Green Roofing updates and news from around the web

Greenwich station, London – a small piece of habitat to the north of the station. When it was installed the contractors kind of did a ‘bad’ job. And now it is covered in wildflowers. I have counted at least 50, Including a few Sweet Peas. Occasionally someone tidies the place up, but generally it is [...]

I was fortunate to be invited to do a speaking tour of Alberta in Canada in June 2010. The tour included talks in Calgary, Banff and Edmonton. When I was in the City of Edmonton, the City interviewed me on camera. Dusty Gedge is a recognised international  for his work on green roofs in the UK. [...]

It is 20 years since I visited Cordoba in Spain, though I have been a regular visitor to Andalusia and Extramadura since on birdwatching trips. My good friend and colleague recently visited the Grand Mosque and noticed these excellent examples of rain gardens built over 1000 years ago.

Perhaps the bee was seeking shelter from the cold and the rain. Perhaps the bee was seeking one final sip of nectar, the last climb too much. Hanging gently from beneath the Knapweed bloom, the bees buzz has turned to a silent repose.. A summer of industry has come to a close. A head stone, this purple bloom.

Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) Duet Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) Duet Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) Solo

Inspecting a green roof for a client the other day in London, I chanced upon an intrepid sole, who unbeknown to the management team of the estate had been doing a little urban farming of his own.The green roofs in question are simple single-layered sedum blankets. The ‘lightest’ you can buy. They have been in [...]

The blackberries look like there are going to have a bumper crop. A few weeks ago I managed to visit one of my favourite places – Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve. I had only a short amount of time. Not much was happening on the bird front bu these bees were busy consuming the nectar of the [...]

Brewer’s Blackbird – seen near Brooks, Alberta in late June.

Originally from the Mediterranean, this showy plant can be found on walls, waste ground, railway banks and cliffs. As it thrives in well-drained soils it is a perfect for planting on green roofs. Centranthrus ruber and Common Blue Butterfly The plant also has a long flowering season from early summer well into autumn and [...]

‘The sea views are spectacular so we look forward to happy times up on our roof year in year out’. Geoff and Julie came on our green roof course last year in Essex. Armed with our DIY guide and the things they had learned on the course,  they have now completed a Cornish coastal green roof [...]

The harebell, [bluebell in Scotland], is a classic green roof plant. It is common on roofs on continental Europe and can be found on roofs in Canada, and the UK. It can be found at ground level in varied dry habitats such as   short grassland, heaths, dunes and cliffs. This makes it suitable [...]

Green Roof Training Ltd provides a range of green roof, living roofs and ecosystem services courses in the UK. All of its trainers are recognised in the field of green roofs as consultants, installers, contractors and champions of living buildings. The courses range from small scale do-it-yourself courses, to 2 [...]

5th September 2010 Course,  Seminar and tour of local green roofs The Wolseley Centre, Wolseley Bridge, Stafford ST17 0WT The course will enable participants to learn about green roofs and their benefits. Background information will be provided on their history and evolution. The creation of wildlife habitats including local ecologies will be covered, as will [...]

Another successful green roof built on a shed using our e-guide – this time in Montreal. Over the last 6 months Oliver has been email contact with us during the construction of his eco-shed. . And he is now successfully, though accidentally, growing some food on this small space in his yard in [...]

Diamond and Schmitt Architects New Mexico Highland University, in Las Vegas, NM, was in need a of new student center built with sustainable building technology. According to the NMHU , an "...outdated and nonfunctional Mortimer Hall..." was demolished to make room for the new student center, complete with a green roof . The building, said NMHU president Jim Fries, "...will be a center of activity for our campus," Fries said. "It will offer new amenities that will enhance the quality of campus life for our growing student body." The Canadian architectural firm, Diamond and Schmitt , partnered with the Albuquerque, NM firm, Studio Southwest , to design and bu...

9th September: Living Roofs & Ecosystem Services Dusty Gedge and Gary Grant Flash flooding, air pollution health alerts are already part of London’s summer profile. The near future will see these increase due to an increase in the urban heat island effect.  Possible Lisbon style temperatures by 2020. This masterclass looks at a range of ecological design principles [...]

While green roofs are low maintenance, they do require some maintenance in the first two years, though considerably less in the out years. Many people ask, how do you cut the grass on green roofs? Despite the humorous goat picture, you don't have to, rather maintenance is centered around getting the green roof plants established. On sale at VivaTerra . Save up to 70% on natural home décor, organic gifts and more. Generally speaking, there are two types of green roofs, intensive and extensive. Intensive roofs have very large shrubs or trees, while extensive roofs generally have grasses and succulents . Since trees and other larger shrubs have deeper root systems and weig...

Lady’s Bedstraw is found  on dry, sandy sites, grasslands and dunes. Being suited to dry and well drained situations make’s it an ideal for green roofs. The small yellow flowers are very attractive to a range of wildlife, especially  butterflies, bees and moths. Specific species include Six-spotted burnett moth Hummingbird and Small elephant hawk [...]

The Oxford Green Roof Company is a small green roof design and build company based in Oxfordshire. They have taken a lot of advice from our DIY guide and both Dusty and John Little on setting up their company and how to build and approach the establishment of good green roofs. Their entry at RHS [...]

Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) is a classic plant of rough grassland, dry meadows and road verges. This makes it ideal for planting on small scale large green roofs. It is also a great plant and is included in my species lists for brown roofs and biodiverse roofs. ‘Hardheads’ as they are colloquially known have the [...]

Recognized as a top engineering university, Virginia Tech also has green roofs! The most recent issue of Virginia Tech Magazine , has an article about VT alumni who are leaders in sustainability. However, the first graphic is of students planting a green roof between Seitz and Fralin Halls. The picture, seen left, shows the planting of sedum, known to be drought resistant and sequesters CO2 , while other potential plant life releases CO2 during its life cycle. The other green roof on the Blacksburg campus is the Fralin Life Sciences building. As a reminder, several colleges and universities have buildings with green roofs. Those include George Washington University , ...

Germany continues its green roof leadership with the Kö-Bogen development in Düsseldorf . According to Inhabitat.com , the structure, designed for multi-use the structure is: "...adjacent to the Hofgarten , Düsseldorf's central park, the Kö-Bogen will help create a larger and more continuous open green space that runs from the city center out to the park and the Rhine. The green roof will help connect the building with the beautiful historical parks surrounding the downtown area, while reducing rainwater runoff and helping to significantly reduce heating and cooling costs." According to its architect, Daniel Libeskind , funding has been secured, and construction is set ...

Even in one of the coldest, inhabited climates on Earth, Iceland , green roofs are part of the landscape. Inhabitat.com reports as one of its top 10 green stories of 2009, the Hof House. It was built from salvaged materials from an existing structure. Other neat and green features, beside the gorgeous green roof include its passive solar design , geothermal heating, and very thick concrete walls. Here are some other pictures to enjoy!

To increase its public transportation network, London is in the process of building the Canary Wharf Station , complete with a green roof! According to World Architecture News , the station will "...boost the British economy by at least £20bn, creating and supporting thousands of jobs and adding 10 per cent extra capacity to London's public transport network." A project this size hasn't been seen in London for over 50 years, and fortunately building techniques have changed for the better. The building of the station is being carried out with "...environmentally responsible construction methods, including the silent piling rigs and coffer dam to partially dewater the dock, ...

With a booming economy and population, Bangalore suffers from high air pollution and a lack of clean drinking water. So, why did Andy Fisher Workshop (AFW) design NeoTown with no green roofs? Who knows? As reported in World Architecture News , NeoTown is supposed to be, "...a blueprint for future sustainable developments by Patel Realty." According to the photos provided by AFW, NeoTown is a vast expanse of flat roofs, with not a single piece of green to be found. I am particularly critical given the that AFW has incorporated gardens before, in India, and for Patel Reality's sister company, Patel Engineering. Specifically, in Mumbai, "...High level link gardens and a rooftop ...

Greece is known for its ancient culture and well-preserved historic architecture. Did you know they also have green roofs (Oikostegi in Greek)? The most recent green roof in Greece is on the Treasury building in Athens. Used as a scientific test bed, much like the green roofs in Chicago , this green roof was shown to reduce cooling cost for the 10 story structure by 8% and heating costs by 4%. While these may not seem very significant numbers, they are only part of the equation. Green roofs not only reduce heating and cooling costs, but also reduce storm water runoff, as well as reducing fine particulate air pollution. Additionally, photovoltaic cells perform more efficient...

The city of Malmo , Sweden is building a Fair and Exhibition Centre that will have the country's largest green roof.  Erik Giudice Architects created the winning design.  The property will be developed by Midroc Property Development.  According to World Architecture News , the building is: "...approximately 19,000 sq m comprises exhibition halls, conference rooms, a restaurant, offices, commercial and support spaces." The design allows for the addition of an additional 5,000 sq m for mixed use, including housing.  Further, the structure will be accessible by a rail link between Malmo and Copenhagen . While this project includes a very large gr...

To many Nottinghamshire people, Clipstone is a small town most associated with the historical colliery coal mine. Now out of use, the town council are regularly holding meetings to determine the future of Clipstone’s most recognisable feature. Just down the road is Kings Clipstone and local property developer Keith Laver has began his new project which [...]