Green Roofs + more

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I’m hooked on GREEN this week!

Green roofs such as these have been around for decades.



Sod or turf roofs have been very common in Scandinavia since the days of the Vikings.
There are many urban applications in our modern world.

Chicago City Hall

ACROS Fukouka Building in Japan

Germany is considered to be at the forefront of Green roof technology. 10 per cent of it’s flat roofs are planted with some sort of vegetation.

Europe leads the world in the construction of green roofs.

Art and Exhibition Hall, Bonn, Germany

Singapore

Perhaps, the rural or residential applications are even more numerous than the urban ones.

The design of green roofs is not all that complicated. Many layers must be applied to the surface of a building before the plants can be planted. These layers include waterproof membranes, drainage layers, root barriers, soil medium and so forth.

It is my understanding that here in the US, most of the plants used in green roof construction are succulents, or those that can withstand extreme conditions such as intense heat, drought, wind and so forth. In other words, they need to be “super” plants!

To learn the basics of Green Roof installation and design, watch this video from You Tube.

Watch the Video to learn how green roofs work.

The advantages of green roofs are many! Here are just a few:

• Less runoff! Runoff is the number one pollutant to our waterways! Green roofs absorb water while other roofs shed all water creating polluting runoff.
• Improved air quality! Air quality improves in both temperature and traffic dust. Traditional black roofs absorb heat, making the interior of buildings hotter and more costly to cool.
• Sound barrier. City noises are muffled.
• Experiential. The way people experience the roof landscape changes – People prefer green over blacktop.
• Solar Applications. They insulate in winter and cool in the summer, cutting energy costs.
• More habitat. New housing for various species like plants, flowers, mosses and small life like bees and birds.
• A reduction of city hardscape. Hardscape areas in the city are very hot as they absorb heat during the and release it throughout the night. That is why temperatures in cities are higher than their rural counterparts.
• Reduction of glare. Traditional roofs produce high glare. Green roofs reduce it making it much easier on our eyes!

Visit this site for a more detailed timeline of green roofs. If you are interested in learning more about green roofs , visit Greenroofs.com. Green Roofs for Healthy Cities is another excellent source of information.
Another interesting and green phenomenon is the Green Wall or Vertical Garden. French Botanist and Artist Patrick Blanc has written a book called Vertical Garden. He has developed a patented system of growing plants on any vertical plane indoors or out using wire, drip irrigation and a growing media. Here are some of his installations:





He only uses plants he finds in nature that grow on rock surfaces. Therefore, their natural setting is vertical.



This one is indoors at Sydney’s International Airport.

It truly is stunning! Isn’t it?

It’s very “hip” to be green these days! Hope you enjoyed your St. Patrick’s Day. To learn what others are hooked on this week, visit Hooked on Houses or Fifi Flowers Fashionable Friday.