No, it’s not a lazy building. And despite many not-so-funny jokes you can do with its name, it is something that is worth investigating. In fact, it is an exciting idea that is still niche in the UK, but already widespread in Germany where it was born about 20 years ago. It’s an original concept … Continue reading
The Green Green Roofs of Soho from dustygedge on Vimeo. This week I went to interview Dusty Gedge, an ecologist and President of the European Federation of Green Roof Association. He travels the world talking about green rooftops. He is co-founder of livingroofs.org, a non-for-profit green roof organisation that educates and advises on green roof … Continue reading
Going home last weekend made me think how much I have missed the sense of safety and network which can be easier to find in a smaller town or city than in London. Also I found how much I have simply missed having some green spaces to visit when the stress levels get too high. … Continue reading
Stripe House was designed by the Dutch firm GAAGA, with energy efficiency in mind. It is based in a new urban planning area in Leiden, Netherlands, where residential streets have little vehicle traffic. In Holland, all new buildings must comply with government energy performance regulations. Stripe House surpasses the minimum requirements with ease. The building … Continue reading
A new tool for citizens and policy makers willing to assess and plan the energy management of their homes and cities is being launched within the Central Europe project called EnergyCity. Far from a common educational project, EnergyCity puts in place a brand new strategy combining science and communication. The pilot initiative involves seven cities … Continue reading
It’s something many of us barely think about getting from A to B. Although in London it can be quite stressful to plan a journey, the fact remains that transport is something that is easy to take for granted. However, it is vital and shapes the way that our city is built and the way … Continue reading
Reus 112 is Spain’s first public facility to receive LEED certification, which is the recognised standard for measuring building sustainability. The building is home to Catalonia’s new emergencies management and service system and was designed by ACXT, a team of award winning architects. The project’s concept was to bring together several operative bodies under one … Continue reading
The Endesa Pavilion is an excellent example of sustainably designed architecture. It was designed by Rodrigo Rubio from the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia as a part of the Smart City Expo, and can be found at the Marina Dock in Barcelona, Spain. The self-sufficient pavilion is serving as a smart cities control room … Continue reading
When I was younger I can remember going to stay with my second cousin Vanessa Matthews and being struck by the difference of her home and lifestyle. In the overgrown garden was a vegetable patch where she and her husband grew vegetables to help support themselves. The house was artistically disorganised but contained perhaps fewer … Continue reading
This summer Singapore opened Gardens by the Bay, a government strategy to raise the country’s quality of life by enhancing greenery and flora in the city. The Supertree Grove (below right) is one of several attractions in the park, including the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. The Grove is made up of 18 Supertrees, 25 … Continue reading
The Green Rooftop 