Green buildings

paul m · #1 (**permalink**) 02-09-2008, 01:26 PM

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 · #2 (**permalink**) 02-09-2008, 01:46 PM

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 · #3 (**permalink**) 02-09-2008, 02:33 PM

Quote:

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 · #4 (**permalink**) 01-11-2008, 12:51 PM

Quote:

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 · #5 (**permalink**) 02-01-2009, 03:46 PM

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.

goosey · #6 (**permalink**) 24-07-2009, 09:41 AM

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 · #7 (**permalink**) 24-07-2009, 03:29 PM

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 · #8 (**permalink**) 02-09-2009, 04:21 PM

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!

Quote:

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 · #9 (**permalink**) 03-09-2009, 08:31 AM

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 · #10 (**permalink**) 04-09-2009, 07:22 AM

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

Will the church just disappear one day?

goosey · #11 (**permalink**) 24-05-2010, 08:39 AM

Seen at Hortus the botanical gardens in Amsterdam 18-05-2010.
I thought this was rather nice, I have never seen bee hives under a structure like this before. The bee hive were all active and bees were coming and going.

Dave Cattle · #12 (**permalink**) 25-05-2010, 04:54 AM

What about this for a dream home then?

A Low Impact Woodland Home

goosey · #13 (**permalink**) 22-08-2010, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Cattle

What about this for a dream home then?

A Low Impact Woodland Home

I think it is quite lovely, I would be proud to live in a house like that

.

goosey · #14 (**permalink**) 23-08-2010, 06:31 AM

This is a full size replica of a peat hut complete with bed and hearth. These would have been found in what is now the Hoge Veluwe National Park in the Netherlands in the past. There is still a peat bog here with a wooden walk-way over the area.

I am not sure if this would be "green" in some areas these days with the decline of the peat bogs.

paul m · #15 (**permalink**) 20-01-2011, 10:29 AM

I thought I'd been in some rubbish hotels but this seems to beat them all:
BBC News - Hotel made of rubbish opens in Madrid
Not so much a 'green' building as an example of how much we let go to waste.

goosey · #16 (**permalink**) 24-03-2011, 04:10 PM

I had to take a trip to Amsterdam today and was in an area I don't usually visit and saw this for the first time. This is excellent, sloping roof on a supermarket and and people are able to enjoy the sun and open space right in the middle of the city.

goosey · #17 (**permalink**) 14-01-2013, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goosey

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.

Was it really 2008 when I wrote that! Where does the time go?

.

I am on the way to having my own little green roof

.

The shed, apart from being a total disgrace and embarrassment became a danger and we had to get it pulled down and a new built.
Last week it was finished and off to the garden center I went to get some sedums. I decided to get a pre-planted mat/container for an instant impact but it was rather expensive at 30 Euro's so for now I just have the one which looiks a bit sad

. Ideally I would like to get another two, but will let nature take its course and cover the rest (if I can be that patient

). We did have some self-seeded stone crop on the last shed (see third image) and I am so annoyed not thinking to lift them before it came down. I am also going to try ivy leaf toadflax -Cymbalaria muralis up there, it has self-seeded between paving stones and bricks in the garden nicely and might just take there too.

This is how awful it was

.

My Wildlife Friendly Garden

and the finished shed -

My Wildlife Friendly Garden

jaguarondi · #18 (**permalink**) 16-01-2013, 08:21 AM

A few days ago a salesman knocked on my door trying to persuade me to have my roof cleaned - of lichen, moss etc - and sealed. He said their roots penetrate the tiles (clay in my case, not slate) and make them more porous. However, when I checked on the internet whether this was true the only sites that said it was were ones offering to clean them for you. Other sites claim it's a bogus service.

Some people in my village have had it done, which is a pity as I've always liked seeing lichens on roofs. (Sorry if this isn't relevant to the thread)

goosey · #19 (**permalink**) 16-01-2013, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaguarondi

A few days ago a salesman knocked on my door trying to persuade me to have my roof cleaned - of lichen, moss etc - and sealed. He said their roots penetrate the tiles (clay in my case, not slate) and make them more porous. However, when I checked on the internet whether this was true the only sites that said it was were ones offering to clean them for you. Other sites claim it's a bogus service.

Some people in my village have had it done, which is a pity as I've always liked seeing lichens on roofs. (Sorry if this isn't relevant to the thread)

That is very relevent, thanks for letting us know.

I know what you mean about lichens on roof, there is a roof of a bungalow (so you can get a really good view) near to our town when I lived in Cumbria and when ever we go back I marvel at the moss and lichens on it - its a gorgeaus natural looking roof and green in the true sense!