CITYGREEN, winner of the APEX Awards for Publication Excellence for three consecutive years - 2014, 2013 and 2012, is a biannual publication of the Centre for Urban Greenery & Ecology, Singapore. It presents current research on greening and ecology of the urban environment, and features outstanding projects in international cities.
In this issue, CITYGREEN features articles by prominent figures in the green roofs and vertical greening industries. In an exclusive interview with Dr. Patrick Blanc, an instrumental figure in popularising the concept of vertical gardens, he reveals the connection between his passions for rainforest understoreys and vertical greenery. Dr. Ken Yeang, an avid proponent of the bioclimatic design of skyscrapers, shares his ecological approach to building design in his project, Solaris. Landscape architect Andrew Grant shares his design concept behind Bay South of Gardens by the Bay, which will see SuperTrees clad in skins of vertical plants. Dr. Wong Nyuk Hien, our respected scientist from the National University of Singapore, talks about how vegetation can reduce the energy consumption of buildings.
Other articles explore the role of green roofs in enhancing biodiversity in urban settings. Lastly, Dr. Tan Puay Yok posits, in his commentary, that the disciplines of building and architecture can learn much from nature, to develop innovations that could bring about improvements to building performance and the ecology of cities.