Students win Green Mind Award: pavement garden for the University Library

A pavement garden and roof garden are to be created for the University Library. The gardens will transform the building, which is located on the Academieplein, into an example of sustainable green development in Groningen's 'concrete' centre. This is the essence of the plan with which three students won the Green Mind Award on Friday 6 June. The Green Mind Award is a biannual competition run by the University of Groningen for the best idea to make the University more sustainable. Lisette Stevens, Menno Stellingwerff and Malenthe Teunis developed their plan in a Master's Lab of the University's Honours College.

The winners will see their plan realised and will each receive an iPad. The jury chose the winning plan from a total of thirteen entries. Jury chairman Jan de Jeu (member of the Board of the University) announced the winners last Friday in the Der Aakerk.

Widely supported

The jury were particularly impressed by the appeal of the design and by the fact that the students had gathered so much support for it. A pavement garden and roof garden for the University Library are a visible statement of the University's commitment to sustainability. They provide a stimulus for the 'greening' of the city centre. The plan therefore also earned the approval of the Library and its users, and of the local council, which is keen to realise more 'green' in the city centre. A pavement garden is an innovative concept. The interior and exterior of the University Library will be renovated in the coming years, and the winning plan can be integrated in this work.

The plans that won second and third prize will also be realised. They are plans for innovative and sustainable energy supply in two of the University's buildings: the Duisenberg Building (Faculty of Economics and Business) and the Heymans Building (Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences). A project group will be formed for each of these plans.

More information

Dick Jager , secretary, Green Mind Award