From grey
to green
“
The building
is a prototype
for coexistence
between humans
and nature.”
Stefano Boeri
Architect of the “Bosco Verticale”
Photo: © Daniel Seßler, Unsplash
Photo: © Nikolai Benner, GREENBOX
The new headquarters of the RAG company along with its foundation on the Zollverein site in Essen stands out for its unique design and sustainability. The roof is both green and accessible.
What truly sets it apart, however, are the building materials: the Cradle to Cradle® sustainability principle perfectly symbolises the structural transformation of the Zollverein World Heritage Site. It means that all construction materials can be reused or repurposed in the event of demolition.
Photo: © Silvan Bachmann, Alamy Stock Foto
4 Rotterdam
Rural idyll in an
urban setting
Nestled in the Rotterdam district of Delfshaven, Netherlands, lies Europe’s largest rooftop park, stretching 1.2 kilometres in length and 80 metres in width, which has delighted visitors for over a decade. This green oasis in the heart of the city perches nine metres high on a former railway site. The building beneath the park houses various shops.
Upkeep of the community garden, which makes up a significant portion of the “Dakpark”, is managed by a foundation of volunteers and local residents. The park features sheep, chickens, vegetable gardens, fruit hedges, an adventure trail and spaces for communal cooking.
Maintaining and preserving nature together
Everyone is welcome to join in. Workshops and events are held here all year round. The aim is “to experience, cultivate, initiate and further develop urban nature with and for the residents of Delfshaven and visitors to Dakpark”. The neighbourhood initiative takes responsibility for ensuring that everything is well maintained and preserved.
“ Skyfarm provides a much-needed platform in the heart of the city for interaction, education and storytelling about the wonders of nature.”
Photo: © iStock, fanswillemblok
5 Düsseldorf
No wasteduring
More than half of the world’s waste is produced by the
construction industry. In contrast, the innovative construction sector is increasingly adopting the Cradle to Cradle® principle. Here, most of the materials used in construction are reused. If the building is demolished at a later date, virtually no waste is produced, as much of it can be recycled and repurposed in different forms.
A complete circular system
“The Cradle” – the first timber-hybrid office building in Düsseldorf – was completed in December 2023. In keeping with the Cradle to Cradle® principle, meticulous attention was given during the planning phase to ensure that a significant portion of the materials employed could be seamlessly reintroduced into the cycle at a later stage.
The integral diamond-shaped timber façade not only lends the building its distinctive identity but also serves various functions: from structural support to sun protection and even as loggias. In total, around 2,150 m³ of wood from sustainable European, predominantly German, forestry was used. The materials were selected based on the premise of being “pure, non-toxic and easy-to-dismantle”.
Air-purifying greenery is featured on the office floors and the rooftop. Additionally, the building generates its own electricity with photovoltaic modules, which supply power to both the building and the adjoining Mobility Hub.
Good for nature, the urban climate and the people working together here.
Photo: © Ralph Richter
6 Melbourne Innovative land use in the heartof the metropolis
Agriculture in the heart of a bustling city of 5 million?
The “Skyfarm” project in Melbourne, Australia, is transforming a 2,000 m2 rooftop car park into a farm.
Several sustainability companies have joined forces and created a green oasis in the up-and-coming Seafarer district, offering direct views of the Yarra River.
A modular farm
The “farm” consists of so-called “FoodCubes”, specially designed modular systems that enable food cultivation in unused urban spaces. These urban farming systems are made from recycled, food-grade plastic and have the potential to produce 20 kg of fruit and vegetables per m2 per year. The produce is donated to charitable organisations and used in the Skyfarm Café.
The roof garden also serves as an educational space for sustainable living, innovative design solutions, urban greening and urban biodiversity.
Photo: © MidJourney
7 Barcelona
Extension ofthe living room
Photo: © imageBROKER.com GmbH & Co. KG / Alamy Stock Foto
“
Architecture is the art and science of making sure that our cities and buildings fit with the
way we want to live our lives.”
Bjarke Ingels
Architect of the CopenHill building
Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is pursuing the ambitious goal of becoming the world’s first zero-emission city by 2025. One of the most spectacular projects contributing to this aim is “CopenHill”, a ski and leisure facility that opened in 2019 on the roof of a waste-to-energy plant.
Located on the island of Amager, directly across from the city, this plant is among the most modern and energy-efficient in the world. It produces heat and electricity by incinerating 444,000 tonnes of city waste annually, supplying power and district heating to 150,000 households in Copenhagen each day.
Designed by the renowned architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the newly created “hill”, with its steel elements covering the entire facility, has become a popular new leisure destination in the city. Snow-free skiing is available year-round on three different slopes along the 450-metre synthetic rooftop run. This is the only ski slope in the flat landscape of Denmark, where the word “hill” is almost foreign. In keeping with tradition, the facility is equipped with a button lift, ski and snowboard rentals and an après-ski bar.
On the vertical side of the building, an 85-metre climbing wall – the tallest in the world – has been constructed, alongside a CrossFit area and a park for walking. This provides a green oasis with a habitat for birds, insects, flowers and people alike. From the rooftop bar, visitors can enjoy views of the city and the sparkling waters of the resund.
An invitation to citizens
The silvery, green-roofed facility doesn’t appear dirty or dangerous; instead, it invites people to linger and enjoy their stay. Far from being hidden away on the outskirts of town, it is embedded within the Copenhagen cityscape as another urban landmark. Architect Bjarke Ingels calls his concept “hedonistic sustainability”. This refers to the notion of improving the environment while simultaneously bringing benefits to people’s lives.
Inside, a glass lift reveals the intricate structure of the factory with walkways, pipes and boilers. Schoolchildren are welcome to visit and learn more here and at the adjoining environmental education centre about how their own waste is further processed. The 600 m2 education centre is used for sustainability conferences, guided tours and workshops.
Copenhagen consistently promotes sustainable urban development through public initiatives. The primary objective is always to ensure that public spaces serve as a viable, sustainable invitation to all citizens.
Photo: © Press/CopenHill, Ehrhornhummerston
Photo: © Press/CopenHill, Ehrhornhummerston
Photo: © Rizvi Rahman, Pexels
“From the most violent to the most eco-friendly city.”
Source: goodimpact.eu
9 Medellín
Green corridors
in urbancanyons
Medellín, home to 2.6 million inhabitants, is Colombia’s second-largest city and was named the world’s most innovative city by the Wall Street Journal in 2012. Through infrastructure and educational policy measures, the South American city has successfully reduced its once extremely high crime rate since the 1990s.
Today, the city administration’s goal is to become “the greenest city in South America”. By 2030, Medellín aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 20%, fully electrify public transport and increase bike lanes by 50%.
Temperature reduction of –2 °C achieved
In 2016, the city launched its 16.3-million-dollar project “Green Corridors”, creating a continuous network of green spaces throughout the city. The effects are already measurable: peak summer temperatures in Medellín have dropped by 2 °C to 3 °C. Although the city generally enjoys mild, spring-like weather, temperatures can occasionally reach up to 38 °C.
The greening project involved planting 8,300 trees and over 35,000 tropical plants along 18 selected streets and 12 streams. Existing green spaces were linked and new ones created, resulting in a 20-kilometre corridor of shady paths and around 100 new parks. The shading has even reduced ground temperatures on concrete surfaces by up to 12 °C.
The city was recognised for its “Green Corridors” concept with several awards in both 2013 and 2019 In the coming years, the “heat island effect” in Medellín’s city centre is expected to decrease by another four to five degrees.
Nevertheless, some residents feel that the change is not far-reaching enough, as poverty and violence remain pressing social issues. Internationally, however, the project is considered one of the foremost models for temperature reduction measures in urban areas.
Photo: © ugo_leonardo, Pixabay
10 Dortmund
A vision for the future
of Dortmund’s
Dortmund’s Nordstadt district is known for many things, including its successful participation in a three-year research project organised by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research called “iResilience”. Public participation is a top priority here, with the goal of developing a climate-resilient vision for Dortmund’s harbour district.
A variety of initiatives were undertaken in advance, such as spray-chalk activities, digital idea collections using online maps, neighbourhood tours, digital theme evenings during Climate Week and expert-led lectures on topics like heat and urban greenery.
Using digital maps, worst-case scenarios for heat islands and flood-prone areas were calculated to identify particularly vulnerable spaces in the district. This led to the initiation of numerous individual measures. The following is a brief overview:
Courtyards
Property owners in Nordstadt are providing funding to allow inner courtyards to be depaved and greened. Discussions about these efforts take place during neighbourhood festivals and “harbour walks.”
The “Nordstadt natürlich!” initiative enables shop owners and private property owners to take responsibility for planting and caring for tree beds located directly in front of their buildings.
