Innovative Food SolutionsEntrepreneurs in the US have begun using abandoned warehouses or industrial buildings to start their own indoor farms. The warehouses themselves are usually inexpensive to buy, as they are virtually empty apart from some mezzanine flooring or excess shelving. These indoor farms are often dubbed “vertical farms”, since the farmers make use of multiple levels of vegetable/plant beds.
With such advancements in construction, sports stadiums are able to be designed and developed in no time at all. The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa was testament to this as the country built several stadiums specially for the hosting of the event. With the intention of always going bigger and better, the amount of energy that sports stadiums consume is quite remarkable. For this reason it is very positive to see a trend in creating much more environmentally friendly stadiums in the future. Here are a few such developments during which rigger gloves protected green thumbs.
Known not only for its stunning beaches, tuk-tuks, and vivid cocktails, Phuket also has some of the most beautiful apartment blocks covered in botanical gardens. The East has always been something of a spiritual place so it comes as no surprise that they have moved towards a more Zen approach and embraced botanical therapy.
The latest trend in Thailand is apartment therapy. Several buildings have been turned into beautiful hanging gardens replete with vibrantly colourful flowers and hundreds of flourishing plants all over the rooftops, and hanging from balconies. Green roofing is fast becoming a way of life for many people residing in skyscrapers and apartment blocks, but the botanical gardens of Phuket have taken it to another level entirely.
A twenty-plus storey, green lung is currently being constructed in the Xinyin District of Taipei, China. The Agora Garden Tower will be a luxury apartment building with a number of original, green design elements.
Crews in protective workwear have already begun work on the impressive 42,335 sq m, or 455,000-square-feet building, which is set to be completed by 2016.
What makes the Agora Garden Tower so unique is firstly it’s shape; based on a double helix (our own DNA) the apartment building will be neither a single nor a twin tower construction but rather a hybrid between the two.
A Whole New Gardening AngleYou’ve heard of GRP roofing, thatch roofing, and green roofing. But green walls? However, that’s exactly what a restaurant in York plans to do. The owners of El Piano hope to initiate a vertical produce garden that will grow vegetables and herbs on the outer walls of their building. This in turn will satisfy their goal to grow sustainable, locally sourced food.
Landmark Case Goes to CourtThe Supreme Court is set to decide whether the UK is obliged to enforce the environmental regulations and pollution limits as set out by the European Union. Air quality in Britain is at one of its worst levels yet, with the government having to issue a warning to the public in London last week regarding the severity of the pollution. The case is to be heard by 5 law lords, and judges are expected to deliberate for several days. If the case does not result in a satisfactory ruling, ClientEarth, the group that brought forward the suit, will take it to the European Commission.
Second-hand Clothing Given New LifeThe UK’s Textile Recycling Agency (TRA) recently celebrated its centenary on February 12th. The organisation consists of businesses and charities who are involved in collecting and distributing second-hand clothing and fabrics. The TRA is hugely concerned with the sheer amount of waste generated by the British fashion industry and textile manufacturers. Indeed, a report released by Friends of the Earth Europe showed that 31% of used clothing ended up in landfills in 2012.
Architects, builders and home owners are increasingly becoming aware of the value of Eco building. Whether your project has a thatched roof or makes use of GRP roofing, whether it’s wood or built with brick, this year’s Ecobuild will have the best new tips, techniques and tools for a greener, more Eco-friendly structure.
It’s almost time for this year’s Ecobuild which will be taking place from the 5th to the 7th of March at the ExCeL grounds in London.
Attendees at this year’s Ecobuild can look forward to a host of ground breaking ideas, innovations and speakers. Some of the attractions include the following:
The popularity of eco-friendly homes has rapidly increased in recent years. This can be attributed, in part, to a growing global consciousness regarding environmental sustainability. Essentially, green housing developments are constructed with eco-friendly building materials and designed to minimise their environmental impact. Even celebrities have jumped onto the bandwagon, remodelling their existing homes or commissioning their own luxurious eco-homes.
We’ve done gardening in the back yard, the front garden, the little pots on the kitchen window sill hasn’t gotten away from growing baby tomatoes, but now it seems that we’re reaching for new farming highs as roof farms become the order of the day. Botanists and those with green fingers who live in the bigger cities that don’t really allow for large gardens, such as New York City, and London, are now turning their roofs into farming experiments.
