Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2015 - 7

the UK's first and largest Zero
Energy Development, boasts a
huge list of accolades related to
energy savings, water efficiency,
material re-use, and inclusion
of low-income housing, yet the
thing that sticks in everyone's
mind are the crazy rooftop
ventilators in all the colors of
the rainbow that stick up like
rooster combs. That's happiness!
PL - The Japanese are doing
a lot of work on incorporating
happiness as a goal and improving happiness in their communities. This includes everything
from promoting community
gardening to encouraging
exercise and focusing on local
well-being. See the group web
site, Japan for Sustainability.
http://goo.gl/8Kys9h
LAM - Can happiness be a
driver for positive change in the
green building, green city move-

ment? If so, how?
EFC - If we create built
environments where people feel
connected, happy, healthy and
less stressed, these environments
will more likely be cherished,
supported and maintained.
Consider the most revered
structures, plazas and parks
in the world that have been
cared for through the ages.
Employers appreciate office
environments where employees
feel happier and more creative,
with improved productivity
and problem solving abilities,
and less absenteeism. Our most
vulnerable population, the
elderly and infirmed, as well
as children benefit from this
design philosophy. We have the
knowledge and ability to design
such qualities and happiness into
our everyday lives.
RF - As we propel ourselves

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headlong into the inevitability
of climate change we confront
the primal conundrum of our
age: are we able to mitigate these
changes, survive and even thrive?
Do we have a choice? I think
not. From making a safe and
comfortable harbor in a city park
for a nursing mother (Dufferin
Grove, Toronto) to imagining
and enabling an enchanted
sequence of riparian spaces spanning the ancient river Thames
(The Garden Bridge by Thomas
Heatherwick, London), it is our
primal desire for happiness that
drives these dreams, irrespective
of their scale. In their pursuit,
each of us holds as reward a
unique vision that reflects our
aspirations and the skills we
bring to its creation.
HK - Yes. We need to move
away from matrix driven,
number crunching design for

green buildings and focus on
creating spaces that people want
to spend time in - whether to
work, relax, wander through, or
reflect. When design decisions
are driven by human desires and
needs rather than market forces
and sales, the projects we devise
will be inherently more delightful and playful. End-user happiness, not return-on-investment
or environmental brownie
points, should be the focal point
for the green building, green city
movement.
PL - Yes. It can be a driver
for change. When communities
start to measure happiness
(local well-being index) they
will realize that green buildings
and better access to nature are
great ways to produce greater
happiness and they will plan for
and require them.

LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / WINTER 2015 / 7

http://www.goo.gl/8Kys9h http://www.rooflitesoil.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2015