Our Top 10 List is designed to be an eye catching and fast-paced presentation of case study vignettes representing the selected top ten categories highlighting the very best of what's hot now - according to our editorial sensibilities peppered with media and designer reports from around the globe. Whether based on traditional applications with a twist or avant-guard projects combining living roofs and walls, energy, and other green technologies, we select time-honored examples from which we designers can draw inspiration to current conceptual, high-profile media grabbing greenroofs and greenwalls which stimulate and entice the senses!

1. 2013 Top 10 List of Hot Trends in
Greenroof & Greenwall Design
By Linda S. Velazquez, ASLA, LEED AP, GRP, Greenroofs.com Publisher & Editor
& Haven Kiers, MLA, LEED AP, GRP, Greenroofs.com Design Editor
CitiesAlive 2013, San Francisco, CA

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Join us for the next Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2015!

4. A Few Favorites
Not on “The List”
Beijing, China: 2007-2013. Mountaintop Villa
& Rooftop Art.
When designing a rooftop garden...
images © Luo Xiaoguang/Xinhua &
imaginechina

5. Illegal Mountaintop Villa
Rule Number 1: Make sure it’s legal!
images © imaginechina

6. Light Park Floating Skyscraper
China: Conceptual. Third Place in eVolo 2013 Skyscraper Competition. City too crowded?
Take new development, parks & plants to the sky!
image © Ting Xu, Yiming Chen

7. Light Park
Helium & fanned living platforms float above - it’s not a “Sky Park” – it’s a Light Park!
By: Ting Xu and Yiming Chen.
images © Ting Xu, Yiming
Chen

8. reTHINK Bay Bridge
Taking Reuse and Recycling to the Next Level – Instead of Demolishing the Bridge, Plant it!
By: Rael San Fratello Architects .
images © RAEL SAN FRATELLO
ARCHITECTS

9. # 10:
Client Specific
‘Boutique Greenroofs/Walls’

10. Green Your Ride: PhytoKinetic
Catalonia, Spain: 2013. A new vision of urban horticulture with lettuce, endives, mint, thyme
and rosemary - while traveling up to 120km/h.
images © Marc Grañen

11. images © Marc Grañén
By: Marc Grañén, landscape artist.

12. Warding Off Evil Spirits: Firma Casa
São Paulo, Brazil: 2011. Art gallery & store covered in Sansevieria trifasciata - snake plant; of
African origin, it offers protection from the evil eye or bewitchment.
images © Maira Acayaba

13. images © Maira Acayaba
African-Brazilian religious rituals:
supernatural powers.

14. By: SuperLimão Studio,
Fernando & Humberto Campana,
Maria Helena Cruz.
images © Maira Acayaba

15. Fractured Views: Marina Lofts
Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Current. Mixed-use transforms New River creating public life along the
riverfront while maintaining existing marine activities.

16. Marina Lofts

17. Marina Lofts
By: BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and Cymbal Development.

18. Sustainable Tourism in London
UK: 2013. The Rubens at the Palace - on tourist route,
“The green lungs of Victoria” greenwall is country’s largest.
Image © Luxurious Magazine

19. The Rubens at the Palace
Images © Solent News & Photo Agency
and Luxurious Magazine
By: Gary Grant, Green Roof Consultancy & TreeBox.

20. Soccer Team Expanding its Brand
Ras al Khaimah, UAE: 2012-2015. The Real Madrid project hasn't started yet: lack of funds.
Tourist Complex 10,000-seat stadium, 5-star hotel, beachside bungalows & amusement park
on man-made island.

21. Real Madrid Island Resort
50 hectare facility expected to
attract one million visitors in its
opening year.

22. Real Madrid Island Resort
By: J+H Boiffils sponsored by emirate Ras Al-Khaimah.

23. An Urban Vertical Forest: Bosco Verticale
Milan, Italy: Current – late 2013. 2 high-density tower blocks with integrated PV energy
systems planted with 2.5 acres of forest.

25. Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest)
By: Stefano Boeri Architetti and Barreca & Lavarra, Laura Gatti.

26. # 9:
Wineries Enveloped in
Greenery

27. Antinori Winery
Between Florence – Siena, Italy. The roof doubles as cultivatable land for grape-growing!

28. Antinori Winery
Circular skylights infuse building
with natural light.
By: Archea Associati.

29. Renato Ratti Winery
Piedmont, Italy: 2005. 12,917 sf of integration into landscape and climate control.

30. Renato Ratti Winery

31. Cantina Mori della Zugna
Trentino, Italy: 2008-2012. Its very nature becomes architecture – vineyards on the roof.

32. Cantina Mori della Zugna
By: Andrea Tomasi & Associates. Images© Alessia Tomasi

33. La Grajera
Logroño, Spain. Research facility and tourist attraction respecting the land.

34. La Grajera
Maintains constant temperature
of 37°C.

35. La Grajera
Collects and recycles gray water – filtered through a natural pond system.

36. La Grajera
Hemp walls stock CO2.
By: Virai Arquitectos.

37. Kolner-Wein Depot
Cologne, Germany: 2003. 20,000 sf Wine Museum covered with vineyards.

38. Kolner-Wein Depot
Claims to be World’s 1st vineyard on a roof, sloped rooftop farm
& oldest organic roof farm.

39. Garzon Winery
Maldonado, Uruguay: Current. 75,350 sf Roof Garden. 400-hectare estate.

40. Garzon Winery
Adding a restaurant & wine tasting center at the top of the hill overlooking the whole winery
and the lake. By: American Hydrotech.

41. # 8:
Small Projects, Big Results

42. Termas Geométricas (Geometric Thermal Springs)
Image Guy Wenborne
Parque Nacional Villarrica, Pucón, Chile: 2002-2008. Outdoor hot spring baths.

43. Images Guy Wenborne
Termas Geométricas
By: Germán del sol, José Luis Ibañez G., Carlos Venegas B.

44. Porsche Garden
London, UK: 2008. Parking system won Gold at the Royal Horticultural Society Show.

45. Porsche Garden
Greater security than a standard garage – in your front garden! Platform uses hydraulics.

46. Easy Domes
The Faroe Islands: 1992. Contemporary geodesic prefab – easy assembly & low energy.

47. Easy Domes Living roofs with solar, wind turbine & more.
By: Kari Thomsen & Ole Vanggaard

48. # 7:
Need Vacation Inspiration?
The Hottest Green
Destination Escapes

49. Aarvli Resort
Goa, India. Inspired by forts of Maharashtra – massive ramparts follow mountain contours.

50. Aarvli Resort
Designed by Serie Architects..

51. Spa Center Rigi Kaltbad
Lucerne, Switzerland. Water, granite & forests in the Alps.

52. Spa Center Rigi Kaltbad
Modular glass skylights reflect light of interior baths. By: Mario Botta.

53. Casa de la Flora
Khao Lak, Thailand: 2012. Modernist hideaway in tropical setting. Voted one of best by Condé
Nast Traveler's Hot List 2012; ozone purification & wastewater and rainwater recycling.

54. Casa de la Flora
Won the Traveler’s Choice Award 2013. By: VaSlab Architecture.

55. Intercontinental Sanya Resort
Sanya, China: 2011. 350 rooms on the tropical island stretch from the forest to the ocean.

56. Intercontinental Sanya Resort
A patchwork of inhabited roof gardens & water gardens.

57. Intercontinental Sanya Resort
By: WOHA

58. Tschuggen Grand Hotel
Arosa, Switzerland. Luxurious 5-star hotel in the mountains of Graubünden.

59. Tschuggen Grand Hotel Redefining wellness. By: Mario Botta

60. # 6:
Innovative Greenwalls:
Stretching Design & Our
Imagination

61. Cheminée (Ventilation Chimney) EPAD
Paris, France: 2004. 16 m high concrete cylinder ventilation shaft in la Défense covered in
copper planters filled w/morning glories creates floral cascade.
images © Edouard François &
DeFacto - Laurent Blossier

62. image © Edouard François
Cheminée EPAD

63. By: Edouard François and Patrick Blanc.
images © Edouard François

64. Trump Towers
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Current. 5 slender plant-infused towers are part of the redevelopment
for the upcoming 2016 Olympic Games.

65. The zig zag triangular louver system cuts away to reveal the greenwalls.
Trump Towers

66. Trump Towers
By: Aflalo and Gasperini Arquitetos

67. School of the Arts (SOTA)
image ©Patrick Bingham Hall
Singapore: 2011. 3 elevated teaching blocks hover high in the air.
image ©jiattison

68. Images bottom ©jiattison
image ©
image top ©Paul McMullin

69. Draws urban environment & landscape into the building.
School of the Arts
Singapore: 2011.
image ©
By: WOHA Architects.

70. image © Arup
image © Splitterwerk Architects
BIQ House
Hamburg, Germany: 2013. World’s 1st algae-powered buildings has bio-adaptive algae façade.
Zero-energy housing project uses PBR (photobioreactors) for the cultivation of microalgae.

71. BIQ House
(The Clever Treefrog)
Designed for the IBA (International
Building Exhibition) Hamburg.
image © Linda S. Velazquez
image © Splitterwerk Architects
Algae in the bio-reactor façades
grow faster in bright sunlight &
provide more shade.

72. BIQ House
Image right
© Linda S. Velazquez
Image left © Splitterwerk Architects

73. Olaya
Riyadh,.
By: Splitterwerk
Architects, Arup & SSC
Strategic Science
Consultants
image © Linda S. Velazquez

74. # 5:
From Hippies to Techies:
California as an Up and Coming
Leader in Greenroofs & Walls

75. California Greenin’
From the San Francisco Bay area on down through...

76. California Greenin’
Los Angeles & San Diego...

77. Ocean Houses at Post Ranch Inn Big Sur: 1992

78. Post Ranch Inn

79. Post Ranch Inn
By: Mickey Meunning, Rana Creek.

80. The GAP HQ (901 Cherry)
San Bruno, CA: 1997
By: William McDonough + Partners, Rana Creek Living Architecture, American Hydrotech

81. Drew School
San Francisco: 2011. New assembly, performing
arts space & classroom building. 3.5-story 1,720 sf
living wall + 2,630 sf living roof. 4,579 native CA
plants – 64 of the 105 species from Bay area.
LEED Gold NC and for School Pilot.
By: Roma Architects, Patrick Blanc, Rana Creek.

82. Blueseed’s Floating City
Off the coast of CA: Current. To showcase cutting-edge energy generation & waste treatment
systems. A “visa-free incubator for tech startups.”

83. Blueseed’s Floating City
Off the coast of CA: Current. “Visa-free incubator for tech startups” is seeking clean tech
professionals to join the offshore Silicon Valley team.

84. Blueseed’s Floating City
Great hub of creativity & talented entrepreneurs from around the world - seeking eco startups
& clean tech professionals to join the offshore Silicon Valley team.

85. Google Campus
San Francisco: Current. Cluster of bent rectangles, structures connected by bridges - 1 leads to
greenroof café; total of 5 greenroofs.
By: NBBJ, Turner Construction, DPR Construction, Sares Regis Group.

86. Facebook Campus
San Francisco: 2014 start. Largest open-plan
office in the world. 280 engineers under a
walkable greenroof.

87. Facebook Campus
By: Frank Gehry.

88. Samsung Campus
San Jose: Current. $300-million energy efficient open-air concept & gardens on every floor.

89. Samsung Campus
By: NBBJ

90. # 4:
Local Government Acting
Globally with Building
Integrated Greenery

91. Transbay Transit Center
San Francisco: Current-2017. 5.4 acre park & huge integrated water management system.
stormwater and graywater reuse saves approximately 2.85 million gallons of potable water.
By: Pelli Clark Pelli, Adamson Associates, ARUP, Peter Walker & Partners, Rana Creek & more.

92. Olaya Metro Station
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Current. Shape informed by massive sand dunes; 1st time a city in the
region would be reached by public transport. Roof garden = a destination.
image © bloomimages

93. Olaya
Metro Station
images © bloomimages
Roof shape allows abundant
daylighting.
Raised public gardens extend
over entire area of the station.

94. Olaya Metro Station
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia : Current.
By: Gerber Architekten.
image © bloomimages

95. Delhi Pollution Control Committee Office
Delhi, India. Competition Winner - 2014. An expression of the work they do to clean the
environment, the new office will soak up pollution.

96. Delhi Pollution Control Committee Office
Feeds on polluted air & water & returns them cleansed.

97. Delhi Pollution Control Committee Office
By: Manifestation: Of Fluid Architecture (M:OFA).

98. Victorian Desalination Project
Wonthaggi, Victoria, Australia: 2012. Public/private partnership; utilizes reverse osmosis
technology on a re-vegetated native parkland.

99. Victorian Desalination Project
Largest greenroof in Australia (280,000 sf), with 98,000 native plants.

100. Victorian Desalination Project
By: Ashton Raggatt McDougall & Peck von Hartel and Fytogreen

101. Bouctot-Vagniez Regional Chamber of
Commerce and Industry
Amiens, France: 2009. Architects created a daylighted and vegetated extension
to the Bouctot-Vagniez Town Hall.

102. Regional Chamber of
Commerce and Industry

103. Regional Chamber of
Commerce and Industry
By: Chartier-Corbasson Architectes

104. New York Breathing Machine
image © Independent Architectural Diplomacy
2012 NYC competition winner for Vertical Garden concept. Office, Hotel and Sky Garden =
Green Lung & Net-Positive Energy Superskyscraper with pv’s, micro turbines, ETFE skin.

105. A winding organically shaped ramp flows thru
the building to form the vertical garden -
vertical park length of paths: 12.5 km
images © Independent Architectural Diplomacy
New York, NY

106. images © Independent Architectural Diplomacy
Cladding around the gardens is structural and serves for environmental
system control. By: IAD
New York
Breathing
Machine

107. # 3:
Social Responsibility:
Putting Your Greenroof or Wall
Where Your Mouth Is

108. Emory Knoll Farms/Green Roof Plants
images © Linda S. Velazquez
Street, MD: Co-founders Ed Snodgrass & John Shepley operate a socially just and sustainable
business. Redesign of farm based on the Natural Step. “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”

109. image © Caroline Menetre
“In a sustainable world,
we must be systems thinkers”
• Green houses & offices heated w/spent fry oil;
•Water for the nursery pumped w/ solar power;
• Greenroofs and photovoltaics;
• Employees job share;
• Planted 9 acres of native trees & are turning
• over 75 acres into ground bird habitat.
images © Linda S. Velazquez

110. Williams Engineering
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: 2010. “Sustainability is more than just a trend. It defines how we
work and the vision we have for our community.”
image ©Bioroof

111. Williams Engineering Building
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: 2010..
Ongoing plant research
with Northern Alberta
Institute of Technology
image ©Bioroof
for dry and
windy rooftops.
By: Bioroof

112. Tremco
Beachwood, OH: 2010. LEED Gold certified, high- performance building. 4-section roof offers
edibles, designs & recreation space. Wind turbines, solar, & 15,000 gallon cistern.
image © Tremco

113. Tremco HQ
By: Tremco
Images © Tremco
Tremco HQ

114. Transformadora Ciel
Mexico City, Mexico: 2012. Former helicopter pad turned co-working spaces & 3-level
greenroof – collaboration between Coca-Cola, Rojkind Arquitectos and AGENT.
image © Jaime Navarro

115. Transformadora Ciel
Endemic Mexican plants, 10 types of veggies.

116. Transformadora Ciel
Transformadora Ciel
Mexico City, Mexico: 2012.
image © Jaime Navarro
Annual Savings:
•4.872 liters of water
harvested;
•81 kg of particulates &
CO2 captured;
•3.840 kW produced by
solar panels
By: Rojkind Arquitectos,
Zona Verde MX.

117. Xero Flor America
Durham, NC: 2013. The Republik has the 1st greenroof on a historic building. The potential
landmark supports commitment to sustainability.
image © Xero Flor America

118. Xero Flor America HQ
image © Jaime Navarro
By: Xero Flor America.

119. Hurghada Environmental Protection
& Conservation Association
Red Sea, Egypt: Current. HEPCA: Funded in part by the U.S. Forest Service, they educate
children about the Red Sea’s bio marvels - boat entirely wind & solar powered.

120. Bio Boat
Dolphin-watching platform; living roof offers mini-habitat & viewing of migratory birds.

121. Desert Development Center/American University at Cairo
Cairo, Egypt: 2013. Also funded by USFS, the UAC rooftop aquaponic system & trial models
greenroof goals: Research, Resource, Broaden Awareness and Promote Implementation.
Designed by DDC/UAC & Peter Ensign (of DC Greenworks).

122. # 2:
The Influence of Architects -
Taking a Leadership Role in
Greenroof Design:
Ando, Yeang & Ambasz

123. Tadao Ando
Architectural style is said to create a "haiku" effect, emphasizing nothingness and empty space
to represent the beauty of simplicity. Naoshima Art Museum, Japan: 1995.

124. Tadao Ando
Chichu Art Museum, Japan: 2004.

125. Tadao Ando
Awaji Yumebutai, Japan: 2000. Sprawling complex – hotel, conference center & gardens.

126. Tadao Ando
Rokko Housing I, II & III, Kobe, Japan: 1999.

127. Ken Yeang
“Green design deserves its own aesthetic.” Bioclimatic skyscrapers. Solaris at Fusionopolis,
Singapore: 2008. Vertical planting spine thru 15-story building. Landscaped garden
terraces on each floor, diagonal prism light pipe for daylighting.

128. Ken Yeang
Ken Yeang
Shenzen, Gangxia Development, China: Pending. By TR Hamzah & Yeang.

129. Ken Yeang
Zorlu Ecocity: Istanbul, Turkey. Mixed-use development project w/14 towers planned as a ‘city
within a city.’ Office & residential towers, apartments, 2 hotels & resort-like elderly units cover
a 3-story retail complex.

130. Ken Yeang
Forerunner of Green Architecture – “Green Over Grey.”
EDIT Tower, Singapore: Pending. Ecological Design In The Tropics is a 26-story highrise with
natural ventilation, pv’s, biogas generation plant - wrapped within an insulating living wall
that covers half of its surface area.

131. Emilio Ambasz
Forerunner of Green Architecture – “Green Over Grey.”
ACROS - Fukuoka Prefectural International Hall, Japan: 1994. Transposed 100,000 m2 park.

132. Emilio Ambasz

133. Emilio Ambasz
The trapezoidal Eye Bank of Veneto /Fondazione Banca dell'Occhio, Venice-Mestre, Italy.

134. Emilio Ambasz
Venice-Mestre Hospital/Nuovo Ospedale di Mestre, Italy: 2008. Part of the healing process.

135. Emilio Ambasz
Casa del Retiro Espiritual/The House of Spiritual Retreat, Spain: Designed in 1975, built 2000.
Reconciling architecture with nature. Arabic-Andalusian modernist.

136. Emilio Ambasz

137. # 1:
Greening Mixed Use:
Sustainable Urban Living
with Man-made Ecosystems

138. THE:SQUARE³
Berlin, Germany: 2014-17. Mixed-use complex of 3 towers of gold, silver, and bronze mimic
the 3-tiered Olympic medal stands.

139. THE:SQUARE³
Revitalization plan also has 3 diagonal shaped city blocks organized around themes of Sport,
Nature & Life. Diagonal zigzags of greenroofs & walls, cascading balconies & green piazza.

140. THE:SQUARE³
Our goal is to answer the question: “How do we want to live in the future?”
By: Moritz Gruppe and LAVA.

141. Yongsan International Business District
Seoul, South Korea: 2016.
$26 Billion.
67 buildings: offices, hotels, condos
entertainment & parks will create
360,000 new jobs.
image © © Ray-us corp

142. image ©DREAMHUB INC
image © © Ray-us corp

143. Yongsan International Business District
image ©DREAMHUB INC

144. images ©Yongsan
Development Co
image ©DREAMHUB INC
Highlight: 620-
meter high, 111-
story landmark
tower + 2 dozen
other “super-high”
buildings.
By: Studio Daniel
Libeskind,
Renzo Piano,
Adrian Smith

145. Chongqing Chaotianmen
image ©Safdie Architects
Chongqing, China: 2011-Current. 10 million sf mixed-use at meeting point between the Yangtze
and Jialing rivers. Prow-like arc of 6 towers represents ancient sails.

146. Restaurant overlooks peninsula.
Sky garden bridge has hotel lobby,
restaurants & clubs w/gardens
& pools above.
images ©Safdie Architects

147. Inward facing balconies with
hanging vegetation to meet the
amphitheatre gardens & park at
podium level – underneath are 5
levels of public programs.
images ©Safdie Architects

148. By: Safdie Architects
images ©Safdie Architects

149. Dubai Sustainable City
United Arab Emirates: Current. 600,000 sf of solar, 46-hectare city to produce
50% of electricity.

150. Dubai Sustainable City
1.Entrance
2.Equestrian Centre
3.School
4.Jouma Mosque
5.Reception Tower
6.Institute
7.Mixed Use
8.Staff/StudentAccommodation
9.Townhouses
10.Semi-Attached Villas
11.Bio-dome Greenhouses
12. Organic Farm
13.Constructed Wetlands
14.Planetarium / Conservatory
15.Resort Bungalows
16.Horse Track
17.Playgrounds
18.Solar Shade Canopy Over Parking
19.Sports Field
lti-Use Games Courts
12.Country Club
13.Utilities
By: Stringa Planning Studio,
Baharash Architecture.

151. Europa City
images ©BIG
Paris, France: BIG won international competition-2020/21. Urban hybrid of intimate inner city
+ open landscapes + long views. Ski slope, thermal springs - huge greenroof!

152. Europa City
By: BIG
images ©BIG

153. Europa City
images ©BIG
Europa City
By: BIG

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