Last updated: April 2023
Sky Park One Islamabad is an innovative high-rise apartment building project, located in the heart of the prestigious Gulberg Greens in Islamabad (2). The building has been designed with a unique concept that features a rooftop level garden with ample plantation. It aims to enhance the quality of life for the residents and provide them with facilities for relaxation within the apartment building (3). The rooftop garden spans an area of 9 Kanals (about 650sq.m) and features 7 green courtyards in the building. The 152 residential apartments are all connected to the joint courtyards (2, 3). Rooftop garden are still very rare in Pakistan (5) and as such, the project provides an example for the green vertical housing in Pakistan with a focus on energy efficiency (1).
Aerial View
Source: (Ref: 1)
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
- Balcony greens
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Real estate development
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
The project aims to:
-Develop a rooftop garden with multiple amenities for all the residents in the apartment building;
-Add a fresh colour to the grey perspective with a beautified landscape;
-Consider the well being of residents by providing a green area, planted with trees, that could contribute to their health;
-Reduce seasonal effects of heat during summer ( to save energy especially in summer as they provide a cooling effect whilst acting as insulators in winter)
(1, 2, 3,4)
Implementation activities
The SkyPark One features its rooftop garden on the tenth floor of the building, with tree planting on all sides of the building (1, 2). The rooftop gardens are accessible to all apartment residents and include walking and jogging tracks, volleyball and badminton courts, a gymnasium, a fitness centre, a swimming pool, a game room, a children's play area and a cafe. Dedicated planter space is provided within these amenities to maintain the natural environment. (4) In addition to the rooftop garden, the ten-storey SkyPark One also features seven green courtyards. The 152 residential apartments have separate green balconies and also connected these joint courtyards (2, 3). The facade of SkyPark One building was created to represent a blend of contemporary architecture and nature (4). The project architect aimed to create a unique design in SkyPark One in terms of energy efficiency, maximum airflow, and texture through the use of brick and concrete. (3).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
- Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
Main beneficiaries
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project has been developed by SkyPark Developers whereas the construction work is supervised by Thaheem Construction Company. The SkyPark One was designed by Suhail and Fawad Architects, who ensured the landscape and green space at rooftop gardens and dedicated green balcony space for all the apartment units (1, 2).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
No
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Unknown
Non-financial contribution
No
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased green space area
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Education
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. SkyPark One. (No date). Available at: Source link (Accessed: February 14, 2023)
2. Property Nama. (2020). Sky Park One Islamabad, Location, Price and Payment Plan. Available at: Source link (Accessed: February 14, 2023)
3. SkyPark One. (No date). Available at: Source link (Accessed: February 14, 2023)
4. IRealProjects. (No date). SkyPark One Islamabad. Available at: Source link (Accessed: February 14, 2023)
5. Asad, A. S., & Ahmed, T. (2015). Green buildings: Minimising environmental impact. Available at: Source link. (Accessed: February 27, 2023)
6. Aslam, A. R. (2019). Citizen initiatives may reduce environmental problems. Available at: Source link. (Accessed: February 27, 2023)
2. Property Nama. (2020). Sky Park One Islamabad, Location, Price and Payment Plan. Available at: Source link (Accessed: February 14, 2023)
3. SkyPark One. (No date). Available at: Source link (Accessed: February 14, 2023)
4. IRealProjects. (No date). SkyPark One Islamabad. Available at: Source link (Accessed: February 14, 2023)
5. Asad, A. S., & Ahmed, T. (2015). Green buildings: Minimising environmental impact. Available at: Source link. (Accessed: February 27, 2023)
6. Aslam, A. R. (2019). Citizen initiatives may reduce environmental problems. Available at: Source link. (Accessed: February 27, 2023)
Aerial View
Source: (Ref: 1)
Aerial View
Source: (Ref: 1)
Design Plan
Source: (Ref: 1)
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the "NBS 2022" UNA Asian extension project funded by the Asia-Europe Foundation.