Green buildings

[paul m]

I thought we had a thread on this - sorry if I've missed it. I mentioned the very low-energy Antarctic house in Berlin -
Antarctic House - Berlin Zoo - Wildlife Photography
The idea seems to be catching on quite well in northern Europe and I was pleased to find a few examples in Iberia.

Green roofing has several advantages but mainly it acts as insulation, maintaining even temperatures and, especially, it provides habitat for birds and flying insects.

A spectacular bit of greening is at the Caixaforum in Madrid where the ends of a six storey building have been covered with sheeting into which plants are placed:

It's still being planted up - I'm not too sure how well the plants will survive in a hot, dry madrileno summer?

Also in Madrid, a more restrained example:

A restaurant with a lawn on top - the sparrows and pigeons enjoy it. Another 'green' point here is that the room is partly sunk into the ground - another way of moderating temperature.

Several buildings with green roofs in Lisbon but this the largest:

Not just the roof but lots of plants draping over the walls. Must all act as a serious carbon sink and looks pretty, too ....

[goosey]

These are impressive aren't they. I particularly like what has been done to the Caixaforum, surely they must have a way of keeping it watered or they wouldn't have gone ahead with the plans.

Not too far from here in Haarlem (too far for me to go on the bike to get a piccie of sorry ) there are some normal houses with grass roofs - I was absolutely amazed when I first saw them about 15 years ago - thought it was hilarious -now I know better.

Our shed roof is on the verge of collapse and when it does, I will replace it with one with a green roof. I have been thinking about this for ages, primarily for a bit of extra garden.

[paul m]

Originally Posted by goosey

............
Not too far from here in Haarlem (too far for me to go on the bike to get a piccie of sorry ) there are some normal houses with grass roofs - I was absolutely amazed when I first saw them about 15 years ago - thought it was hilarious -now I no better.

Our shed roof is on the verge of collapse and when it does, I will replace it with one with a green roof. I have been thinking about this for ages, primarily for a bit of extra garden.

Yes, they've been a big thing in Netherlands for quite a while. In case you need any help rebuilding:
Sheffield City Council - Green Roofs and Green Walls

[goosey]

Originally Posted by goosey

Not too far from here in Haarlem (too far for me to go on the bike to get a piccie of sorry ) there are some normal houses with grass roofs - I was absolutely amazed when I first saw them about 15 years ago - thought it was hilarious -now I know better.

We were in the area today so took a detour so I could ge a piccie to show what I meant.



They were built/finished in 1991.

[goosey]

Another green roof from Holland, well more of a roof garden but it is making the use of lack of space in the town centre. I saw this today from a window of a department store in Amstelveen, what I found most impressive was that this green roof isn't a private dwelling but on the roof of a shopping centre.

[paul m]

Not green in the sense that we've been discussing but ....

I passed three large tower blocks of flats which are being insulated: they've stuck insulant all over the outside and then are cladding over that. Hope it works - quite a big job. It's a good thing not only because they're taking action about heat pollution but also because they are remedying it rather than knocking the flats down and rebuilding - ten years ago the first response to any building was to demolish and start again.

Sadly, there are lots of other buildings that are perfectly viable but which are being demolished because they're unfashionable apparently. Got me to thinking about old buildings which have been renovated. Most of our banks are now pubs or wine bars.

I'm away for a few days so thought I'd leave you with a competition - guess what these buldings were in their former life.
A now Lynnes Garden Pantry
B now Milano Ristorante
C now a square of restaurants and hotels
detail

[goosey]

Okey doke!
A Gate house to a grand house
B School
C Was going to say an old coaching inn, but then it wouldn't have changed much .

Have a nice break Paul, and see you when you get back .

[paul m]

Originally Posted by goosey

Okey doke!
A Gate house to a grand house
B School
C Was going to say an old coaching inn, but then it wouldn't have changed much .

Have a nice break Paul, and see you when you get back .

Mmm ....
Thanks. I should be in Amsterdam at this moment but there have been changes of plan. Have to find somewhere equally exotic and cultural to explore.
Hope everyone else has good holidays ....

PS: I'm going now!

[paul m]

I can see that these might be too tricky (although one of them has clues) .... This one may be a litle easier ....

Originally Posted by goosey

Okey doke!
A Gate house to a grand house
B School
C Was going to say an old coaching inn, but then it wouldn't have changed much .

Have a nice break Paul, and see you when you get back .

[paul m]

A was a public convenience
B Millhouses Police Station
C was a school - very nicely decorated:

Originally Posted by goosey

Okey doke!
A Gate house to a grand house
B School
C Was going to say an old coaching inn, but then it wouldn't have changed much .
.

[paul m]

This one, I think, is rather silly recycling. Nothing at all wrong with converting an unused windmill and tithe barn into a house or hotel. However, the windmill bricks &c were imported from Holland......

Originally Posted by paul m

I can see that these might be too tricky (although one of them has clues) .... This one may be a litle easier ....

Okay, last one - large building in Macclesfield converted into museum and cinema:

[goosey]

Originally Posted by paul m

Okay, last one - large building in Macclesfield converted into museum and cinema:

Seeing as I was so rubbish at the others , I will say a textile mill for this one?

[paul m]

Originally Posted by goosey

Seeing as I was so rubbish at the others , I will say a textile mill for this one?

Yes, I would have taken it for something to do with the silk trade but ...

[goosey]

This is an excellent example of a green roof. It is actually the public toilets (much needed and appreciated - if only other parts of the Lake District would follow suit!) at Tarn Howes. The rain water is collected from the roof to flush the toilets.
The planting is really attrctive now it has developed. I saw it for the first time last year not long after it was built and it didn't look so impressive. You can see apart from the sedums and succulants planted, other things have self seeded.

[Suzanne B]

Well I think they have to be the nicest public toilets I have ever seen goosey.
Don't you just wish they all looked like that.
I wonder if that's what they will all look like in the Lake District in the future or whether this is just a one off?
I wonder if anywhere else have public toilets that look as good as these?

[paul m]

There were some revolutionary toilets at Aysgarth Falls - I don't remember the roofs but the toilets themselves were "organic". I don't think they opened onto the falls () but there was a huge pit beneath them - didn't bother me but when the boys were much younger we had to keep a good hold on them!

Originally Posted by Suzanne B

............I wonder if anywhere else have public toilets that look as good as these?

Can't find any reference to them now but, looking up Wiki, found the answer to a question that has long concerned me (but has absolutely no relevance to this thread) - why Wensleydale isn't called Uredale ..... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Ure

[paul m]

Rather a waste of space in front of this cinema but at least they've built quite a large, green park on top of it.

[paul m]

This church at Sully was doing a good job in covering itself with ivy -

Will the church just disappear one day?