Project Økern Porta by Dark Arkitekter AS and Lark Landskap
Økern Portal transforms a former industrial site between Økern and Løren into a green and socially inclusive hub, merging architecture, sustainability, and community.
At its heart lies a 7,000 m² rooftop park — a vibrant landscape for urban farming, recreation, and education, open to the public and curated by a dedicated city farmer. The project’s circular system connects roof-grown produce with on-site restaurants, while compost and water are reused, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem.
Built for durability and long-term performance, the roof integrates advanced drainage, retention mats, and sensor-controlled irrigation, storing up to 130,000 liters of rainwater and significantly reducing stormwater runoff. A digital twin system monitors environmental performance and optimizes maintenance.
By returning more green space than it occupies, Økern Portal proves that modern urban development can be both high-performing and community-driven — a model for resilient and inclusive cities of the future.
- ‘Garden among courtyards’, Brera, Milan by PIUARCH SRL
- The roof garden in Arlesheim, Switzerland by Fankhauser Arealentwicklungen AG
Vertical Greening at UNIQA Graz by Vera Enzi
In 2019, UNIQA Insurance Group Austria, in collaboration with the City of Graz and GRÜNSTATTGRAU, transformed its headquarters on Annenstraße into a living façade — a five-story vertical garden redefining sustainability in dense urban areas.
Designed by architect Andreas Salfellner, the project retrofitted a 1980s stone façade with a modular climbing plant system supported by Jakob Rope Systems. Combining ecological engineering and architectural innovation, the façade features over 500 m² of greenery, including trees, shrubs, and climbers that cool the building, improve air quality, and boost biodiversity.
Smart irrigation with moisture sensors, energy-efficient operation powered by a rooftop photovoltaic array, and low-maintenance care by professional horticulturists ensure lasting performance. Beyond its walls, the project has inspired a green transformation along Annenstraße — from tram stops and parklets to pocket parks — proving that façade greening can drive climate adaptation, community engagement, and urban renewal.
- Croeselaan Corner Building in Utrecht by Naomi Reitsema
- Gate Atrium Green Facade by Lisa Carson
Sidney Road Pocker Park Project by designer Jasmine Ong (GLAS Landscape Architects)
This project exemplifies innovation in urban landscape design, seamlessly blending biophilic design, Indigenous storytelling, and sustainable infrastructure within a compact city space. Reconnected soil ecology, integrated swale gardens, and the reuse of reclaimed materials create a resilient, living system that supports both nature and people.
Through thoughtful art installations and cultural narratives, the park becomes more than a green space — it’s a place where art, ecology, and community come together to tell a shared story of renewal and connection.
- Ikva Park, Hungary, by designer Attila Vincze (Pagony Landscape Architects)
- Second Riverside Village, Chuhai by designer Nian She (Tsinghua University Innovation Center in Zhuhai)
Basel Building and Construction Law
Launched in 2002, Stuttgart became the first city in the world to mandate green roofs for all new and retrofitted buildings, covering 50% of flat roofs. The program is financed through the Energy Saving Fund, supported by a 5% allocation from electricity bills, ensuring a stable and sustainable funding model that has run for over two decades.
So far, more than 1 million m² of rooftop greenery has been created, improving biodiversity, air quality, and stormwater retention, while helping to reduce urban heat and strengthen climate resilience.
The initiative was recognized for its scale, long-term impact, and financial innovation, combining strong regulation with sustainable funding — setting a global standard for replicable urban greening policies.
- Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-Rises (LUSH), Singapore
- Toronto Municipal Green Roofs Bylaw
Australia’s first biosolar green roof research by Peter Irga, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
Led by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), this groundbreaking study was Australia’s first biosolar green roof research project, exploring how green roofs and solar energy systems can work together to create more resilient, energy-efficient, and biodiverse cities.
Supported by Lendlease, Junglefy, and the City of Sydney, the project compared two adjacent buildings — one with a conventional solar roof and one with an integrated biosolar system. The results were remarkable:
- 21–107% higher solar output and up to 9.6°C cooler panels
- 60% reduction in stormwater runoff and improved metal retention
- Significant biodiversity gains, including the discovery of rare native species
- A 6 Star Green Star rating for Daramu House
The research generated highly cited publications, informed state policy on green infrastructure, and inspired industry adoption of biosolar systems. Reaching millions through media coverage and public education, it established UTS and Dr. Peter Irga as leaders in urban sustainability and positioned biosolar roofs as a scalable solution for energy, climate, and ecological goals.
- Performance Evaluation of Vertical Greenery Systems for Energy Efficient Architecture: A Case of Delhi by Irfan Haider Khan, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
Project Assessment of greenery in urban canyons to enhance thermal comfort & air quality in an integrated seasonal model by Mohammadreza Baradaran Motie
This research introduces an innovative way to design green infrastructure in urban streets, addressing the balance between thermal comfort and air quality.
Based on the Master’s thesis of Mohammadreza Baradaran Motie at Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, and applied to Vali-Asr Street, the study used ENVI-met simulations to test how different plant species and layouts perform through the seasons.
The findings show that real impact comes not from more greenery, but from strategic species selection and placement tailored to local microclimates—offering practical guidance for cities aiming to build cooler, cleaner, and more resilient streetscapes.
- María Sol Montaluisa-Mantilla for the project Feasibility Of Removal Of Indoor Vocs Through An Active Green Wall
- Nairi Koulakezian for the project The Gabion Walls of Neuperlach
- Luowen Lyu for the project How Drip Irrigation Systems Affect the Performance of Active Green Walls and Microbial Community Changes
Academie du Climat by Roofscales Studio, Topager, Meha Construction Bois, City of Paris
Since spring 2024, the Académie du Climat in Paris has hosted a 100 m² experimental green roof platform designed by Roofscapes to study how rooftops can adapt to climate change. Built from locally sourced pine and larch and planted with local and Mediterranean species by Topager, the system uses rainwater retention tanks for capillary irrigation, allowing weeks of water autonomy during heat waves.
Equipped with thermal sensors and biodiversity monitoring, the project measures real-world impacts on temperature, water retention, and species diversity. Early results show a 17°C reduction in attic temperature beneath shaded roof areas — proving the potential of nature-based design for cooler, greener cities.
- Multiplex Australasia Pty LTD in Adelaide by Fytogreen
- BioSIPs, Inc and the University of Colorado, Denver, by professor Julee Herdt and team members
Greening on the estate of Fundacja Krajobrazy, a brewery located in Lublin, Poland
The One Element Project rethinks landscape architecture through minimalism and circular design, showing how small, conscious interventions can create meaningful public spaces with almost no environmental footprint.
Developed by landscape architect Wojciech Januszczyk and the Krajobrazy Foundation, the Gallery in the Bushes transformed a 1,600 m² overgrown plot at Perła Brewery in Lublin into a vibrant cultural and ecological space — simply by adding ten wooden steps made from native, untreated wood.
This single design element opened access to a neglected site that now hosts concerts, exhibitions, and community gatherings, all while preserving spontaneous vegetation and biodiversity. Built on the principles of the Circular Economy – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Rethink – the project uses biodegradable mulch, local materials, and natural cycles such as seasonal flooding and decay to sustain itself.
The Gallery in the Bushes demonstrates that less can truly mean more: a low-cost, low-impact design that unites culture, nature, and community — inspiring similar projects in Kraków and Poznań.
- Farmhouse in the Hemsedal Valley, Norway. Thanks to Martina Jewel Dela Cruz for submitting the nomination