Dr Benz Kotzen
Associate Professor in Landscape Design | University of Greenwich
Greenwich, England, UNITED KINGDOM
Dr Kotzen is a chartered landscape architect with more than 30 years’ experience as a consultant and a researcher.
Areas of Expertise (6)
Environmental Noise
Green Roofs
Plants
Landscape Design
Arid and Desert Landscapes
Aquaphonics
Biography
Dr Benz Kotzen is Associate Professor in Landscape Design in the School of Design at the University of Greenwich. He is a chartered landscape architect with more than 30 years’ experience as a consultant and a researcher. His work addresses various aspects of landscape architecture including: extreme arid landscapes (and deserts), water supply, aquaphonics (how plants, fish and water species co-exist in water systems), environmental noise and its impact landscapes, and environmental impact assessments.
Benz also leads the University’s Green Roofs and Living Walls Centre which researches new urban architecture methods and technologies. His PhD explored the relocation of plants from deserts into other climates and countries to assess the transition. He has led two major cross-European projects to combat desertification in drylands and to address environmental restoration. He also has his own consultancy (called Sustainable Landscape Arch.).
Media Mentions (3)
This article is more than 1 year old Battle for clean air is sending our gardens to new heights
The Guardian online
2019-07-13
“It’s being mainly driven by local authorities, but also a greater awareness in the private sector of the need for sustainable architecture.” According to Benz Kotzen of the Green Roofs and Living Walls Centre at the University of Greenwich, “we need every tool to try to improve things, and there just isn’t enough capacity in urban environments to create green infrastructure at ground level.
We're 'Improving Futures' and part of the Universities UK programme this autumn
University of Greenwich online
2018-09-07
The film which features Greenwich Students' Union President Meike Imberg, alumnus Raphael Bobie, Dr Benz Kotzen Leader of the Sustainable Landscapes Research Group and Chief Operating Officer Anne Poulson, is part of the Universities UK (UUK) 'Improving Futures' programme which launched at their annual conference in Sheffield.
Aquaponics: A cool new way of growing food
BBC World Service online
2017-09-07
Aquaponics is an efficient way of growing fish and vegetables in one complete system. Benz Kotzen of the EU Aquaponics Hub believes this sustainable technique could inspire the next generation of farmers. In greenhouses in a roof garden, in central London - the Tilapia fish live in the tanks, their water is cycled through filters with microbes that convert the fish waste to fertiliser, which goes to feed the tomato plants which grow in vertical planters.
Multimedia Appearances
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Education (1)
University of Greenwich: Ph.D. 2008
Affiliations (5)
- University of Greenwich Academic Council
- Faculty Research Ethics Committee
- Faculty Research Degree Committee
- Academic Promotions Committee
- Faculty REF Research Excellence Framework Working Group
Links (2)
Articles (5)
Does the exotic equal pollution? Landscape methods for solving the dilemma of using native versus non‐native plant species in drylands
Land Degradation & Development2020 There is a need to resolve methods to determine the merits of native versus non‐native plant use in drylands and indeed in more temperate areas around the world. This is because whilst plant introductions may have positive objectives, they can have significant negative landscape and environmental impacts.
Taste testing bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) grown in Aquaponics
Ecocycles2018 Bitter gourd which is imported into the UK from abroad has been shown to be suitable to be grown in aquaponics under greenhouse conditions. Whilst research has indicated the plant grows well under greenhouse aquaponics conditions, as yet there has been no research on taste qualities
Towards commercial aquaponics: a review of systems, designs, scales and nomenclature
Aquaculture International2018 Aquaponics is rapidly developing as the need for sustainable food production increases and freshwater and phosphorous reserves shrink. Starting from small-scale operations, aquaponics is at the brink of commercialization, attracting investment.
The potential for combining living wall and vertical farming systems with aquaponics with special emphasis on substrates
Aquaculture Research2018 Aquaponics is a method of food production, growing fish and vegetables in a recirculating aquaculture system. Aquaponics uses the water from the fish to feed the plants in a totally natural way and like hydroponics, aquaponics is considered to be more sustainable as more plants can be grown per square metre compared to normal agriculture.
Ecological restoration across the Mediterranean Basin as viewed by practitioners
Science of the Total Environment2016 Restoration efforts in the Mediterranean Basin have been changing from a silvicultural to an ecological restoration approach. Yet, to what extent the projects are guided by ecological restoration principles remains largely unknown. To analyse this issue, we built an on-line survey addressed to restoration practitioners.
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