We have a special spot for green spaces and public areas in Toronto, and we’re lucky to have so many of them near our projects. We’ve also included some green space in our projects, like the above ground plaza connecting our two E Condos’ towers.
When we were incorporating green space into E Condos, we began researching others around the world and we want to share with you our favourites.
Sky Garden House, Singapore
This beautiful green roof can be found on a modern home on the island of Sentosa, next to the main island of Singapore. We love that it looks so well kept and effortless – architect Guz Wilkinson of Guz Architects says that it also keeps the residence cool.
California Academy of Sciences, United States
The Living Roof is a beautiful addition to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. There’s an open air terrace allowing for visitors to get a close-up of the beautiful park, and it’s laden with wildflowers native to San Francisco. The Academy’s green roof also keeps the building cool (an average of about 10 degrees cooler than a normal roof) which is very necessary under the hot California sun.
Vancouver Public Library, Canada
The green roof was designed by Cornelia Oberlander and replicates the flow of the Fraser River. There are many benefits to this beautiful roof: it increases the amount of bird habitats in Vancouver, reduces airborne pollutants, and reduces heating and cooling requirements for buildings. However, as beautiful as it is, it’s not open to the public or staff at this moment due to budget constraints.
Expo Zaragoza Empresarial Business Park, Spain
Built for a 2008 sustainability exposition, the Expo Zaragoza Empresarial Business Park in Spain features almost 50K square meters planted with plants and grass galore. Much of it is open to the public with wooden paths and areas specifically designed for visitors to enjoy the green space. There’s also man made “rivers” on the roof filled with rainwater to show the potential for fair water distribution across the region.
Rolls-Royce Goodwood Plant, England
An interesting story about this green roof: when BMW won control over Rolls-Royce from Volkswagen in 1998, it needed a new production facility. Rolls-Royce didn’t want anything obnoxious and wanted to fit into the surroundings in Chichester – serene, simple, and natural. They hired Nicholas Grimshaw, the designer behind the very popular greenhouse, the Eden Project and a green roof was born!