With a booming economy and population, Bangalore suffers from high air pollution and a lack of clean drinking water. So, why did Andy Fisher Workshop (AFW) design NeoTown with no green roofs? Who knows?As reported in World Architecture News, NeoTown is supposed to be, "...a blueprint for future sustainable developments by Patel Realty." According to the photos provided by AFW, NeoTown is a vast expanse of flat roofs, with not a single piece of green to be found.
I am particularly critical given the that AFW has incorporated gardens before, in India, and for Patel Reality's sister company, Patel Engineering. Specifically, in Mumbai, "...High level link gardens and a rooftop nursery connect the horizontal towers and strengthen the buildings green credentials towards gaining a LEED Gold
rating." Hat tip to Architectural Buzz.
While it is easy to sit back and criticise, a project of this manageable (50 hectare) size would be a perfect display of green roofs and would greatly further the design's goal of water conservation. Should anybody from AFW be reading this post, green roofs greatly reduce fine particulate matter air pollution, storm water runoff, as well as reducing HVAC costs by approximately 25-30%. Perhaps AFW can go back and add green roofs to this otherwise fine piece of urban design.
