Social, Environmental and Economic Benefits of Green Roofs

Green roof, an increasingly popular feature in sustainable buildings, is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. Green roof helps absorb rainwater and insulate the building. There could be several benefits of having green roof such as absorbing rainwater, providing insulation, lowering urban air temperatures and mitigate the heat island effect. Green roofs come in many different forms and types, usually a distinction is made between extensive, intensive and bio-diverse or wildlife roofs.

Intensive green roofs are generally heavy and require specific support from the building. Therefore intensive green roofs support a wide range of plant types: trees and shrubs as well as perennials, grasses and annuals. They are composed of relatively deep substrates (20cm+).

Recently, the extensive green roofs have received the greatest interest because they are composed of lightweight layers of free-draining material that support low-growing, hardy, drought-tolerant vegetation. The depth of growing medium for extensive green roofs is from a few centimetres up to a maximum of around 10-15cm.  Further more , extensive green roofs require little in the way of maintenance and resource inputs. Also, they can be designed into new buildings, or ‘retro-fitted’ onto existing buildings.

Environmental Benefits of Green Roofs

Green roof reduces heating because of mass and thermal resistance value it adds to the roof of the building. According to a study, green roofs can also reduce heat loss and energy consumption in winter conditions. Green roofs not only retain rainwater, but also moderate the temperature of the water and act as natural filters for any of the water that happens to run off.

A concentration of green roofs in an urban area can even reduce the city's average temperatures during the summer! If installed correctly, the green roofs can contribute to LEED points. The water is stored by the substrate of green roof and then taken up by the plants from where it is returned back to the atmosphere through transpiration and evaporation. 

Other Benefits of Green Roofs

Apart from environmental benefits, green roofs also have many social and economic benefits:

- Reducing storm-water runoff as part of a sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) strategy

- Increases roof lifespan

- Lowers energy use

- Climate change mitigation and adaptation

- Lessening the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE)

- Reduced sound transfer

- Improving air and water quality

- Increasing biodiversity and wildlife

Chimes Project Featured in Built Expressions, October 2013 Issue

The much talked Chimes project of Design Atelier was once again in news when it was featured in October' 2013 issue of Built Expressions magazine. Chimes building in Gurgaon was recently awarded LEED/IGBC Gold Rating and also the "Green Project of the Year" by Construction Week Awards 2013. Here are few excerpts from this magazine:

Green construction is the emerging trend in the field of civil engineering. The green buildings are constructed by adopting new green technologies like green concrete, renewable solar and wind energy, recycling of water etc. And the structure is designed on the basis of sustainability, sociability, making room for nature and program flexibility. One such green building is the Chimes office complex, a firm involved in Aviation Technology, Education and business services located at Gurgaon.

The creative intellect who conceptualized this green building is Architect Aashish Karode, principal architect, Design Atelier. He's the person who adapts to sustainable development techniques and practices in all his works. Ar. Aashish illustrates,"Green building techniques are cost effective when designers use a combination of clever material selection, local sourcing with scientific construction methodologies".

Sustainable design as it generally practiced pervades in all Design Atelier's projects as an attitude, not merely as unique selling point.

PADC: Improving on Building Performance through the Sustainable and Conservative Use of Energy

The Plastics Application Development Center - PADC, is the Center for Excellence in Indian Oil Corporation's research development thrust in Plastics Technologies. The Laboratory building is designed to take on an Iconic position in the refinery complex, signifying the focus on research and the Future. The Center is intended to significantly improve on Building performance through the sustainable and conservative use of energy and other resources.

Conceived as a rock formation on a plain landscape, the form was conceived as a Building on a rock plinth with a glass lined central courtyard, returns the ground and the whole ensemble to the landscape. The Double height inclined Glass facade generates interest in the outside from all parts of the building connecting the occupants to nature.

The diagonal building parasol roof form orientation responds to allow self-shading from South and West, with larger surfaces on the benign directions of the North and East. It is visible uniquely as a presence in the serene landscape as sight lines show the form “in the round”.The entrance is a glass cube set amidst water channels at the base of the building that also collect rainwater.

It seems like it's award time for us!

We at 'Design Atelier' were delighted to hear that "Sufi Park" project in Chandigarh is chosen as the winning entry in the Emerson Cup Award 2013 under “New Buildings” category from emerging cities. Very recently, the Chimes Building, Gurgaon designed by us got LEED/IGBC Gold Rating. Chimes building has also been awarded the "Green Project of the Year" by Construction Week Awards 2013.

We consider ourselves as a thinking firm that has a cool and collaborative process that gracefully combines the voices and skills of architects, designers and artists, with a strong delivery orientation. We create dynamic solutions through meticulous planning, knowledge and services. Through design leadership, expert knowledge and services excellence, Design Atelier's clear focus is to be an exemplary influence on the design of Indian built environments.

Campus Architecture: How important are buildings to learning?

 

Does architectural design play any role in improving educational outcomes? Can a building design improve student creativity? Experts believe that the size and shape of our school buildings can shape the way we teach and learn. The learning process or building technologies may change, but the campus will always remain a serene place to think and dream. A study by University of Salford, UK, suggests that well-designed classrooms could improve pupil performance by 25%. The innovative campus designs can impact both the students and teachers. The buildings can support behavior, which in turn will support the teachers.

Design Atelier believes that through design up-gradation campuses can be responsive to continuous re-invention. The focus should be on integrating campus functions, technology, landscape and, urban life and ambiance, ensuring social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Is there a building with scorching effect near you?

Photograph: Amer Ghazzal/Demotix/Corbis

A new office building on London's skyline has been reflecting intense sunlight from its glass exterior. The building is nicknamed as the Walkie Talkie and is being blamed for melted car parts. In a broadcast for Sky News one reporter has even proved that it is possible to fry an egg in the reflected sunlight. The concave side wall of the 37-storey skyscraper at 20 Fenchurch Street, is reflecting intense sunlight and heat on to the street below. 

Local businessman Martin Lindsay said his high-spec Jaguar XJ, parked on Eastcheap, had warped panels along one side. The wing mirror and badge had also melted from the heat of the reflection, he claimed while speaking to Sky News.

As the news spread about the tower which is due to open early next year, people and media have now been saying that the London skyscraper isn't the only building magnifying the sun's hot rays to streets below. Buildings in Dallas and Las Vegas have also been found to create a similar phenomenon - some even burning residents below reports Guardian.   

How many other buildings in the UK or for that matter in the world were having the scorching effect? Have you being experiencing similar skyscraping nightmares in your locality? Share with us!

Business Importance and Market Demand Driving Green Building Growth

With sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives taking an upward swing around the world, business firms are finding business value and opportunities from green building, including the opportunity for new environmentally responsible products. This is the outcome of a study "World Green Building Trends SmartMarket Report" published by McGraw-Hill Construction.

"The acceleration of the green building marketplace around the world is creating markets for green building products and technologies, which in turn will lead to faster growth of green building," said Harvey Bernstein, vice president of Industry Insights and Alliances at McGraw-Hill Construction. "And the fact that green is growing in all parts of the world indicates that there are market opportunities in both established markets as well as developing countries." 

The construction firms all over the world now believes that more than 60 percent of their work will be green. From 2012 to 2015, it is assumed by the firms that work will go green more than triple in South Africa, double in Germany, Norway and Brazil and will grow between 33 and 68 percent in the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.

"This report confirms that the green building movement has shifted from 'push' to 'pull' - with markets increasingly demanding no less than green buildings," said John Mandyck, chief sustainability officer, UTC Climate, Controls & Security. "By promoting greater efficiency for energy and water, green buildings lower building costs while conserving the earth's precious resources. This powerful combination of built-in payback with environmental stewardship creates a new value proposition that is accelerating green building in all regions of the globe." 

For more key findings from the World Green Building Trends SmartMarket Report, visit http://analyticsstore.construction.com/index.php/world-green-building-trends-smartmarket-report-2013.html

Architecture in Tune With the Climate

A different kind of approch is being put into practice to create architecture in tune with the climate. A recent article published in The New York Times informs that from a state-of-the-art recycling center in Brooklyn to sustainable rebuilding efforts for places hit by Hurricane Sandy, a host of green projects are on the horizon.

Perez Art Museum Miami; Jonathan Chesley/Selldorf Architects; Alex Garvin

Varying shades of green: clockwise from top left, Herzog and de Meuron’s building for the Pérez Art Museum in Miami; the Sims Municipal Recycling Facility in Brooklyn, by Selldorf Architects; the Lakeside Center at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien.

"Today, most designers know to build green, when they can. And they know to try to make a public noise when they do. Green is chic; whether you’re designing a skyscraper or a children’s spoon, it sells," said author of the article, Philip Noble. Now there is a more concerted effort by architects to take a broad view, countering climate change not only by altering the design of buildings, but also the design of the larger systems in which they function.

The article talks about the current projects that are being undertaken with this new seriousness by various agencies and highlights about two design programs rolling out this year and next, both inspired by the impact of Hurricane Sandy, are evidence of big thinking along the same lines: learning to solve with systems, not style. Read full article here.

Creating public spaces that are accessible and enable the experience of nature within the spaces of the building

Designing with an implementation mentality

DA has worked on over 250 projects

Through design leadership, expert knowledge and services excellence, Design Atelier's clear focus is to be an exemplary influence on the design of Indian built environments. We create dynamic solutions through meticulous planning, knowledge and services.

We are a thinking firm that has a cool and collaborative process that gracefully combines the voices and skills of architects, designers and artists, with the strong delivery orientation. Design Atelier is recognized for its strong project management and goals achievement focus.

Design Atelier's green design approach looks for the ideas and implementation planning related to sustaining the life cycle of buildings that live after the construction. Working with the client as a key voice, and by integrating inputs from all building utilities engineering disciplines, we provide clients with well coordinated, well conceived, cost effective and environmentally responsive solutions, that meet the future.

Design Atelier is a full services Architecture, Interiors, Urban Design firm whose designs focus on creating the strong brand identity and 'aura' that gives institutions a special edge in the highly competitive international landscape of new India. Go to our website for more info.