Up on the roof
Roofs on new commercial buildings in France must be partially covered in plants or solar panels but New Zealand is a bit behind the eight ball when it comes to these âliving roofs.â
However, encouraging signs are emerging.
Zoe Cooper, Living Roofs Aotearoa director, says advantages of âliving roofsâ include air-conditioning and insulation benefits, energy savings, increasing useable/marketable rooftop space and protection from ultra violet damage.
The NZI Centre in Fanshawe Street, Auckland, has a 350m2 living roof planted with a variety of sedum/succulents plus exotic ice plants for colour.
Designed by Jasmax, it was New Zealandâs first commercial building to receive a 5-Star Green Star rating, which increased to 5.5 stars after a 17 percent improvement in energy use.
Down in Central Otago, the brief for Mt Difficulty Wineryâs 900m2 vegetated living roof, was to incorporate local grasses and stonecrop sedum succulents, says Greg Yeoman, Stormwater360 designer. Yeoman says the living roof keeps heating and cool costs down and was designed for biodiversity, evaporative cooling, heat retention and the aesthetic enhancement of the roof for the wineryâs restaurant and tasting rooms above.
Seven storeys above the Wellington CBD is the Arborist roof top bar. Owner/operator Tracey Lear says roof top bars in Melbourne and other cities, encouraged her to test the idea.
âWindy Wellington throws up weather challenges but weâre sheltered from the north-westerly which hits the waterfront bars,â Lear says. âWeâll copy New Yorkâs lead and provide heaters, hot water bottles and blankets when itâs cold and will close on rainy days.â
In Mt Wellington, Auckland, is New Zealandâs largest solar array installation (equivalent in size to 12 tennis courts) which is atop the Sylvia Park shopping centre.
The 3,000m2, 1,134 panel installation has exceeded expectations with its electricity providing almost 20 percent of Sylvia Parkâs base building energy needs.
Moving into town, in an alley opposite Aucklandâs Sky Tower, is the Glass Goose rooftop bar. Making use of untapped space, it features a glass ceiling, stylish outdoor furniture, a Sky Tower view and fairy lights.
Also in Aucklandâs CBD, design house Designworks has installed two beehives with 60,000 honeybees on the rooftops of its heritage building campus.
âHelping save Aucklandâs bee population, coupled with our core principle of âworking naturally,â led us to partner with beekeeper Angus Willison,â says Designworksâ head of spatial design, Clark Pritchard.
Willison says the bees took time to get established due to city noise and vibrations. âBut with a clear flight path to Albert Park, theyâve settled in well.â Designworksâ first packaged hand-pressed honey was presented as gifts to friends and clients.
Auckland Councilâs âPlace Activations Teamâ is now investigating how more rooftops can support local hives and make Auckland âthe safest city in the worldâ for bees. Novotel Queenstownâs Lakeside hotel also has rooftop beehives designed to help increase the local bee population. âThe honey is available for hotel guests in Elements Restaurant and will be given away as VIP guest gifts,â says general manager, Jim Moore.
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