ShareOrganized in cooperation with NoufEXPO
Wolfgang AnselKUWAIT: Wolfgang Ansel, Director, International Green Roof Association IGRA, announced recently that the 5th edition of the prestigious International Green Roof Congress will be held for the first time in the Gulf region. Kuwait City will host the Congress on the 17th and 18th of February 2018. Ansel highly valued the support of Amiri Diwan to the Congress. The challenges and benefits of Green Roofs in dry climates will be the main focus of this event.
More than one-third of the world population already lives in dry climates, without considering the global metropolitan areas which often are grappling with the same problems and referred to as 'city deserts.' The performance of Green Roofs in these special environments is strongly connected with the availability and scarcity of water and the limited types of plants, which are able to tolerate these harsh weather conditions - therefore the water and plantation issue is a common thread of the congress presentations and discussions.
The congress venue Al-Shaheed Park in Kuwait City consists of 310,000 m² of greenery, featuring a modern congress center, beautiful botanical gardens, museums, a miniature of old Kuwait, walkways, jogging tracks, lakes, river landscapes and an amazing musical fountain. With almost 80,000 m² of Green Roofs the largest urban park in Kuwait represents at the same time a prime example of how to meet the challenges of hot and dry climate by using appropriate Green Roof systems.
The congress lectures will provide an inspiring mixture of progressive thinkers, new technical developments and innovative Green Roof applications in architecture, landscape architecture and climate protection. Practical Green Roof technology will be presented, discussed and taught along with the latest achievements for Green Buildings, Green Infrastructure and municipal Green Roof strategies. Speakers will include for example Kai Uwe Bergmann from BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group (Copenhagen, New York, London), Khaled Alfouzan from The Associated Engineering Partnership (Kuwait), Deborah Nevins from Deborah Nevins and Associates (New York), Fida Mohammed Alhammadi from Dubai Municipality, Kyosuk Lee from MVRDV (Rotterdam, Shanghai), Jamil Corbani from GreenStudios (Beirut, Cairo, Dubai, Los Angeles) and Green Roof pioneer Roland Appl, president of the International Green Roof Association IGRA. The bios of the speakers from the Middle East, the US and Europe are available at the congress website www.greenroofworld.com. Featured Green Roof Architecture - A series of groundbreaking and high-profile projects involving Green Roofs and Living Walls will be presented at the congress.
Urban oasis
Al-Shaheed Park is the most significant Green Infrastructure project in Kuwait and, at the same time, one of the largest Green Roof projects in the world. During the first construction phase (2013-2015) almost all buildings were fitted with roof greening. In total this is 35,000 m² of Green Roofs. In 2017 the second expansion "Phase II" was opened for the public, thus doubling the total Green Roof area of the park.
The design for the new Google Campus at King's Cross in London is taking advantage of the contextually defined building envelope while creating continuously cascading work environments that will connect Googlers across multiple floors. By opening up the ground floor and activating the roofscape, the light and airy workspaces are sandwiched between the terraced gardens on the roof and market halls, auditoria and shops on the ground.
Seoullo 7017, a true plant village, has been created on a former inner city highway in central Seoul. The ever-changing urban area has been transformed into a 983-meter long public park. 50 families of plants, including trees, shrubs and flowers are displayed in 645 tree pots, and a total of approximately 228 species and sub-species have found their home in the park.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center(SNFCC) in Athens, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, includes the National Library of Greece, the Greek National Opera, as well as the creation of the 210,000 m² Stavros Niarchos Park. The "metamorphoses of a topos" has been designed with a sustainable approach, respecting the surrounding ecosystems and the landscape dynamics. The SNFCC includes 25,568 m² Green Roofs.
The congress is for everyone whose profession brings them into contact with Green Roofs and those who wish to learn about the latest technology in this field. This includes architects, installers, landscape architects, planners, representatives of local authorities and environmental agencies, investors and manufacturers. Join us for a top-level program focusing on innovative new technologies, stunning architecture, pioneering urban development projects and many opportunities to network with international leaders in the field of Green Roofs.
Ansel concluded his statement by inviting all interested professionals to attend this first IGRA event in the Gulf region since it represents a perfect platform for the launch of a successful Green Roof campaign in this geographical area. He looks forward to seeing all guests and visitors at Al-Shaheed Park, Kuwait´s new urban oasis!
