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© GKR Hydro GmbH
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Living Building Envelop in the North of Italy

New office building built as solid timber construction following the cradle to cradle principles in the North of Italy. © Partner und Partner Architekten The façade is designed with continuous planters on each level, providing a habitat for various climbing/trailing plants to provide a sunshade for the office. The planters are custom-made from powder-coated stainless steel and equipped with the Hydro Profi Line® Planting system to optimize water consumption, irrigation, structural loads and required planter profile. Water consumption: through the planting system’s architecture, water consumption is significantly lowered (by up to 80% compared to conventional planting systems). Irrigation: the planting system comes with a substrate-free water reservoir in each planter. Therefore, the planters themselves function as an irrigation system. On each level, one planter is attached to the non-pressurized irrigation supplying all other planters on the same level through an overflow mechanism (following the rice-terrace-principle). Structural loads: the loads can be split into the water-saturated substrate, the water reservoir at maximum water level and the planting system. In total: app. 75 kg/running meter (thereof water 24kg/running meter, water-saturated substrate app. 30 kg per running meter, the planting system itself, and the planter around 15 kg/running meter). Conventional loads around 300 kg per running meter and more. Planter profile: due to the triggering of mainly fine root growth, the profile of the planters can be reduced to a minimum. In this case 30 cm x 30 cm (conventionally rather 50 cm x 60 cm) Architects: Partner und Partner ArchitektenLandlord: ekos GmbH Green Roof/Wall System: Hydro Profi Line® PlantersNumber of Green roofs / Walls on Property: App. 200 running meter of climbing plants in special fadace-mounted planters © GKR Hydro GmbH © GKR Hydro GmbH   Date: Nov 2021City: VahrnLocation: Plattnerstrasse 4 owner website contact

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05/12/2022 No Comments
Latest News

The winner “BuGG Green Roof of the Year” 2021 is announced!

The winner of “BuGG Green Roof of the Year” 2021 has been recently announced! The German Association of Building Greening (Bundesverband GebäudeGrün e.V. – BuGG) has been holding the annual election for “BuGG Green Roof, Facade and Interior Greening of the Year” since 2001. BuGG members can submit outstanding objects. The election will then take place during a members’ meeting or an event. At the end of last year, the election was held in digital form and with a large number of participants during the Federal Congress of Building Greening (Bundeskongress Gebäudegrün). The winning project for the “BuGG Green Roof of the Year” 2021 is the designed and accessible green roof of the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter in Hamburg, submitted by BuGG member Landschaftsarchitektur+. The building has a total roof area of approx. 3,870 m² on various storeys, of which more than half (2,440 m²) is greened. The greening is designed both as an extensive green roof in a multi-layer construction with 4 cm drainage, filter fleece and 11 cm extensive substrate and in the form of a roof garden on the lower terraces and the common area of the canteen. The accessible roof garden also consists of a multi-layered structure: 6 cm plastic drainage, filter fleece, about 5-45 cm sub-substrate (in thicker areas with tree plantings) and 35 cm intensive substrate. The plant selection includes perennials, grasses and woody plants. Ramps and stairs between the levels create connections and a way to cross the campus on the east-west axis. Due to various seating areas along the curved paths, the roof garden can be enjoyed as a retreat and “green place to linger”. The comprehensive lighting concept ensures usability and a delightful atmosphere on the roof even in the dark. The award winner, with its exemplary green roof installation worthy of imitation, also reflects the trend described by the “BuGG Market Report on Building Greening 2021”: the areas of intensive green roofs, and thus the use of roof areas as recreational and living space, are increasing every year. In 2020, for example, 18 percent of the roof areas in Germany were already greened. More information …………………………………………………. Construction information Object: Green roof, Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Hamburg Year of construction: 2021 Green roof area: 2,440 m² Building owner: Max Planck Society, Hamburg Architect: Architekturbüro hammeskrause architekten, Stuttgart Planting design: Prof. Mark Krieger, OST Rapperswil Landscape architect: Landschaftsarchitektur+, Hamburg Green roof structure: Extensive green roof in 3-layer construction and intensive green roof in 4-layer construction Green roof system: Optigrün international AG Executing company: Garten- und Landschaftsbau Klaus Hildebrandt GmbH, Hamburg …………………………………………………. Author/Contact Laura Vötig/Dr. Gunter Mann Bundesverband GebäudeGrün e. V. (BuGG) Albrechtstraße 13 10117 Berlin Telefon: +49 30 / 40 05 41 02 E-Mail: info@bugg.de www.gebaeudegruen.info BuGG President Dr. Gunter Mann (centre) presents the managing directors of Landschaftsarchitektur+ Felix Holzapfel-Herziger (left) and Julian Benesch (right) with the winner’s badges for the “BuGG Green Roof of the Year” 2021. Source: Landschaftsarchitektur+ / BuGG The roof garden of the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter is an inviting place to take a break. Source: Landschaftsarchitektur+ Winner “BuGG Green Roof of the Year” 2021: The Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter in Hamburg. Source: Landschaftsarchitektur+ The winning object is also a ” luminous highlight ” in the twilight of the evening. Source: Landschaftsarchitektur+

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04/26/2022 No Comments
Latest News

Multifunctional Urban Green Infrastructure Book

The World Green Infrastructure Network continues with its own publications. After its first book “Green Cities in the World” in 2014, the update in 2015 and the Spanish version in 2016, the “Vertical urban agriculture” book followed in 2018. Now you have our new book in your hands, which also updates the overview of national green infrastructure associations around the globe. The present book is a product of several WGIN members and other selected authors. The aim is to highlight some specific examples of implemented projects around the exiting world of green infrastructure. One focus are insight stories about lessons learned in green infrastructure. Why this collection? Green infrastructure has become a hot topic all around the globe; this book can help to expand your knowledge about the associated benefits. Combining construction with plants and incorporating their functionality into the architectural design is today much more accepted than years ago. This publication is an insight view of several pioneer projects and some detailed solutions, which are worth replicating or adapting to other climates, regions or cultures. Read here

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04/26/2022 No Comments
Latest News

Call for Proposals: CitiesAlive 2022

CitiesAlive 2022 is finally back in person and will be held in Philadelphia from October 16th-19th, 2022. It will focus on the theme of “Green Infrastructure & Water in a Changing Climate”. CitiesAlive 2022 is now accepting proposals for presentations and research papers. The application deadline is Saturday April 30th, 2022, at 11:59 pm, please submit your proposals here. CitiesAlive 2022 is accepting proposals that are within orbit of the following topics: submit a proposal CitiesAlive 2022 will highlight new policy, design practices, emerging research, innovative products, and Philadelphia-centric green infrastructure developments. The goal is to help inform the current policy debate by making a case for the rapid and significant increase in green infrastructure investment, a trend that’s occurring worldwide. Submit a proposal by Saturday April 30th, 2022, at 11:59 pm. You are invited to review the submission process and related criteria for submitting by clicking here. A big thank you to the Sponsors of CitiesAlive 2022: Hunter – Silver SponsorCarlisle CCM – Silver SponsorRooflite – Silver SponsorChatfield Green Roofing – Lanyard SponsorNaturcycle – Copper SponsorGinkgo Sustainability – Copper Sponsor

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04/25/2022 No Comments
Latest News

Cities Alive Conference again in life: October-16-19th in Philadelphia

CitiesAlive 2022 Call for Proposals & Call for research Papers now open! Submit your Proposal by Saturday April 30, 2022 CitiesAlive 2022 have officially launched their Call for Session Proposals and Call for Research Papers! They welcome all interested parties to submit a proposal for a 30, 60, or 90 minute Session Proposal (general presentation, not research specific), or a 10-30 minute Research Presentation (must include abstract to be peer reviewed by a panel of qualified CitiesAlive Advisory Committee academics). Submissions are due by April 30th, 2022. You are invited to review the submission process and related criteria for submitting by clicking here. CitiesAlive® is back in 2022 in Philadelphia at the DoubleTree by Hilton – Philadelphia City Center. The conference will be held from Sunday October 16th to Tuesday October 18th, with an additional day of tours on Wednesday October 19th. The theme of this year’s conference is Green Infrastructure & Water in a Changing Climate. Water is critical to the health and resiliency of our communities. Over the last several years, Philadelphia has become a green infrastructure leader through creative policy solutions that work to create vibrant community spaces while managing stormwater. In 2011 the Philadelphia Water department implemented a plan to invest $1.2 Billion over the next 25 years. CitiesAlive® 2022 is a multi-disciplinary conference, bringing together the best designers, product manufacturers, researchers, and policy makers in the field of living architecture and green infrastructure. Attendees will hear from leading-edge designers, discussing their innovative approaches and newest projects. We will be highlighting progressive policies and showcasing the latest research. Join us in shaping a better, more resilient future. For more information visit www.citiesalive.org Marketing and Promotional Opportunities Brochure 

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04/21/2022 No Comments
Latest News

The Green roof Association of Switzerland will celebrate their 25th Anniversary on June 22nd

On 22 June 2022, SFG will celebrate it’s 25th anniversary with a full-day event on current topics of building green. Help shape the future – plan, debate, discuss common myths; the cityscape of tomorrow; and how climate resilience and human well-being can be improved. The SFG-jubilee event on 25th of June will be an opportunity to connect European Green roof activities. The networking event with WGIN, EFB and national representatives of several organizations will focus on current trends in Green infrastructure in Switzerland. The ecosystem services of green infrastructure and green buildings help us to tackle current and future challenges such as biodiversity promotion, urban heat island, air and quality of life and to actively shape the green city of the future. Join the discussion to shape the future! Speakers include: • Raphael Lanz, Mayor of Thun • Claudia Moll, deputy chairman of Thun, Head of Section Landscape Policy, Federal Office for the Environment FOEN. • Conrad Amber, nature-thinking author, consultant, photographer from Dornbirn. • Beat Kohler, Grand Councillor of the Canton of Bern and chief editor of the trade journal “Erneuerbare Energien” • Markus Weibel, Head of Stadtgrün Thun • Jürg Grossen, Member of the National Council, President green liberals and swissolar • Martin Vinzens, Head of section Settlement and Landscape, Federal Office for Spatial Development ARE • Hanspeter Latour, Nature with Latour • Nathalie Baumann and Anke Domschky, Research Group Green Space Development, Institute for Environment and Natural Resources, ZHAW • Daniel Bärtschi, Head of Agriculture and Food at Quantis Switzerland, President Agricultura Regeneratio and author • Nicolas Disch, Project Manager Green City of Zurich, Funding Programmes Biodiversity and Vertical Greening • Stefan Herfort, Head of Nature and Landscape Protection City of Lucerne • Stefan Oberholzer, Head of the SFOE Research Programme Photovoltaics, Federal Office of Energy ARE Further informationSave the date flyerRegister now

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04/19/2022 No Comments
© Getty Images
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Green roofs featured in Portuguese-speaking media

© Getty Images The director of Instituto Cidade Jardim and Brazilian WGIN board member, Sérgio Rocha, participated in an interview for the channel Um Só Planeta (One Planet) published in early April. Together with the researcher Priscila Stark, they presented to readers and listeners of the Portuguese language the case study of the city of Munich, talking about the historical roots and the evolution of this technology that is changing for better the urban climate of European cities. Um Só Planeta brings together the stories of journalists from 21 brands of Globo companies that are committed to writing a new future for the Earth. Valor Econômico, O Globo, Extra, Época, Época NEGÓCIOS, Galileu, Marie Claire, Quem, Crescer, Casa e Jardim, Globo Rural, Small Business & Big Business, AutoEsporte, TechTudo, Vogue, Casa Vogue, GQ, Glamour, CBN participate , Rádio Globo and BH FM. Read here Listen here

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04/13/2022 No Comments
Latest News

Study: Green urban infrastructure in Spain

In April 2022, the European Green Market Report on green roofs and walls published a new study assessing the state of play of urban green infrastructure in Spain. Taking Nature-Based-Solutions (NBS) as a reference, the 80-page publication consists of various chapters proposing a contemporary take on the historical situation, municipal scenarios, and urban architecture. A second section has been devoted to social perception through a national survey of scholars and professionals; and finally, a case study of Madrid exposes the evolution and trends at national level. The study has been carried out thanks to an interdisciplinary collaboration between companies and civil organizations, constituting the working group: Pronatur, member of the Boards of Directors of WGIN and EFB; Agrarian Forum; itdUPM; Juan XXIII Roncalli Foundation and Actual Research. The results of the study aim to highlight the important role that NBS must play in response to the challenges of our environment. The study on Spain was carried out within the European Green Market Report on roofs and walls, which includes previous studies in the United Kingdom, Austria and Germany. The study follows the guidelines of the European Federation of Green Roofs and Walls and the World Green Infrastructure Network. Read the full study here

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04/11/2022 No Comments
EU chapter

Smartly combining green infrastructure and solar installations can transform Europe’s built environment

Solar panels on a green roof with flowering sedum plants. ID: 1984038584 The European Solar Rooftops Initiative presents a unique opportunity to maximize the impact for cities and citizens promoting the combination of green infrastructure and solar installations on every rooftop and impervious surface where it is economically and technically feasible. The energy crisis, exacerbated by the tragic invasion of Ukraine, has shown how serious Europe’s energy dependence on Russia’s natural gas and oil is. European Governments and the international community are now working on short- and medium-term solutions to increase energy security. These include, among others, plans to diversify energy supplies, the very bad idea to reopen nuclear plants and return to coal, and the excellent idea to boost renewable energy sources. Investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy should have been our governments first political priority for energy security for decades. With the recent release of REPowerEU, a Joint European Action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy, the European Commission recommends deploying 420 GW of solar capacity by 2030. As part of this effort, the Commission “will present in June a communication on solar energy with the aim of helping unlock solar energy’s potential as a major renewable energy source in the EU. Based on an analysis of the state of play of solar energy across the EU, the solar strategy will propose a European Solar Rooftops Initiative, which will identify barriers, propose measures to accelerate the roll-out and ensure that the public can fully reap the benefits of rooftop solar energy”. The European Solar Rooftops Initiative presents a unique opportunity to maximize the impact for cities and citizens promoting the combination of green infrastructure and solar installations on every rooftop and impervious surface where it is economically and technically feasible. Biosolar installations, which combine green roof and solar energy technologies together, would change our urban environment. Individual homes, building blocks and local energy communities would satisfy their energy needs with solar energy produced on site or nearby. Green roofs and other forms of vegetation would increase urban biodiversity. From an energy perspective, by reducing stormwater runoff and urban heat island effect, green roofs could also significantly decrease the energy required to treat rainwater and cool our cities while also increasing the production efficiency of rooftop solar installations by anywhere from 5 to 15 per cent. Green roofs also provide the ability to ballast racking systems for solar panels without any roofing penetrations. And because green roofs protect the underlying waterproofing, extending its life expectancy beyond 40 years, there is no need to remove solar panels and reroof in the future. Citizens would support biosolar installations. Property value would increase, home and cities would be more beautiful, more energy performant and healthier place to live in. And health and wellbeing in the difficult times of COVID pandemic are a top priority for individuals and communities. Read the full article Living Architecture Monitor (LAM) is a quarterly publication first published in 1998. It features in-depth interviews with leaders in the green building movement, opinions, research, and green roof and wall project profiles.

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03/28/2022 No Comments
EU chapter

Sika joins World Green Infrastructure Network

WGIN welcomes Sika AG as a new corporate member. The Swiss multinational specialty chemicals company will also be part of the network’s European Chapter. The World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) is delighted to announce that Sika is joining the Network as a new corporate member. Sika is also joining WGIN’s EU Chapter, the group’s advocacy section dedicated to advance the green infrastructure agenda in the European Union. Sika AG was founded in 1910 with the invention of a quick-setting waterproofing admixture for mortars, which was used to waterproof the Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland and enabled the Swiss railway company to electrify the important connection between Northern and Southern Europe. Today, thanks to its leading position in developing and producing systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protecting in the building sector and motor vehicle industry, the company is considered as enabler of sustainable transportation and construction. Sika has been waterproofing green roofs and other landscaped areas for over 40 years globally, and in the United States for over 25 years. Sika’s Sarnafil® roofing systems have recently celebrated their 60-year anniversary. With close to 400 million m2 of roofing and waterproofing membrane installed worldwide, architects, specifiers and building owners know they can rely on Sika for proven products and system performance. Already today, Sika generates 70% of its sales with products that have a positive sustainability impact. Manfred Koehler, President of the World Green Infrastructure Network, commented: “We are very pleased to welcome Sika as a new member of WGIN and of its EU Chapter. As a multinational company well known for its innovative and high-quality products, Sika is a perfect match with our ambition to promote the deployment of green infrastructure globally. We look forward to working together on this key agenda.” Patricia Heidtman, Chief Innovation and Sustainability Officer at Sika, said: “Sustainability is at the center of everything Sika does. Our company is focusing on helping customers to reduce their CO2eq footprint by providing innovative solutions and products. In many respects, Sika’s technologies make the company an enabler that strongly contributes to the climate neutrality journey of the construction and automotive industries. That’s why we share the ambition to promote green infrastructure in urban planning and we are happy to join WGIN and support them in this endeavor.”   Patrick Horisberger, Head Target Market Roofing at Sika, added: “Green roofs lower the energy costs by absorbing heat which in turn significantly reduces the need for air conditioning in summer and provides additional insulation in the winter. Another important benefit is their ability to reduce and slow stormwater runoff, besides using the roof as a recreational area. With our membership in WGIN we want to influence and support the development of green roofs by sharing know-how, supporting studies, and developing new solutions.”   Download the pdf version   Media contacts Luigi Petito Head of Secretariat, World Green Infrastructure Network – EU Chapter luigi.petito@wgin.org   Harriet Sihn Public Relations Manager, Sika AG sihn.harriet@ch.sika.com   ABOUT WGIN The World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) is a collaborative global network promoting the integration of green infrastructure in urban planning. Since 2009, WGIN has expanded to represent 22 National Associations and has held 10 World Green Infrastructure Congresses. WGIN has established supportive working research committees and has an active board of directors representing 11 nations. In 2019, WGIN set up a European Chapter with the aim of raising awareness among EU policymakers about the multiple benefits of green infrastructure.   ABOUT SIKA Sika is a specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protecting in the building sector and motor vehicle industry. Headquartered in Baar (Switzerland), Sika has subsidiaries in 101 countries around the world and manufactures in over 300 factories. Its more than 27,000 employees generated annual sales of CHF 9.3 billion in 2021.

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03/17/2022 No Comments
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