With rising urbanization, space is becoming a constant problem. Not only this is threatening the green covers in the cities, in addition, people also don’t have space now where they can spend time with nature. Therefore, by using concepts like green roofs, designers are coming up with ideas to make the concrete jungles similar to real jungles. Keeping in mind the soothing influence that nature has on the human mind, it is a great initiative.
Green Roofs at Guangzhou Metro Authority Headquarters
Eco Factor: Sustainable building designed to maximize energy conservation.
Perkins Eastman have designed a sustainable building to serve as the headquarters of the Guangzhou Metro Authority, which will be developed in partnership with The Metro Design Institute of China. The 50,000 square-meter building will enable the company to house all the planning and construction group activities under one roof.
According to the designers, the building’s sweeping form represents physical speed, which spirals up around the circumference of the dynamic circular form. Since the Metro Authority is committed to being a green company, several sustainable strategies will be integrated in the building.
Due to the tropical climate of China, the building design integrates a terracotta sunscreen system on the exterior envelope that contributes to a reduction in the cooling system’s energy consumption. Moreover, green roofs insulate the building and prevent storm water runoff.
A significant portion of the exterior envelope will be constructed with high-performance glass to provide daylight to the majority of the indoor spaces, to reduce energy requirements for artificial lights.
Via: ArchDaily
15 – Creative green roofs ideas
.15 of the most bizarre yet creative Green Roofs that redefine the term ‘taking greenery to new heights’ are presented before you, right here.
1. Bus Shelter in Sheffield
It was initiated as an advertising effort by the California Academy of Science, but has since become one of the most creatively used methods of showing environmental concerns. It is a well known fact that buses produce the maximum pollution when they are accelerating, and a Green Roof at the bus stop, can in a small way reduce the damage done to the environment. Apart from reducing air pollution, these roofs are also cooler by 10 percent and also reduce the Runoffs, by capturing and stopping the fine particulates in the rain while it falls on it.
2. Green Roof Subway Entrance at Barclays Central Plaza
The new improved design of the Barclays Center Plaza includes an all new Green Roofed Subway entrance. This is an effort by the designers and the architects to make the area more ‘environment friendly’ and also to make it more serene. This may well be a gimmick to please those who are rallying against the construction of the Atlantic Yards but is beneficial for everyone none the less.
3. Green Roofs on Cars
The Grama is one awesome car that imbibes all the latest technical tools and concepts to create a fully environment friendly car that runs on Hydrogen and other alternate energy resources. It features a classy green roof that helps it to convert water into Hydrogen that is used as the Fuel. The Green roof also helps in keeping the temperature of the car down.
4. Awesome Green Grass Roofs on Recyclable Homes
These amazing looking houses in the Swiss estate are truly like the ones that you saw the Hobbits live in, in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Made from recycled materials and featuring Green Roofs, these are very Eco-friendly and present a scene that seems to be out of this world. In fact if you just cast a glance at the houses from a far place you would in fact mistake it for an ordinary but beautiful lake side.
5.The Green Roofed Houseboat
This rather odd looking Houseboat features a Green Roof and stakes claim at being Eco-friendly. The green roof looks cool but the absence of any other form of alternate energy harboring device makes its claim to be very Eco-friendly a little weak.
6. Green roofs at Homes in the Puget Sound
A really novel way devised by architects of the Puget Sound to overcome the problem of pollution is the extensive installation of Green roofs on the houses of Puget Sound to help restore its natural beauty. These roofs retain rain water and prevent its run off by an impressive margin, which saves the rain water from flowing down the drains.
7. Green Roof Serves as Goat Pasture
It is a really novel way of introducing and utilizing a green roof. Goats grazing grass on a roof, well that’s a sight to behold. These green roofs keep the houses cool and prevent run off of rain water and add some grazing goats and you create a spectacle for others to watch.
8. Woodward Bird Green Roof Homes
This is really a cool way to add creativity to the love of nature. These bird houses are easy to build and almost maintenance free. The green roofs are small but big enough to convey the message of your love for nature .
9. Animal Homes With Green Roofs
These cool new Eco-friendly green roofed prefabs are really nice to look at. Apart from being used as your pet’s home, they symbolize your love of nature and greenery as well. Get one home to add a glorious effect to your home’s interiors.
10. ‘Shutter Island’ With A Spooky Green Roof
The prison featured in the “Shutter Island” is also one of buildings that feature a green roof. It is extensively covered by greenery and creates an astonishing effect that is both serene and bizarre at the same time, perfectly suiting the film’s theme.
11. Gallie Craig The Green Roofed Coffee House
This awesome piece of architecture can easily be mistaken for a simple landscape when viewed from the top. The Green roof simply blends in with the surroundings, giving it a very natural look. It also provides the Coffee House an aura of beauty and harmony with nature.
12. Gorgeous Green Roof in the French High School
This high school is a true designer marvel that creates a really amazing effect by amalgamation of the latest concept of Green Roofs with impeccable creativity. The Green roofs look really amazing on this High School premises apart from making it really environmentally friendly.
13. Awesome Green Roofs in Singapore’s Nanyang Art College
This astonishing piece of designer architecture displays what creativity is developed in an art school. It is certainly an architectural marvel of Singapore. The slanting green roofs look amazing and convey the feeling of love of nature and greenery.
14. The Green Roofs on The California Academy of Sciences
You can look at the all green domes and easily mistake them to be a natural landscape, but in fact these are all but part of the extensive roof of the California Academy of Science. Built on a large area, and with an extensive green roof that looks more natural than man made, this Academy certainly looks to create harmony between nature and science.
15. Old Norwegian Green Roofs
The trend of having Green Roofs may be recent to the world, but not in Norway. Here houses have symbolized the harmony between nature and man for centuries and you can even witness extensive foliage growth on the roofs that protect, insulate and stabilize these homes.
Final Words
Green Roofs are not just terrace that is painted green in color, they are the living, breathing roofs full of plants and grass. Slowly and gradually the popularity of these roofs is steadily on the rise and you can witness a large number of creative designer Green roofs all over the world.
These Green Roofs, in spite of having a high initial cost (to the tune of $200 per sq feet), have many advantages. It is a relatively low maintenance level, and also allow natural cooling of the building which brings down the cooling cost by about 10 percent.
The inculcation of the green roofs in commercial, residential and even public buildings is really a sight to behold. Apart from creating a serene, beautiful and ‘living’ roof, these are very good for sustaining the climate, when present in large clusters.
