Growing green: developing industry guidelines for green infrastructure

Abstract

Green roofs, walls and facades make valuable contributions to cities. They provide significant environmental, economic and social benefits, ranging from building insulation and stormwater management to increased building values and improved urban amenity. Varying enormously in their complexity of design, installation and maintenance, they also require multiple inputs from the worlds of architecture, engineering and horticulture. One of the major barriers to the uptake of green roofs, walls and facades, particularly in new and emerging markets such as Australia, is the lack of clear industry standards and specifications. This paper describes the Growing Green Guide: A Guide to Green Roofs, Walls and Facades, a collaborative extension project between government, university and industry partners in Melbourne, Australia. Developed over two years (2012-2014) the Guide includes policy advice and technical guidelines for planning, design, construction and maintenance of green roofs, walls and facades. Industry collaboration was used to ensure relevant and targeted content, with moderation provided through the inclusion of locally-based research, international examples and community consultation. A feasibility study of six inner-Melbourne buildings for roof or wall greening projects was also included, complete with design concepts. The Growing Green Guide (released February 2014) has already filled a major gap in interdisciplinary knowledge and skills, built stakeholder engagement and helped to drive industry development in green roofs, walls and facades across Melbourne.