Building green for a sustainable future 

As urban densification and climate change pose ever-increasing challenges, the need for innovative and sustainable solutions is becoming increasingly clear. Royal Ginkel Group is playing a pioneering role in this with a progressive vision for urban greening. Marc de Jager, Project Advisor at Royal Ginkel Group, shares their approach and philosophy.

The Royal Ginkel Group's involvement in urban greening began several decades ago. What initially began as a technical challenge to bring greenery into the city has evolved into a holistic approach in which nature itself serves as a guide. "Originally, roof gardens were mainly technical tours de force," De Jager says. "But today the focus is shifting to understanding how nature works and how we can translate that into urban environments."

This shift from a purely technical to a more ecological approach is driven by the increasing complexity of urban environments and the urgent need for sustainable solutions. "It is no longer enough to simply place greenery on buildings; we need to think about how to integrate these green spaces into the urban ecosystem," explains De Jager. This means looking at factors such as soil life, water balance and the biodiversity that a rooftop or façade garden can support.

An important aspect of this renewed vision is the use of sustainable materials and methods. De Jager emphasizes the importance of replacing traditional substrates, with more ecological and locally produced alternatives. "Traditional substrates were originally developed with a focus on light weight and technical feasibility. They are intended to minimize structures, but have significant drawbacks. For example, these substrates are often virtually lifeless, meaning they contribute little to a healthy soil ecosystem. This lack of soil life makes it harder for plants to grow well and stay healthy, resulting in a higher need for maintenance and artificial interventions. Good substrates are the foundation of nature-inclusive roofs."

In response to these constraints, Royal Ginkel Group has focused in recent years - in close collaboration with Optigrün Benelux - on the development and use of circular, natural substrates, such as sand mixtures. Says De Jager, "These new substrates are not only available locally, which reduces the project's ecological footprint, but they also provide a much better foundation for a rich soil life. Healthy soil is the foundation for a resilient, low-maintenance roof garden that is able to maintain and develop itself without constant intervention and in which plants and soil organisms can function optimally."

In addition, water management plays a crucial role in the roof gardens of the future. In recent years, much attention has been paid to systems that can not only reduce water flooding, but also store water for use during dry periods. This integrated approach ensures that roof gardens not only contribute to a better microclimate, but also to urban water management. De Ginkel Groep is using these new developments to design roof gardens that better serve their purpose. De Jager: "You can now better manage moisture management and soil life on roofs. And thus better create the conditions that nature can use to develop in the city."

Another hallmark of the Royal Ginkel Group's approach is the importance placed on craftsmanship and a long-term vision. "A roof garden is never really 'finished' when it is delivered. The real work only begins after that," says De Jager. This requires the long-term involvement of specialized professionals who closely monitor the development of the garden and make adjustments where necessary. "We strive to be involved in projects for a long time, sometimes up to 25 years, to ensure that the green space can develop optimally."

This long-term perspective also requires close collaboration with clients and urban planners from the very beginning of a project. De Jager notes that this integration of green space into the earliest planning stages is becoming more common, leading to better outcomes and more sustainable urban landscapes.

Nature-inclusive building, a term that is increasingly appearing in construction and landscape architecture, is a core principle in Royal Ginkel Group's approach. This goes beyond simply adding green elements to buildings; it is about creating a living environment in which nature and urban development go hand in hand. "We want to take inspiration from nature and integrate it into our urban environments," says De Jager. "Respecting and preserving existing nature is essential here. It's about working together with nature rather than artificially maintaining urban green space."

"The greening of cities is unstoppable," states Wim van Ginkel, CEO of the Royal Ginkel Group. "We started pioneering 25 years ago at a time when many people thought a roof garden was a fad. In recent years we've paid a lot of learning fees as a result, but that's something you have to be willing to do. That's part of innovation and trying out new things. It also means you have to dare to invest time, money and people to bring about change. We are now at a point where the need for urban green space is increasing all over the world. Cities are growing and becoming more densely built, so you will have to take green space into the air if you want to keep cities somewhat livable. Our vision of urban greenery and particularly roof and façade gardens also requires a lot of knowledge and expertise. This is something I have invested a lot in over the past few years and have always promoted within our organization. By inspiring and motivating, we are now able to work on great projects for years and get involved in greening urban projects at an early stage."