World Green Roofs and Green Façades Congress in Basel on June 5 and 6, 2025, Switzerland 

Green Building Week Basel & Zurich 2025

Climate adaptation and the greening of cities is the order of the day. Which strategies and measures in roof and façade greening are proving to be effective and successful? Challenges lead to solutions and new strategies, technical innovations and developments, which will be presented and discussed at a scientific, practice-oriented congress.

 

20 years after the 1st World Congress in Basel, we have the honor and pleasure of inviting international and national guests to the “world capital” of green roofs. With 8 m2 of green roofs per inhabitant and 50% of flat roofs covered with greenery, the city on the Rhine offers an impressive scenery and outstanding opportunities to present the topic of green roofs and façades at the congress, but also with a variety of excursions in Basel and throughout Switzerland. Zurich is another pioneering city for green buildings, where green roofs have been a mandatory part of the building regulations since 1991. Also here, excursions and the Green Building Week will be held in parallel with the congress.

 

The congress will take place at the University of Basel, in the historic Kollegiengebäude. Contributions will be offered in the technical field of green roofs and façades, on building ecology topics, on research and on the development of new strategies and as an instrument of ecological urban planning. The World Congress on Green Roofs and Green Façades on June 5 and 6, 2025 will offer an information platform and be a driving force for establishing the promotion, research and development of green roofs and façades worldwide.

 

Parallel and accompanying to this event, the Green Building Week from 2 - 7 June 2025 will offer a weekly program on the topic for the general public and other interested professionals with for example information material, guided tours, excursions and introductory courses on maintenance, and many more attractive offers.

The existing and new funding programs in Basel and Zurich will be presented at appropriate locations.

As part of the Green Building Week, in particular the local population will be included in the overall event and thus also made aware of the topic. Numerous guided tours will be offered to the local population throughout the week in the evenings in Basel and Zurich. Two or three green roofs and façades will be shown and the relevant ecological aspects presented. The program will be announced in the press.

 

For many years, the event organizing parties the research group Urban Ecology and the research group plant use at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW have been looking after green flat roofs and façades and investigating their ecological value. In times of crisis of biodiversity and climate, crisis, increasing urban growth and advancing urbanization, this field is becoming more and more important.

Aims of the events

The aim of the events is to promote and raise awareness among a broad spectrum of users regarding green roofs and green façades as an ecological compensation measure and for the aesthetic enhancement of cities and conurbations.

 

The target audience is:

 

World Congress on Green Roofs and Green Facades

  • Specialists from municipal and cantonal authorities who are to be made aware of the benefits, implementation and funding opportunities of green roofs and green façades

  • Energy experts, solar planners regarding consistent planning of combination systems of green roofs with PV photovoltaic solar applications

  • Urban, environmental and health planners, roof and façade greening experts, politicians, architects and environmental education experts

 

Green Building Week

  • The general public/private individuals, building owners who are interested in greening their properties, houses, etc.

  • Specialists from communal and cantonal offices/architects who are to be made aware of the benefits, implementation and funding opportunities of green roofs and façades.

 

Trade fair

In addition to the congress, a roof and façade greening trade show (associations, company presentations) will be organized for congress participants and other visitors (open to the public).

 

Excursions

An extensive, graduated excursion program will be offered for all interested parties.

 

We look forward to seeing you in Basel and Zurich!

Dr. Stephan Brenneisen and Team from the research group Urban Ecology at the ZHAW together with Ann Walter and Diana Marti from Birdlife Switzerland