Expert Speeches and Presentation of the Green Roof Award 2022 at the 3rd Digital Blue Green Event
On March 14 2023, the 3rd Digital Blue Green Event has been hosted by the Scandinavian Green Roof Institute. This year’s focuses of the Event were on strategies for urban biodiversity as well as on photovoltaic on green roofs and biosolar roofs. The so called blue-green solutions which were presented at the event are designed with a focus on green (vegetation) and blue (water management) infrastructures: Nature-oriented spatial planning measures as e.g. parks, stormwater ponds, stormwater beds, street trees & green roofs and facades shall increase the resilience to climate-change induced phenomena as urban heat islands and floodings in cities.
In total, 15 different European and American experienced institutions from 11 countries have presented their specialized concepts from different cities for a sustainable spatial development in urban regions. Thanks to all the speakers Helen Johansson, Henrik Aspegren, Marja Mesimäki, Taina Suonio, McKenna Davis, Gary Grant, Stephan Brenneisen, Julián Briz, Gustav Nässlander, Sophie Rousset-Rouvière, Erich Steiner, MSc Trygve Mongstad, Alexander Elias, Joris G.W.F. Voeten, Pete Ellis, Jörg Breuning and Irene Zluwa, who have shared their inspiring projects, expertises and questions as well as to 350 interested participants, the 3rd Digital Blue Green Event was a complete success.
In the context of the Digital Blue Green Event the Green Roof Award 2022, which has been awarded annually since 2000 to the best green roof project in Scandinavia, was presented to the Danish planning project “Social Spine” at the student residence Øresundskollegiet’s in Copenhagen. The awarded project was initiated in 2021 by arki_lab in close cooperation with SLA Architects, and the residents of Øresundskollegiet in order to transform Scandinavia’s largest student housing which was created in the 1970s from a grey concrete area into a green social community spot and 160-meter-long rooftop parc.
Through the creation of diverse climatic, sustainable, biodiverse, and social values for its residents and living species on site the planning initiative convinced the Scandinavian Green Roof Institute jury: “The Social Spine is a great example of how green roofs of the future can be developed not only on newly built structures but also through retrofitting existing buildings. The project shows wise use of material and a so-needed focus on circularity at the same time as achieving high biological, aesthetical, and recreational qualities. The project clearly shows how nature-based solutions not only can contribute to environment change but also play an important role in social renewal and transformation.” (see: The Social Spine wins Scandinavian Green Roof Award — SLA)
If you want to learn more about the presented blue-green solutions you can find the details about this year’s Green Roof Award and expert speeches in the recording here.