If you have the benefit (or the curse) of living in a city, you will have noticed that on average our backyards are getting smaller, while our waistlines are getting bigger. You don’t have to know a lot about physics to realise that these two trends will eventually arrive at an impasse. But before that happens, perhaps there is something we could do to avert a human logjam.

One step in the right direction could be to improve access to fresh fruit. With shrinking yard sizes, recent landscaping trends and the ever increasing cost of living - access to fresh food is now a struggle for many people.

This brings me to the notion of productive planting in public spaces. Over the past 20 years or so, landscape architecture has seen our public spaces predominately planted with natives, with low maintenance and aesthetics the main priorities. While these designs are seen as visually appealing - and while I definitely promote native planting, they offer little in terms of produce for people or the ever-important bee.

At Natural Habitats we believe that public spaces such as parks, reserves and streetscapes should be making a greater contribution to the physical and psychological health of our societies. By planting fruiting trees such as mandarins, feijoas, apples, and walnuts - and even perennial herb species such as rosemary and thyme, the local community could have access to a source of seasonal healthy fresh food.

Collecting fruit right off the tree will not only save you a penny, add to your ‘five plus a day’ count, inspire a greater connection with nature, increase your feel good factor and foster a collective sense of community well being; it will also reduce transport carbon emissions associated with food.

At Natural Habitats, we are practising what we are preaching and have designed and planted orchards in neighbourhood reserves at Stonefields, Stage 1 of the Tamaki Transformation Programme and also at a number of retirement villages throughout the North Island. We have found that residents are enjoying the health, financial and social benefits of accessible fruiting trees. Residents are interacting with each other, arranging ‘fruit bottling’ get-togethers and taking ownership of the project to ensure its prolonged success.

We have continued our research with specialists at the Council, the Botanic gardens and also Landcare Research to develop a disease and pest resistant palette of fruiting trees suitable to the fickle Auckland climate.

Our aim is to challenge the conventional notion of what a desirable landscape is. We believe a landscape must be evaluated not only in terms of its aesthetic, but also the value of its contribution to society. As populations continue to grow, we have no choice but to make the best use of increasingly limited spaces, and that means prioritising a landscapes functional role.

Jenny Wood

Landscape Architect

Hedonistic sustainability. In a society where the never-ending onslaught of buzzwords, catchphrase and ‘hot topics’ can become a genuine threat to one’s sanity, you could almost be forgiven for dismissing this concept as yet another empty marketing gimmick. However, grounding itself in the basic concept that pleasure is the only intrinsic focus for going green, hedonistic sustainability represents what very well could be the start of the next holistic design paradigm.

Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, founding partner of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and rated as ‘one of the 100 most creative people in business’ by Fast Company, is the man behind the motion. The current discussion about sustainability, he argues, leaves a somewhat bitter taste in one’s mouth as it’s always perceived as a downgrade from our current comfortable lifestyles. Our fundamental resistance to sustainability is that we are yet to really be presented with sustainable options that offer truly comparative alternatives.

But what if our thinking about sustainability is fundamentally flawed? What if we could actually have it all, doing what attains both pleasure for ourselves whilst reaping benefits for the environment?

Defined as “sustainability that improves the quality of life and human enjoyment”, hedonistic sustainability is touted as the “latest and most exciting evolution in the green movement”. It challenges this misconception that sustainability means sacrifice. Copenhagen’s Waste-to-Energy plant designed by Ingels himself is a classic example of such hedonistic sustainability – turning the outside of a waste treatment center into a ski slope using a recycled synthetic granular that upends the convention of the energy intensive indoor ski resort.

Green walls are a clear example that this wondrous intersection between hedonism and sustainability actually exists. Seeing an elaborate garden cascading down the side of a building really does have the power to inspire awe in the mind of the beholder, never mind the harmful air pollutants it’s removing whilst simultaneously reducing that nasty urban heat island effect. Simply envisage a city that could be likened more to an actual jungle than a concrete one, and now you begin to understand Ingel’s concept that sustainable living really can be more fun than normal life.

Our global environmental situation is becoming increasingly precarious, that’s a reality. With the need for sustainable practises not only acknowledged but demanded, the concept of hedonistic sustainability offers new hope that going green is not synonymous with depravation.

Suggested Viewing:
Bjarke Ingels discusses Hedonisitc Sustainability at TEDxEast

By Jericho Cleary
NATURAL HABITATS

Vertical gardens certainly offer an array of benefits to both commercial and residential clients alike. The obvious environmental and aesthetic contributions aside, the simple versatility inherent in the design of Natural Habitats’ green walls is an underrated means by which they can provide significant value to clients.

The extent of versatility and flexibility afforded by a green wall has been clearly brought to light by the recent reconfiguration of the Stephen Marr green wall at The Department Store, Takapuna. Originally installed in 2009, the double-sided wall is 10 meters long by 2 meters high and boasts well over 1,000 individual plants. The concept behind this breathtaking piece of artwork was simple – divide the upper level of the salon as to provide unique spaces that could be used for presentations such as fashion shows. The installation of wall not only fulfilled its physical purpose but also proved to be a powerful branding exercise, with the salon being named the “best concept store in the world” by the respected international publication Monocle Magazine in 2010.

Three years on, the green wall continues to receive both praise and admiration. Recently however, the desire to extend retail areas led to the decision to relocate three of the wall’s ten panels, effectively creating two green walls. Due to the technology used by Natural Habitats to construct its green walls, this desire was easily accommodated and proved to be a straightforward yet outstandingly effective exercise for Stephen Marr. The reconfigured wall provides a significant point of difference for the salon; it demands the attention not only of those unfamiliar with the green wall but also of those who have become familiar with its presence.

At Natural Habitats, we use specialist technology that allows us to cater each green wall to the design and practical needs of each client. Each panel is a self-contained unit consisting of a lightweight frame with its own irrigation manifold. The lightweight frame supports the lightweight manufactured media designed for engineers’ comfort in weight loading designs. The self-contained nature of each panel and the care taken to develop lightweight materials underpins the versatility of our green walls.

 The versatility provided by green walls can provide a significant return on investment when utilised - in the case of Stephen Marr, reconfiguring the green wall accommodated a changing commercial focus and provided a significant means of generating brand attention as a natural by-product. Such reconfiguration goals can lend relevance to residential clients who may be moving house and wish to take their investment with them, or commercial clients who wish to regenerate brand attention or to change the function of the green wall.

By Jericho Cleary
NATURAL HABITATS

I was again impressed by the extent of local government initiatives in Australia.  City of Sydney now has‘Sydney 2030’ vision in place that actively promotes green walls and roofs as a key part of the response to climate change.

Indeed climate change is driving a lot of the green roof developments.  Australia is looking at some dramatic changes; especially hot days, where days over 40°C in Adelaide and Perth look set to triple.  These events kill people and cost the cities millions of dollars in health response.

Companies like ‘Fifth Creek Studios’ in Adelaide have responded with detailed research on how to use green walls and green roofs to counter such events. Their studio now has a large green wall system for very tall buildings (up to 23 stories). They have recently undertaken a feasibility study and are in the process of building and trialing walls.  

The conference also featured Dr Patrick Blanc, the inventor of the modern vertical garden, who is designing and building projects across the world.

Dusty Gedge was also of note. He presented on the history of green roof development in London, where council policy now mandates green roofs.  Interestingly, this was initially driven by the humble bird that required ‘brownsites’ for breeding.  Dusty speaks here in Auckland on 23 November.

The major lessons I brought home are:

We (Natural Habitats) need to help the NZ Green Building Council to promote green roofs.  The technology is proven, climate change predictions are saying we can expect greater extremes.  Basic green technology, even simply increasing, cities tree canopies, and installing greenroofs will help to mitigate these, protect our environment and make our cities more liveable.

ACROS Fukuoka Prefectural International Hall a great example on an integrated landscape architectural system.

By Graham Cleary
Chief Rake
Natural habitats 

Green walls it seems are driving a London initiative to reduce the city’s high pollution levels, which cause more than 4,000 deaths each year.

The London Department of Transport has invested 5 million pounds on a research and development program to test the effectiveness of green walls for pollution mitigation.

One outcome of this investment will be visible later this month in London’s Upper Thames Street, which will be fitted out with a green wall specially designed to trap the harmful pollution (particle matter) caused by diesel engines, tyres and brakes.

Composed of a variety of plants with different depths and textures the green wall will work by creating a range of microclimates on the walls surface to catch the tiny pollution particles. Scientists estimate the wall may be able to reduce certain types pollution of by up to 20%.

The wall will be monitored periodically and the different species checked regularly for the amounts of particulate matter that accumulates on the leaves.  The theory goes that the more particular matter on the leaves, the less inside people’s lungs.

Critics of the scheme question how big an effect the green walls will have on pollution levels.  However if such initiatives are undertaken in conjunction with efforts to reduce emissions and congestion, the overall outcome will be beneficial from not only a physiological perspective but a sustainability, ecological, psychological and amenity one too.

While New Zealand's annual mean pollution is 14µg/m3 compared to the United Kingdom which is 23 µg/m3, the potential benefits of installing green walls at priority locations could help accelerate more successful monitoring and management of our environment.

What this exciting project demonstrates is the transition of green walls firmly into the realms of ecosystem services, where green walls provide another valuable function.  Something that Natural Habitats continues to pursue its green technology.  

We are set to install an active internal green wall system in our offices in the next couple of months and will be investigating potential opportunities and locations where we can combine infrastructure and green technology in our wider urban environment. So perhaps in the not so distant future you can have something better to watch than traffic.

Check out the video on BBC  

By Lydia Franken
Landscape Architect 
Natural Habitats 

The environmental benefits of green technology and green buildings are well documented. We know they can reduce energy consumption, improve air quality, regulate temperature and increase biodiversity. 

The aesthetic benefits of such technology are also immediately apparent. A green wall’s cascading mass of lush foliage never fails to delight. It is the financial benefits which until now have often been considered more ambiguous. 

As kiwis the thought of investing a large percentage of capital upfront is often enough to deter us from adopting green technology, irrespective of its long term pay off. However the latest research by the Australian Property Institute and the Property Funds Association of Australia may help reduce consumer’s perceived risk of return.

The report, 'Building Better Returns', demonstrates that green buildings are not synonymous with green bling.  It found that Green Star rated buildings showed a premium in value of 12% and 5% in rents. “The environment case is now being supported by the financial case,” says Professor Newell one of the report’s authors.

Interestingly the findings also showed that the most dramatic fiscal impact occurred when buildings failed to go green. For instance although rents did not appreciate noticeably for high NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) rated buildings, for lower rated buildings rents fell by 9% in the Sydney CBD and 6% in Canberra.

These findings support the recent work by Ernst & Young on the Six Global Trends Shaping the Business World. The global survey identified cleantech becoming a competitive advantage,a trend Australia seems to be capitalising on. They already have a growing reputation in green and clean tech field, and their best green buildings are highly regarded.

While New Zealand has historically been regarded as a nursery for innovation, in this instance it appears we have a bit of catching up to do. Green technology and green buildings are a growing trend. As companies face increasing pressure from their stakeholders to demonstrate that their businesses are sustainable, It makes sense financially and environmentally to build green technology into growth strategies. After all what could be more satisfying than an investment that literally grows before for your eyes.

by Lydia Franken,
Landscape Architect
Natural Habitats 

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