CH2

Week 10 was the site visit to CH2, office for melbourne city council that are on many sustainable architecture magazine.

The project cost 77.14 million $ does not sound very sustainable; however, the building includes innovative environmental system, including water, energy, light, ventilation system, etc.  According to Melbourne council, it is expected to reduce electricity consumption by 85 per cent, gas consumption by 87 per cent, and water mains supply by 72 per cent.

The section shows the air flow in the office. A waving low ceiling keep the hot air on top and absorb into the certain are to discharge. The low pressure system call the clean low temperature air from floor, and create air circulation in building.

This architecture certainly well resolved many issue as the diagrams show below, and successfully done. However it is the site trip purpose to see how it is actually integrated with landscape and how the landscape works here. I especially looked at the green wall and roof top garden.

These are some of the comment from a designer about this project.

- Dianella frax sounds suitable for roof top due to its drought tolerant characteristic, but it could survive.

- Succulent plant did well for irrigation reason

- the project have make the objective of your roof garden be clear.

-take the well consideration of maintenance in initial stage of your design.

e.g. drain, soil mix

- have to research type of climber. each climber have different climbing method.

Cissus rhomibifoilia(grape ivy)

Cissus antarctica (kangaroo vine)

There seems like many problems  on this roof top garden.  I here compare initial drawing and existing picture that clearly shows one of the problems.

This is an initial CG for this site.  It clearly show their intention of climbers growing all over the place.  
Though grass on center grows well, Their aren't any plants climbing to the roof.  There were some wires left.  There are various reason discussed for this larger problem of this site, plants not growing.  One of the issue is soil thickness related to the load as it is in many other case of roof top garden.  There are not Australian standard type of roof top garden are not established.  The way just imported from America or Europe does not work in this weather and Australian native plants.

The picture below is a planting plan of ths roof top.

This is a section of typical planting detail of the roof top.

 The picture left side shows the plant on planter box between alminium fence and wall . Plants climb the fence from behind. Irrigation is from the wall as it is shown. The image rig

ht side shows the plants grow from the ground directly. I guess that it meant to cover entire fence without stripping the wall of structure; however, there obviously is struggle in plants growth.

The picture above certainly shows the struggling plant on this site.  Then what would have been done on this site?

The section shows the planting detail and drainage of the soil mound. This way allows to have larger plants more healthier, rather than creating larger area of planting by thin layer of soil.

These two pictures is Toriton sqauare in Tokyo by Nikken Sekkei. It used the techniqueof mounding for planting successfully. (Pictures retrieved from the blog "Urban garden watching")

I think this way can be applied into CH2. It probably eliminates either planting on center or edge to concetrate thicker planting on few areas.

Oops,  I just found the example of this method from same Melbourne.

It is a roof top garden of Crown Casion done by Fytogreen.  It seems better garden except I am not sure why they didnt have more variety in species.

Anyway, It needs to take much more time to develop australian way of rooftop garden, but worth seeking for it.  Keep in mind, the architecture will be built from now on has to incorporate the roof top garden in initial stage, so that it allows the better soil load, and irrigation system that are key for success of rooftop garden.