GANG GREEN ON TOWERS
A LEADING architects’ group wants governments to make it compulsory for green walls and rooftops to be incorporated in tomorrow’s highrises.
The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects is coming to the Coast for the first time to discuss issues including green living.
It says it is “imperative” governments help combat the “increasing density and associated demands on open space”.
A LEADING landscape architects’ group wants governments to make green walls and rooftops compulsory in tomorrow’s highrises.
The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) will head to the Gold Coast for the first time this year to discuss issues including greater “greener living” as part of the fifth International Festival of Landscape Architecture.
AILA CEO Tim Arnold said more than 300 landscape architects were expected to converge on the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in October to share ideas and inspiration.
Popular in cities such as Singapore, green walls and roofs improve urban amenity and help create positive environmental outcomes in highdensity urban areas.
While developments such as One Central Park in Sydney, Illura in Melbourne and Botanica Residences in Brisbane have embraced green walls in their designs, green living features are still a relatively rare sight in urban environments in Australia.
A national advocacy body that represents 3000 active and engaged landscape architects (including more than 500 from Queensland, 35 of them Gold Coasters) AILA was created to promote the profession’s importance both now and in the future.
Mr Arnold said AILA believes it’s ‘imperative’ governments step in to help find solutions to problems caused by demands on open space.
It wants governments and the private sector to work together to promote innovative building and landscape strategies.
AILA recently released a policy platform calling on governments to legislate to make green walls and roofs a compulsory component of new buildings.
It wants regulatory framework to guide sustainable approaches to the challenges facing urban areas — approaches that combine design criteria, performance standards and planning codes for building, urban and open space design.
Mr Arnold said the Coast was perfectly placed to benefit from the experience of other cities where green living initiatives have helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slash energy bills.
He said delegates heading to the Coast were looking forward to seeing the role landscape architecture had played in the rollout of the light rail and planning for the Commonwealth Games.
The event will include a student program, a two-day conference, the National Landscape Architecture Awards, the AILA AGM and National Council and State Presidents meeting, public talks, tours and exhibitions.
Mr Arnold said more policy and planning measures were needed at the local government level to make green walls and roofs easier to implement.
He said more comprehensive data and analysis would help ensure green spaces become standard features in new urban buildings.