20.04.2015

Karela Office Park: one of the featured projects in 4th International Green Roof Congress

Superlative Green Roof projects, outstanding speakers and top-class presentations took place at the 4th International Green Roof Congress in Istanbul, April 20–21, 2015. Karela Office Park, one of the exceptional works of DIMAND, was presented to 500 participants from 35 different countries as part of the theme “Green Roofs in Mediterranean and Dry Climates”. Maria Kokkinou from Kokkinou + Kourkoulas Architects & Associates and Helli Pagkalou of Elandscape addressed the standards of this first LEED Gold certified bioclimatic building in Greece and its state-of-the-art eco-architecture, demonstrating the possibilities of green roofs as an urban planning tool. Karela Office Park, housing 1.800 employees in 30.000 sq.m., features an ‘elevated’ Mediterranean green roof, where its users can walk, relax and exercise.

Other groundbreaking Green Roof projects such as Marina Bay Sands, a landscape park in Singapore standing almost 200 meters above sea level, Bosco Verticale, a double-towered skyscraper in Milan with a façade-forest, and the congress venue itself, the Zorlu Center in Istanbul, whose roof garden is built on an elevated grade of 33 meters were presented by renowned speakers.

The conclusion of the congress of the International Green Roof Association (IGRA) might be summarized in the motto “The Sky is the limit – Nothing is impossible” which means that there is much to be discovered in terms of new form and spatial utilization. In DIMAND we are always all ears and… all minds open to the future trends!!