Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2016 - 23

Buildings That Live. A lgae is not only a remarkable life form, it is a foundational life form with fossilized species reaching back more than 1.5 billion years. 'Algae' is a term that refers to many different species of creatures that are an interesting hybrid of animal and plant. Algae are both single and multicellular creatures able to photosynthesize and create oxygen and food, but are fundamentally different from land plants. Microscopic forms of algae found in water are called phytoplankton and form the base of the marine food chain. According to Geoff Wilson, founding director of Australia-based Qponics Limited, "the global move towards algae as a basic human food has great nutritional importance. Much of the omega-3 oils we need come only from algae. About 70 per cent of humanity has a dietary deficiency in omega-3 oils. Fish is a species that collects algae based omega-3s in their flesh and is the primary source in our diets, but fish are in decline." With ocean acidification threatening oceanic algae production, he argues that creating alternative nutritional sources of omega-3 oils will become paramount to maintaining healthy human diets. Qponics is intending this year to set up Nannochloropsis oculata algae production for human foods - omega-3 algal oils (DHA and EPA) plus algal protein. Consumer spending on omega-3 products is projected to exceed $34 billion in 2016. Qponics plans to use an efficient and cost-effective modular compact, computer-controlled LED-lit photo-bioreactor system to grow algae on a commercial scale indoors. While Mr. Wilson is contemplating how to preserve healthy human diets on a global scale, other pioneers are exploring the integration of algae food and energy production with buildings. In 2013, the world's first algae-powered building in Hamburg, the BIQ House, featuring a bio-adaptive algae façade was premiered. International design firm Arup worked with Germany's SSC Strategic Science Consultants and Austria-based Splitterwerk Architects to develop the BIQ House, which launched as part of Hamburg's International Building Exhibition. The design team created bio-fasade technology Rooftop Rainwater Cisterns Reservoir for circulating recaptured rainwater. Irrigates surrounding green roof system. Can reduce (& sometimes eliminate) HVAC cooling costs radiantly. Green Roof System Reduces storm water run-off and urban heat-island effect. Cools and improves surrounding air quality. Increases lifespan of roof. Provides thermal conservation & offers excellent habitat for pollinators. Photovoltaic Solar Panels PV solar works symbiotically with living wall & green roof systems. PV Solar cells work 30% more efficiently when kept cool by plants, reducing the building's carbon footprint. Living Facades These trellis systems provide excellent protection for building cladding systems, thermal conservation & acoustic buffering.Climbing plants allow for large coverage inexpensively. Living Walls Architek's living wall systems cost less, use less water, and require far less maintenance. They provide beauty to the building's exterior or interior and can utilize recaptured rainwater. Water Management: Permeable Pavement Permeable pavements allow the movement of stormwater through the surface. In addition to reducing runoff, this effectively filters pollutants from the water table. Water Management: Rainwater Harvesting Captured rainwater can irrigate landscapes, cool the building and provide an optional grey water source for flushing toilets etc. Architek Sustainable Building Products provides solutions that breathe life and sustainability into the modern structures we live and work in. Providing products, resources & expertise to architects, contractors and landscape designers, it's never been easier being green. Engineered Solutions For Living Buildings ARCHITEK.COM 1.888.317.9226 http://www.architek.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2016