Queen Goes Green
Melbourne’s skyline is now a little greener with the completion of the world’s first fully funded, competition-designed, retrofitted green roof, located atop 131 Queen Street.
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle recently opened the green roof alongside members of Growing Up, an initiative of eight young business leaders taking part in the Committee for Melbourne’s Future Focus Group.
Taking inspiration from progressive cities such as Chicago, New York and London, and aiming to make Melbourne more sustainable, the Growing Up project was launched in March 2009 offering Melbourne CBD building owners an opportunity to win a free green roof, designed and retrofitted particularly for their building.
After applicants were short-listed, architects and landscape designers were invited to see their design come to life and win $10,000 by submitting the most sustainable and innovative green roof design for any one of the three buildings.
The building and design that best exemplified the environmental and amenity benefits, (131 Queen Street and BENT Architecture respectively), were declared the winners after a comprehensive judging process chaired by Geoffrey London, the Victorian Government Architect. Growing Up have now completed construction of BENT’s winning design.
Growing Up spokesperson Tiffany Crawford said the project has produced a best-practice example of how public and private organisations can partner with industry, business and research institutions to create innovative solutions to sustainability issues.
“Green roofs are more than just a response to climate change though; they offer many and varied benefits including creating green relief in our urban landscape”, she said.
“We found that the chance to win a green roof was compelling for many building owners given their environmental, economic, social and aesthetic advantages including reduced heating and cooling costs”.
www.growingup.org.au
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle recently opened the green roof alongside members of Growing Up, an initiative of eight young business leaders taking part in the Committee for Melbourne’s Future Focus Group.
Taking inspiration from progressive cities such as Chicago, New York and London, and aiming to make Melbourne more sustainable, the Growing Up project was launched in March 2009 offering Melbourne CBD building owners an opportunity to win a free green roof, designed and retrofitted particularly for their building.
After applicants were short-listed, architects and landscape designers were invited to see their design come to life and win $10,000 by submitting the most sustainable and innovative green roof design for any one of the three buildings.
The building and design that best exemplified the environmental and amenity benefits, (131 Queen Street and BENT Architecture respectively), were declared the winners after a comprehensive judging process chaired by Geoffrey London, the Victorian Government Architect. Growing Up have now completed construction of BENT’s winning design.
Growing Up spokesperson Tiffany Crawford said the project has produced a best-practice example of how public and private organisations can partner with industry, business and research institutions to create innovative solutions to sustainability issues.
“Green roofs are more than just a response to climate change though; they offer many and varied benefits including creating green relief in our urban landscape”, she said.
“We found that the chance to win a green roof was compelling for many building owners given their environmental, economic, social and aesthetic advantages including reduced heating and cooling costs”.
www.growingup.org.au
