Chicago

Chicago has taken a huge step forward to market itself at Americas 'greenest city'. It has certainly put its money where its mouth is.

Apart from Millennium Park, which is one of Americas biggest green roofs, yes it was 8 years late and did have massive cost blow outs but now the people of Chicago are very proud of this fabulous facility.

The entire park is built over a car park on an old brown fields site. With the vision of Chicago's Mayor Daley the park is what it is today, attracting millions of visitors a year. The park is home to Frank Gehrys Pritzker Music Pavilion and British artist Anish Kapoor's "Cloud Gate". There are numerous other pieces of sculpture and different landscape elements through the park. The landscaping is superb and its hard to believe it's only 4 years old.

Chicago has implemented a large number of green roofs in a number of their public spaces. These are supported by information panels aimed at educating the general public.

A small, but well informed green roof has been installed onto of the Flamingo enclosure at the Lincoln Park Zoo. This is an extensive green roof and at this time of the year looks a little uninspiring, as does the extensive green roof on all of the horizontal roof areas at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Extensive green roofs cover the entire building with all small visible roof areas supporting green roofs accompanied by informative and interactive displays.

Private business's are also joining the green roof push. The Apple store has an extensive green roof, I am hoping to get access, they cancelled my visit due to meetings. One of the down town McDonald's also has a green roof. One of the biggest issues, especially with extensive green roofs, is that you can walk past every day of your life and have no idea that it's there as they are rarely visable from the street.

Toronto

A meeting with Toronto Planning & Water Department to discuss their Green Roof Pilot Program and Green Roof Policys for development.

This was very interesting. To see what other countries are doing and how they are moving forward with addressing issues that affect us all in some way or another.

I then did a few site visits.

To the roof of Mountain Equipment Co Op with an extensive green roof that was installed 9 years ago in an attempt to manage water runoff. This has been very successful.

They have about 3,000 visitors a year!!! and its on the roof of a retail outlet.

I then visited a office building with a mix of extensive and intensive green roofs and a building owned by the same company where they have installed a green wall in the foyer.

A visit to Toronto Sheraton to see another green wall installed by Laurence from Phyto Universe in NYC. Much smaller than the one in NYC but still very effective.

Queens & Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

With the growing understanding of the benefits of green roofs a number of NY Botanic gardens have made the commitment to install green roofs.

Queens is under construction and incorporates a full water management plan through the building and across the entire site.

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens have installed a new entry and ticket office under a green roof.

Silver Cup Studios - Long Island City NY

The opportunity to visit the largest green roof installed in NY arose after visiting the Socrates Sculpture Park.

Silver Cup is a sound studio where the Sopranos, Sex in the City and many movies are filmed. I was very lucky to get access and a guided tour by the owner, who understandably is very proud of the green roof. His aim is to demonstrate to the government, public and most of all private business that green technologies are an economic benefit. The roof is highly visible from the Queensboro Bridge.

The garden was designed by Diana Balmori, a NY based landscape architect. 1,500 planters with 20 different plants were installed about 18 months ago.

Earth Pledge are using the roof to run some research and trial programs.

New York - Phyto Universe, Kips Bay, Lauder Residence, Frick Collection

1 phone call and an hour later I am standing talking to Laurent, a guy from french Polynesian who designed, installed and maintains the Phyto Universe green walls (his wife is the manager of the spa - Phyto is a skin care range).

Laurent was so enthusiastic and willing to share his knowledge. He flew Patrick Blanc (of Museum fame in Paris) over to consult on his 1st project. He has since refined the design and system and now holds the US patent.

The wall is a triumph - a mass of tropical plants that have now been in place for just over a year. They are thriving, inside they have the lights on 16 hrs a day, the ones on the window side just at night time to illuminate the garden.

Water is just 3 mins a day broken into 1 min intervals, a nutrient solution is added to the irrigation system as needed.

He has just finished installing a job at the Sheraton in Toronto so I look forward to seeing that when I am there.

I then had the opportunity to visit the roof garden of Kips Bay House, a house that has been donated for a charity event. A different designer has completed each level. Competition for a spot is high as its one of NYC biggest charity events. All the big magazines and the NY Times spend a week there taking photos.

Daniel Richards and Plant Specialists won the roof top space so we climbed our way up 6 floors of amazing interior fit outs at every turn, over the guys carpeting the stairs, balustrades being painted and furniture derived to the roof- a peaceful oasis with views down the street to the MET.

I then went with Daniel to a site meeting at the Lauder Residence (as in Estee Lauder family) a roof top apartment in Park Ave...... another world.

I then popped around the corner to the Frick Collection - an amazing museum that was originally a private residence. An enormous internal atrium courtyard full of palms, lillies and orchids with a pond in the middle.

Each room was a feast for the eyes and that's not including the collection of art. The detailing of the panelling/cornices/floors/architraves/window frames etc was amazing. Each room was different from the massive ballroom to a tiny vestibule that housed an exquisite shell & coral collection.

The collection is very interesting, small yet eclectic. A Cezanne, Monet, Degas, Renoir (all ones that I have never seen, even in print as they do not loan any of the works) some beautiful religious works by Piero della Francesca and an amazing collection of Limoges china.

The gardens were amazing (unfortunately I could only view them through the gates) The garden facing central park has 3 very old huge Magnolia soulangiana all about to burst into flower. The rear courtyard garden designed by Russell Page in the 1970's is very simple with a pond in the middle, home to 2 resident ducks.

New York - Fordham Uni

Walking near the Lincoln Centre and came across the roof garden at Fordham Uni.

Built 1 level up from the street above a car park it opens up to provide a peaceful retreat full of interesting sculpture and a magnificent Magnolia (in full bloom). The design is very simple, using a mix of extensive and intensive areas.

A great example of how easily left over roof space can be converted into not only usable space but a very valuable resource for such a big city.

New York - Phyto Universe

Have had a very interesting time walking around NY.

There are roof top gardens peeking over the top of buildings up and down the island if one cares to look up!!! they must think I am mad, trying to walk along looking up at the sky. Mind you it seems that in NYC you can do what you like!

Walking up Lexington and 58th on the 3rd level of one of the buildings the entire facade (inside) is wrapped in plants, a massive indoor vertical garden. It is owner by a skin care company called Phyto and is their head office and training rooms. I am in the process of organising a visit.

LA - Getty Center Green Roof

Off to LA via KL and Taipei- a very long trip but I just kept reminding myself that the ticket was very cheap!

The landscaping in LA is interesting in that the temps are very similar to Brisbane except they have little or no humidity.

The Getty Center is amazing, it cost $1 billion to build and took 10 years with the whole facade being clad in imported Italian Travertine, it sits high up above the chaos of LA shining like a beacon.

The gardens are amazing, I had seen numerous photos of it but it can never do it justice. It was great to see so many people wandering around, sitting, sleeping, doing yoga and just enjoying the peace and tranquility.

The roof top garden is planted with cactus and succulents into a volcanic rock that was very light.

The kids were fascinated by the method of construction, all the travertine blocks are laid with a shadow line gap between them.

William really got into the photography and made sure he didn't miss the best shots.

Research Nursery

I was taken to a wholesale nursery in Singapore with Alan from Elmich. Very unusual to have a nursery in Singapore, land is so expensive so most of their plants are brought in from Malaysia.
They are running some test on vertical gardens. Their construction and also different plant species.

The Singaporean Government has been very supportive and has encouraged them to display the panels in public paces - along the hoarding of construction sites and as barriers in shopping centers.

They are currently in the process of construction a Hort Park that is to be run by the national parks. It will enable designers, nurseries, construction companies in the industry to display their products/work etc. There will be a number of green roofs and vertical gardens on display, its due for completion later this year.

Subaru have recently opened their 4x drive test drive track on the roof of their show room. It includes intensive garden areas, ponds, waterfalls and the driving track.

I was invited to attend a lecture presented by the head of World International Green Roof Assoc. he was in Singapore for another conference and presented a talk at very short notice to a packed room at the Botanic Gardens. I will be in contact with him at the conference and attending the World International Green Roof meeting as the representative of Green Roofs for Healthy Aust Cities, in Minneapolis so it was a good opportunity to meet him prior.

Botanic Gardens

A day wandering around the Botanic Gardens is always a welcome retreat from the busy streets of Singapore. The gardens are wonderful with amazing old rainforest trees that soar into the sky giving the sky scrapers some competition.

The collection of orchids, ginger, frangipani and palms is very inspiring for anyone slightly interested in horticulture.

The orchid collection and breeding program is amazing with a new building that has just been opened showing the public into the labs and propagation rooms housing microscopes and 1,000's of beakers with tiny orchids being propagated.

As a part of the new buildings they have installed a green roof and a vertical garden. The vertical garden is very simple with ferns and birds nest ferns having been plug planted into a wall of coco peat and hessian held in place with bird netting. Because of the high rainfall there doesn't seem the need for irrigation. The green roof has been very successful with an interesting mix of plant species that should also be successful in Brisbane.