerde's website, including a plethora of images. See below for some additional eye candy on this one. FYI, the landscape architect on the project is EDAW.

:: The Canyon - image via Jerde






:: additional project images - via Jerde

A Panopoly of Green Roofs

I heard recently of a conversation where one person said that green roofs are dead. I'm guessing the person that said this either had tongue planted firmly in cheek, or was sadly misinformed. Our awe and excitement has transformed itself into innovation and adoption on a wide scale. While living walls are definitely the vegitectural hero du jour, the green roof in all of it's incarnations will be around a long while.

A number of posts that weren't necessarily all of the visual elements for Veg.itecture, but alas are good info to capture and read up on the latest info. Below are short tidbits and links - aka cleaning house...

Dwell started with mentioning the growth of the industry, and a number of the incentives and grant programs that municipalities are bringing to create more projects, faster. The earliest and most robust is Chicago, which started doling out grants in 2005, and the results have paid off - with by far the greatest percentage of planted rooftops in North America. I've mentioned our new plan in Portland, and it seems Washington DC and New York both have programs in the works. Still, we have a long way to catch up to Germany... or Japan even.


:: ACROS Fukoka Building Green Roof (no not in Chicago) - image via Dwell

Dwell mentions again the popularity of green roofs, with a GRHC study showing 2.4 million square feet planted between 2006-7. It was interesting in the article featuring The Wild Project and the install techiques of green roof specialist Marni Horwitz of Alive Structures, that the project used ELT, a tray system. I'm not sure if you all are aware of my disdain for prefab systems - and she also used Styrofoam additive which is definitely a light but questionable choice. Perhaps it's just that when you specialize, you become a specialist, not necessarily an expert? I definitely will poke around the site and see if anything turns up.


:: The Wild Project Green Roof - image via Dwell

An upcoming book release (September 2008) everyone should be excited about 'Green Roofs in Sustainable Landscape Design' by Steven L. Cantor. I remember showing Steven a couple of Portland rooftops in 2004 during the Green Roof Conference in Portland, and he mentioned this book. With the dearth of green roof literature out there (but growing slowly) this will be a welcome addition to any library. As always, I will try to get an advanced copy and give everyone a sneak peek.


:: image via Amazon

Treehugger is always good for some snippets about green roofs, and their article about the new green roof accessory, bees, was no exception. The post mentions the Fairmount York Hotel in Toronto, "...where Chef David Garcelon grows herbs and vegetables. Now he has added bees."


:: Fairmount York Hotel, Toronto - image via Treehugger

Via the Globe and Mail: "The only other place that's brought bees to such heights is the Paris opera house," Royal York spokeswoman Melanie Coates told Anthony Reinhart of the Globe and Mail. He writes that Chef Garcelon came up with the idea last summer, when he noticed a multitude of bees buzzing around the herbs, vegetables and edible flowers in the raised wooden beds of the hotel's 10-year-old rooftop garden. He evidently has "visions of fresh honey dripping into his salad dressings, soups, pastries and countless other creations."

They may want some fact checking at the G&M, as the Chicago City Hall Rooftop Garden has had bees, hives and the works (from the best of my knowledge) since 2003... and the harvested honey is used to fund after-school programs... soooo... anyone confirm this fact? I'd hate to be wrong, but really, this is a blog - and I will readily print a correction/retraction :)


:: Chicago City Hall Rooftop Garden - image via Planetizen

A couple from the huh? department. First, I just love the title of this article from World Architecture News (WAN) - 'The American Society of Landscape Architects builds a green roof for others to emulate'. OK, I've said it before, and I'll say it again (and I know it's heretical). It's a beautiful and successful project. It's a boon to the profession of landscape architecture and ASLA. But it is NOT, I repeat, NOT something for others to emulate. If we're using this as the pinnacle/exemplar for green roof adoption (not just as a great one off project) with it's enormous price tag - we're all doomed. Marketing it that was is just plain wrong.


:: ASLA Green Roof in Bloom - image via WAN

And while a good post - the opening page of the Treehugger story about Green Roofs at Doors Open Toronto has this shot... sorry, PVs area green technology on a roof - not a green roof... :) Plus, don't they know that the efficieny of PVs are increased with green roof additions...

:: image via Treehugger

There were some follow-up images of some great projects, including one of my favorites, the Mountain Equipment Co-op store with it's wildflowery roof.

:: image via Treehugger

Finally, I've been remiss in reviewing the innagural copy of the Living Architecture Monitor from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. Caroline from GRHC was kind enough to send me a copy, and coming soon will be my take on the content of this almost singular resource for building greening. Yikes there's a new issue out - and now I'm really behind... Caroline!!!

Veg.itecture #31

As I mentioned, there's been a lot of activity - and now that the roots of Vegitecture have been illuminated... let's see how these buildings are dressing themselves... lots of great examples. An interesting article beyond this photo, from the NY Times article 'I’m the Designer. My Client’s the Autocrat.' which looks into the trend of starchitects working for countries with questionable human rights. Check it out, and check out the image Thom Mayne’s design for a corporate headquarters in Shanghai - build the building, save the world...


:: image via NY Times

Another from Syd Mead... a project for the Qatar Steel Corp. I had not made the connection, but via Gizmodo: "You may know "futurist" Syd Mead from his design work on geek friendly movies like Blade Runner, Tron and Aliens—but in his most recent work he envisions a future city by the name of Doha, Qatar. Naturally, his work speaks for itself, but I must admit that it stands in stark contrast to the bleak world of Blade Runner. Maybe he has become more optimistic as the years have passed."


:: image via The Design Blog

Another, via Inhabitat, is Grid House, a project in Philadelphia by Moto Designshop. A response to dense infill development, it contains a number of rooftop spaces to allow for open spaces on multiple levels.




:: images via Inhabitat

Via Bustler, Oslo Central Train Station by Norwegian architect firm, Space Group.


:: image via Bustler

A new town plan for Dubai (go figure) SMAQ (via Archinect) - a 60 hectare project named Paramount. A sustainable, mixed use village for 7000 in Dubailand (why does that sound so wrong?). Via SMAQ: "In the design, the built up area has been compressed to occupy only fifty percent of the site as a reaction to the sun condition, to achieve a compact and shaded fabric. Its structure is defined by alternating narrow pedestrian alleys and small squares, typical of Arabic towns. This urban tissue is divided in elongated islands that are orientated so to gain from the prevailing winds crossing the site. The cool breeze from the sea is channelled between the islands and through the longitudinal cuts in the urban fabric, while the hot wind from the desert is deviated above the development." More info via Cityscape Abu Dhabi.




:: images via SMAQ

Designboom featured a multi-family housing with terraced green roofs from taller13 architects.


:: image via Designboom

BDonline featured Mark Hines Architects eco-friendly community centre at Ashton-under-Lyne in Lancashire. The colorful green roof offers a sustainable top to this simple structure.


:: image via BDonline

Finally, MoCoLoco linked to ArchDaily with a series of 8 sweet green roof houses, the Finca El Retorno Eco Shelters,by G Ateliers. "The design acknowledges the natural beauty of the site to create 8 ecological shelters that care to minimize the impact on the site and achieve a delicate fusion of architecture and place. These shelters emerge from the topography and enhance the surrounding nature without competing with it. Corridors at the perimeter, traditional elements from the Colombian dwelling architecture are introduced to achieve a clear relationship between interior and exterior."






:: images via ArchDaily