Urban Oasis Experience – 5th International Green Roof Congress 2018 Kuwait

The International Green Roof Association (IGRA) is pleased to announce the 5th edition of their prestigious congress series which will be held for the first time in the Persian Gulf region in 2018. Scheduled for the 17th -18th of February in Kuwait City, this event will focus on the special challenges and benefits of Green Roofs in dry climates.

More than one-third of the world population already lives in dry climates, without considering the global metropolitan areas which often are grappling with the same problems and referred to as “city deserts.” The performance of Green Roofs in these special environments is strongly connected with the availability and scarcity of water and the limited types of plants which are able to tolerate these harsh weather conditions.

Therefore, the water and planting issue is a common thread of the congress presentations and discussions (learn more at www.greenroofworld.com). The congress is kindly supported by the Al Diwan al Amiri of Kuwait.

Congress Venue

The congress venue, Al Shaheed Park in Kuwait City, consists of 310,000 m² of greenery, featuring a modern congress center, beautiful botanical gardens, museums, a miniature of old Kuwait, walkways, jogging tracks, lakes, river landscapes and an amazing musical fountain.

With almost 80,000 m² of Green Roofs, the largest urban park in Kuwait represents at the same time a prime example of how to meet the challenges of hot and dry climate by using appropriate Green Roof systems.

The Green Roofs of the congress center in Al Shaheed Park. Copyright: Al Hani Construction and Trading Company.

Congress Speakers

The congress lectures will provide an inspiring mixture of progressive thinkers, new technical developments, and innovative Green Roof applications in architecture, landscape architecture, and climate protection. Practical Green Roof technology will be presented, discussed, and taught along with the latest achievements for Green Buildings, Green Infrastructure, and municipal Green Roof strategies.

Speakers will include, for example, Kai Uwe Bergmann from BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group (Copenhagen, New York, London); Khaled Al Fouzan from The Associated Engineering Partnership (Kuwait); Deborah Nevins from Deborah Nevins & Associates (New York); Fida Mohammed Alhammadi from Dubai Municipality; Kyosuk Lee from MVRDV (Rotterdam, Shanghai); Jamil Corbani from GreenStudios (Beirut, Cairo, Dubai, Los Angeles); and Green Roof pioneer Roland Appl, president of the International Green Roof Association – IGRA.

The bios of the speakers from the Middle East, the US, and Europe are available at the congress website: www.greenroofworld.com.

Green Wall project in Dubai. Copyright: Green Studios.

Featured Green Roof Architecture

A series of groundbreaking and high-profile projects involving Green Roofs and Living Walls will be presented at the congress.

Al Shaheed Park is the most significant Green Infrastructure project in Kuwait and, at the same time, one of the largest Green Roof projects in the world. During the first construction phase (2013–2015) almost all buildings were fitted with roof greening.

In 2017 the second expansion “Phase II” was opened for the public, thus doubling the total Green Roof area of the park. In total, Al Shaheed Park encompasses 35,000 m² of Green Roofs.

Al Shaheed Park narrates the story of a land, its history, and culture. Copyright: Al Hani Construction and Trading Company.

The design for the new Google Campus at King’s Cross in London is taking advantage of the contextually defined building envelope while creating continuously cascading work environments that will connect Googlers across multiple floors. By opening up the ground floor and activating the roofscape, the light and airy workspaces are sandwiched between the terraced gardens on the roof and market halls, auditoria, and shops on the ground.

Seoullo 7017, a true plant village, has been created on a former inner city highway in central Seoul. The ever-changing urban area has been transformed into a 983-metre long public park. Fifty families of plants including trees, shrubs and flowers are displayed in 645 tree pots, and a total of approximately 228 species and sub-species have found their home in the park.

Turning grey into green infrastructure – Seoullo 7017 in South Korea. Copyright: Ossip van Duivenbode.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) in Athens, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, includes the National Library of Greece, the Greek National Opera, as well as the creation of the 210,000 m² Stavros Niarchos Park.

The “metamorphoses of a topos” has been designed with a sustainable approach, respecting the surrounding ecosystems and the landscape dynamics. The SNFCC includes 25,568 m² of Green Roofs.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens – a new icon of Green Roof architecture. Copyright: Yiorgis Yerolymbos / SNF.

Join IGRA in Kuwait this February

The congress is for everyone whose profession brings them into contact with Green Roofs and those who wish to learn about the latest technology in this field. This includes architects, installers, landscape architects, planners, representatives of local authorities and environmental agencies, investors, and manufacturers.

Join us for a top-level program focusing on innovative new technologies, stunning architecture, pioneering urban development projects and many opportunities to network with international leaders in the field of Green Roofs.

The first IGRA event in the Persian Gulf region will provide a perfect platform for the launch of a successful Green Roof campaign in this geographical area.

We look forward to seeing you at the 5th International Green Roof Congress in the Al Shaheed Park, Kuwait’s new urban oasis!

~ Wolfgang Ansel of the International Green Roof Association (IGRA)

Wolfgang Ansel is a biologist and the Director of the International Green Roof Association (IGRA). One of his main areas of work is implementing Green Roof policies and guidelines on an international level. Wolfgang Ansel is co-author of different Green Roof books.

During the last years, he was an invited speaker at congresses in Europe, North America, and Asia. IGRA’s targets include the worldwide promotion of the ecological Green Roof idea, an international knowledge transfer in the field of Green Roofs, and the stimulation of international standards for good practices and reliable Green Roof technology.

Contact Wolfgang Ansel, Director, International Green Roof Association (IGRA):

PO Box 2025
72610 Nuertingen / Germany
Tel.: +49 7022 / 7191980
E-Mail: ansel@igra-world.com
www.greenroofworld.com