Guide to designing living roofs impresses judges
4Sight Consulting Limited took away the 2019 Resene New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architecture Award for Landscape Publication for its Whāngārei Living Roof Guide.
Judges described it as a “substantial piece of applied research”, useful to both the profession of landscape architecture, and to the wider community.
Living roofs, walls and facades are becoming increasingly common in cities throughout the world.
“It has the potential to make considerable impacts in the built landscape, and the accessibility of the publication will help to establish best practice approaches,” the citation read. “The generosity of sharing research in this way is exemplary, and contributes to the spirit of stewardship and collective concern for the landscape.
“Having contextually-relevant research on a particular landscape type, such as a living roof, is valuable for New Zealand landscape architecture. Often the technical guides for landscape construction and planting are derived from overseas examples, and the Whāngārei Living Roof Guide highlights the importance of providing guidance for the local setting to help improve practice here in Aotearoa.
The purpose of the guide is to highlight the multitude of economic, social and environmental benefits that these living systems can provide to Whāngārei - improving outcomes for its people, land, water, nature and visitors.
“Living roofs present many challenges, in the need to understand structural design requirements, as well as the planting media, the plants, water and drainage. And they also have multiple opportunities, in reducing reflectivity, slowing runoff and adding to the aesthetic qualities of space.
“The Guide, which is written and illustrated as both a technical document and in a format easily understood by non-experts, will help in addressing the challenges and realising the opportunities to improve health and well-being in our urban environments,” the judges said.
You can see more about the project here and hear more from the judges in the video below.
