1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Antwerpen
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Groen dak en binnentuin op Campus Spoor Noord
Short description of the intervention
The green roof and courtyard/patio on a new campus building of the University of Applied Sciences consist of trees and plants that reduce temperature and improve air quality. The plants are grown on a thick substrate layer that allows for extra stormwater storage. The vegetation also provides habitat for species such as insects, filters particulates from the air and reduces noise, and creates aesthetic value for patients in a nearby hospital (Ref. 1).
Address

Ellermanstraat
33
2060 Antwerpen
Belgium

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Total area
13000.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Other
Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS
NBS is part of newly built buildings at the head of the Spoor Noord park (Ref. 1). Previous use is unknown.
Website of the intervention
https://www.ap.be/location/campus-spoor-noord-ellermanstraat
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2011
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2014
End date of the intervention
2015
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
The main goals of the green roof and green courtyard / patio were improvement of air quality (by filtering particulates), creating aesthetic value for students, citizens and employees of the surrounding buildings and patients of the hospital, attraction of insects (habitat), storm water retention and reducing temperature (Ref. 1, 2).
Quantitative targets
The building has a total area of 13,000 m² (Ref. 1).
Monitoring indicators defined
Total area of building (Ref. 1).
Humidity of plants is monitored (Ref. 2).
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change adaptation
Water management (SDG 6)
Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity conservation
Green space creation and/or management
Environmental quality
Air quality improvement
Noise reduction
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Real estate development
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Reduce the impacts of climate risks events on urban places and communities
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
Create or improve outdoor spaces to help people escape from urban heat
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
Ecosystem-focused
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Protect and enhance urban habitats
Create new habitats
Protect species
Undertake specific measures to protect species
Implementation activities
Building the campus building that hosts 1500 students (Ref. 1). Creating a green roof with diverse vegetation that attracts insects with an extra thick substrate layer, that creates a nice view from the surrounding buildings (Ref. 1). Creating a patio / courtyard with Cornus trees and vegetation with a manageable irrigation system at the heart of the campus building (Ref. 2). "The roof garden is also favorable for urban nature: the green roof offers space for a variety of partially indigenous plant species and therefore also spontaneous insect species. Finally, the green roof filters fine dust from the air and absorbs sound; two major city themes today" (Ref. 1). "The patio of Campus Noord is more than an inner garden. It is the central space around which circulation, meeting and communal functions are grouped" (Ref. 3).
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Nature on buildings (external)
Green roofs
Other
Green areas for water management
Other
Please specify "other external building green"
Green patio / courtyard (Ref. 1).
Please specify "other green areas for water management"
Thick substrate layer for rainwater buffering (Ref. 1).
Type of Green Roof
Intensive Green Roof: depth 7 - 24+ inches; plants: Perennials, Lawn, Putting green, Shrubs and Trees, rooftop farming; High maintenance and costs
What is the level of innovation / development of the NBS related to water management?
Low: Simple rain water collection intervention (rain garden, local seepage pit) or simple permeable areas
Vegetation Type
Grass
Flower beds
Other
Amenities offered by the NBS
Viewing and outlook points
Please specify "other marginalized group"
Patients in hospital: "The striking roof guarantees a nice view for local residents and employees in the adjacent high-rise and patients of the future ZNA Cadix hospital" (Ref. 1).
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Air quality regulation
Flood regulation
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Recreation
Social and community interactions
Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
Citizens or community groups
Marginalized groups
Marginalized groups
Other
Governance
Governance arrangements
Government-led
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The campus building is initiated by the Artesis Plantijn Hogeschool Antwerpen (University of Applied Sciences) and financed by the Province of Antwerp (regional government) (Ref. 1, 4, 5). The building was designed by Stramien architects and built by Van Laere (building company) ( Ref. 1,4). The plants, the substrate layer and the irrigation system were provided by H4A (landscape development company) and the trees by Van den Berk (tree company) (Ref. 2).
Key actors - initiating organization
Public sector institution
Land owners
Educational actor (schools or universities)
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Regional government
Public sector institution
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Please specify other participatory methods
There was no community involvement id in the project.
Land owners
Educational actor (schools or universities)
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Unknown
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Unknown
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Unknown
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Please specify other vegetation type
"Irregular polygons of green, red and yellow stonecrop grow between a play of carnations, chives and bunt grass" (Ref. 1).
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
The cost for the entire AP Campus North was 12,000,000 euros excl. VAT (Ref. 3). The cost of the green roof is unknown.
Source(s) of funding
Public regional budget
Type of fund(s) used
Earmarked public budget
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Green densification model
Urban offsetting model (biodiversity or water)
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Type of innovation
Technological
Product innovation
Please specify technological innovation
The irrigation system can be considered innovative: a separate substrate top layer for the plants is created and a 60 m3 lower substrate layer for the Cornus trees. Because of this extra thick substrate layer, more storm water can be stored and higher plants can grow which enhances benefits (temperature reduction and air quality improvement). The plants are irrigated with drip irrigation which is adjustable per location (there are multiple 'vegetation island' in the patio) as this varies because some vegetation islands are in the sun while others are in the shadow. The irrigation system includes a humidity sensor that stops the irrigation when a certain treshold is reached (Ref. 2).
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is completely new without connections to previous initiative(s)
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The construction of the campus building with a green roof and green patio/courtyard is the first in Antwerp (Ref. 1).
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Climate change
Lowered local temperature
Environmental quality
Improved air quality
Reduced noise exposure
Water management and blue areas
Improved stormwater management
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Increased number of species present
Description of environmental benefits
Climate change:
Lowered local temperature:: the vegetation reduces heat (Ref. 2).

Environmental quality:
-Improved air quality/Reduced noise exposure: the vegetation improves air quality, reduces local temperature (which is enhanced in the patio/courtyard where the patio helps circulating air in the building) and reduces noise (Ref. 1).

Water management and blue areas:
-Improved stormwater management: the vegetation captures storm water and the substrate layer stores storm water (Ref. 2).

Green space and habitat
-Increased green space area:
-Increased number of species present: the diverse vegetation attracts insects (Ref. 1).
Economic impacts
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved access to urban green space
Increased opportunities for social interaction
Health and wellbeing
Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Description of social and cultural benefits
Social justice and cohesion:
-Improved access to urban green space/Increased opportunities for social interaction: "The patio of Campus Noord is more than an inner garden. It is the central space around which circulation, meeting and communal functions are grouped" (Ref. 3).

Health and well-being:
-Gain in activities for recreation and exercise: the patio/courtyard provides space where students can relax and it creates aesthetic value for patients of the hospital (ZNA Cardix) which will benefit their wellbeing (Ref. 1).
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
- local temperature
- stormwater captured
- noise reduction (Ref. 1 and 2.)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Environmental quality
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Water management (SDG 6)
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Improved access to green and/or blue spaces
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
No specific information available as of October 5, 2020. Belgium began a gradual deconfinement process in May (https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/faq/).
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Website of the Campus
Intervention on architect website
List of references
1. Geerts, P. (2016). Campus Spoor Noord Antwerpen / Een groene kroon op de stad. [online] Available at: http://cgconcept.be/campus-noord-antwerpen-groene-kroon-op-stad/ (Accessed: October 5, 2020).
2. Van den Berk (n.d.). Campus Spoor Noord - Antwerpen. [online] Available at: https://www.vdberk.nl/projecten/campus-spoor-noord-antwerpen (Website not available in 2020).
3. Stramien (n.d.). AP Campus Noord. [online] Available at: /http://stramien.be/project/campus-noord/ (Accessed: October 5, 2020).
4. AP Hogeschool (n.d.). Campus Spoor Noord. Antwerp: AP Hogeschool. [pdf] Available at: http://www.campusspoornoord.be/CSN/files/assets/basic-html/index.html#1 (Accessed: October 5, 2020).
5. AP Hogeschool (2014). Campus Ellermanstraat. [online] Available at: http://www.campusspoornoord.be/spoor-noord-2.html (Website not available in 2020).
Attachments
Attachment Size
Information about campus building (1) of reference 4 (263.36 KB) 263.36 KB
Information about campus building (2) of reference 4 (34.44 KB) 34.44 KB
Comments and notes
Comments
Costs of the NBS were unknown, but total costs of the campus building including the green roof and green patio/courtyard was 20 million euro (Ref. 4).

Ref. 5 is no longer accessible. Information on the campus can be found here (as of October 5, 2020): https://www.ap.be/location/campus-spoor-noord-noorderplaats
Pictures of the NBS
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/patio.jpg
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/patio2_0.jpg
Public Images
Green Roof on Campus Building
Green Roof on Campus Building
Frederik Beyens, Susan Lambeck and Stramien, retrieved 09/20/2018 from Marijke De Bie
Courtyard on Campus Building
Courtyard on Campus Building
Frederik Beyens, Susan Lambeck and Stramien, retrieved 09/20/2018 from Marijke De Bie