As Singapore continues to expand its concrete jungle, skyrise greenery has since emerged as an effective and innovative way to integrate greenery into our urban environment. Implemented in 2009 by the National Parks Board (NParks), the Skyrise Greenery Initiative Scheme (SGIS) aims to encourage the retrofitting of rooftop and vertical greenery in existing buildings by providing financial incentives to building owners and developers. Building owners can obtain up to 50% in funding for the addition of rooftop greenery onto buildings and this has played a pivotal role in greening up more than 180 buildings since then. 10 years after the inception of the SGIS, Singapore is now one of the international leaders and trendsetters when it comes to weaving greenery into the heights of our metropolitan city. In general, skyrise greenery can be broadly classified into two categories:
- Rooftop greenery
- Vertical greenery
Rooftop greenery
According to NParks, rooftop greenery refers to greening efforts and landscaping on rooftop surfaces. Rooftop greenery can be further differentiated into green roofs, like the one at the School of Art, Design and Media (ADM) at NTU, or roof gardens.
Did You Know: ADM was designed by Singaporean Architect Timothy Seow who just passed on in September 2019 due to pancreatic cancer. Completed in 2006 at a whopping cost of $38 million, the building has been recognized as an icon of sophisticated design and has been featured in many architectural-related publications.
Vertical greenery
Vertical greenery involves the incorporation of plants onto vertical surfaces of buildings. Westgate, a shopping mall smack right next to Jurong East MRT station boasts a 1350 sq m of vertical greenery and a semi-outdoor street sheltered by glass canopies. Having received the Outstanding Award under the Skyrise Greenery Awards 2015, Westgate is the hallmark of excellence in landscape design for it has seamlessly integrated greenery into its structure.
(Up next: Benefits of Green Spaces)