Greening Kuwait

Lest people believe that green roofs are only used in Mexico City, Shanghai, Dongtan, or Chicago, Atkins Design of Epsom, UK has "...recently received the honour of CNBC Arabian Property Award High Rise Architecture Award" for the Al Sharq Office Complex in Kuwait. This was reported in World Architecture News.com.

From the article:

"The Al Sharq office building quietly pursues a rigorous sustainability agenda. A shallow plan office floor plate with heavily shaded facades reduces the tower's environmental footprint... The 180m tower will cover an area of 56,400sq.m and ... offers a variety of scenarios for business within a sustainable and environmentally responsible design."

As one can see from the artist's rendition, there will be what are refered to as "roof gardens" to provide shade and fresh air. While not displayed, this author hopes some form of green roof will be available, though given the climate, watering would be required.

Although storm water runoff management is not as significant an issue in Kuwait as it would be in Chennai, the reduction of fine particulate air pollution is certainly a benefit.

Jetsongreen.com provides this quotation from Nicholas Bailey of Atkins: "This is a green building - literally - because of its foliage camouflage. Vertical fins to the street elevation, formed in colored glass, are fitted with integrated solar panels that contribute to the building's energy needs."

One hopes that other countries such as the U.A.E., Qatar, and Saudi Arabia consider using green roofs and green building in their current and future construction.

Mexico's First LEED Gold has a Green Roof!

The first building in Latin America to be LEED Gold Certified is the HSBC building in Mexico City. This is quite a point of pride for Mexico, as the building is the first in Latin America, and it is also good for the people of the city. FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50.00 at InhabitLiving.com

Green roofs help reduce CO2, storm water runoff, the heat island effect, as well as reducing fine particulate air pollution. Additionally, the green roof on this building is the largest in Latin America, helps reduce utility costs by up to 25%. $20 Off AeroGardens

For HSBC, this building is not a one-trick pony. According to the HSBC 2007 Sustainability Report, "The Group seeks to achieve, by 2011, a minimum of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) gold certification or the equivalent for 50 of its major buildings."

Congratulations to HSBC for their commitment to LEED, green roofs, and sustainable building.

Mexico City Plants Green Roofs to Fight Pollution

Mexico City is one of the most air polluted capitals in the world, if not the most polluted in city in North America. Much of its pollution is caused by the tens of thousands of cars that flood the streets each day. The volume of exhaust, whether CO2, carbon monoxide, or just plain soot, fouls the air. $20 Off AeroGardens

According to Reuters, as found on greenroofs.org

"The smog-choked metropolis plans to replace gas tanks, clothes lines and heat-reflecting asphalt on 100,000 square feet (9,300 square metres) of publicly owned roof space each year with grass and bushes that will absorb carbon dioxide."

The other benefits, as found in the Chicago experiments with green roofs are by planting green roofs, the urban heat island effect is reduced, as well as fine particulate pollution. Additionally, storm water runoff is reduced, as the green roof absorbs and retains much of the rain. Water Barrels and Storage

Green roofs offer Mexico City an economic way of improving their air quality, water quality, and quality of life for its citizens and visitors. Green roofs may be more expensive than traditional roofs, but are definitely cheaper than the most modern pollution-reducing devices used in modern, Western factories.

Green Roofs in the UK

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Green Roofs aren't just an interesting topic in the US, they are also found in Europe. Livingroofs.org is an organization based in the UK that is leading the charge in promoting green roofs. Their site makes an excellent point:

"In the UK, the increased pressures on urban land and increased density levels are likely to have adverse impacts on drainage, water abstraction, biodiversity, accessible green space, and local climate conditions."

This statement is strongly applicable to cities such as Beijing, Mexico City, and others that suffer from choking air pollution and difficulty managing storm-water runoff. Storm water runoff is a major pollutant to drinking water sources. Green roofs can capture that rain and filter it through the soil instead of dumping it into reservoirs and over-taxed water treatment plants.