most of the buildings in Vastra Hamnen have either a solar thermal collector, solar panels, a green roof, or a combination of all of these things. all of the neighborhood either creates its own energy or gets it from 100% renewable sources such as a wind turbine in the nearby harbor that supplies the electricity for approximately 600-800 apartment units. more on energy when I really have time to sit down and get into it, but for now, just imagine that this is awesome.
there is a plot coverage quota here that needs to achieve a certain level per plot to be allowed to build on the site. the system is pretty simple: you need to reach a certain level of "green" surfaces with the goal of improving the quality of the nearby environment and micro climate. Strategies that are rated highest (1 point) are ones that mitigate stormwater through absorption, collection, and retention and also collect CO2 and promote biodiversity and improve ecosystems in the neighborhood. Strategies that score bad (0 points) are "sealed" or completely impermeable. In the middle is everything else (like semi permeable and water) I haven't seen the actual chart but I believe it looks something like this:
- 0.0 - impermeable/ sealed
- 0.4 - gravel or sand
- 0.8 - green roof
- 1.0 - ground level vegetation
- 1.0 - water
this scoring system has been very successful in helping keep the local area from producing too much runoff and from getting too burdened by the heat island effect that plagues most major cities in the world. the neighborhood, according to residents, stays quite cool even on hot summer days thanks to a light sea breeze and an extensive (pun intended) network of green roofs and other permeable spaces.
I woke up this morning and looked out the window and saw a bird on my roof. then I noticed a bird on the next roof over. rinse and repeat. lots of birds. lots of green roofs...
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| bird on the green roof across to the west of mine |
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| view over green roof to the sea |
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| access walkway to reach mechanical equipment without walking on vegetation |
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| extensive green roof. zero maintenance. |
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| bird on the roof outside my window |
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| looking across the courtyard to the south |
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| looking southwest toward the middle of Vastra Hamnen |
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