Green roofs







Emilio Ambasz found a home for a 100,000-square-foot park in the form of 15 terraces atop a government building in Japan. This green roof features a whopping 35,000 plants representing 76 different species.

Meant to be seen
Green roofs are really taking off, all around the world. And these aren’t just your average pieces of sod plopped on top of a building, either – these roofs are meant to be seen
A number of European Countries have very active associations promoting green roofs, including Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Sweden, the UK, and Greece.
The City of Linz in Austria has been paying developers to install green roofs since 1983, and in Switzerland it has been a federal law since the late 1990s. In the UK, their uptake has been slow, but a number of cities have developed policies to encourage their use, notably London and Sheffield.
Combating the urban heat island effect is another reason for creating a green roof. Traditional building materials soak up the sun’s radiation and re-emit it as heat, making cities at least 7 °F hotter than surrounding areas.

On Chicago’s City Hall, by contrast, which features a green roof, roof temperatures on a hot day are typically 2.5–8.0 °F cooler than they are on traditionally roofed buildings nearby.
Green roofs are becoming common in Chicago, as well as in Atlanta, Portland, and other United States cities, where their use is encouraged by regulations to combat the urban heat-island effect. Green roofs are a type of low impact development In the case of Chicago, the city has passed codes offering incentives to builders who put green roofs on their buildings.
The Chicago City Hall green roof is one of the earliest and most well-known examples of green roofs in the United States; it was planted as an experiment to determine the effects a green roof would have on the microclimate of the roof. Following this and other studies, it has now been estimated that if all the roofs in a major city were greened, urban temperatures could be reduced by as much as 7 degrees F
The Green Roof Centre
The University of Sheffield is the leading research establishment in the green roof field in the UK, Its primary aim is to promote green roof development and implementation through research, education, demonstration, information and technology transfer. With an unrivalled range of expertise in the green roof arena. It has developed an international reputation for excellence in green roof studies.
Their objectives are:
 
• To be the first point of contact for green roof information
• To build and disseminate best practice
• To support industry through knowledge transfer and information
• To advance knowledge through research based education
• To support Sheffield in its leading role in the green and blue infrastructure agenda
Based in Sheffield The Green Roof Centre was founded by the University of Sheffield, Groundwork Sheffield and the 4 surrounding local authorities (Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and Rotherham). The Green Roof Centre operates with partners nationally to demonstrate the potential of green roof uptake in the UK.
Q Lawns Enviromat sedum matting consists of drought tolerant plants grown on to a unique matting system for quick and easy installation. The specially developed geotextile base gives Enviromat its exceptional handling qualities and means it can be installed on to slopes and banks with confidence.
It includes all the growing medium the plants need so it is perfect for bringing plants and life where there is no soil or very poor soil.
The plant species in Enviromat have been chosen to give all year round ground cover and a long flowering season. Because they are low maintenance plants, there is no need for mowing, pruning or deadheading. Just feed once a year for a fabulous floral display.
Enviromat sedum mat is ideal for establishing plants on to a soil-less surface such as a shed roof or a gravel garden….it’s great for disguising man-hole covers or adding interest to a patio.
The seed mix for Enviromat includes seven species of low-growing sedum plants along with meadow saxifrage for a light weight green roof build up. Plants are pre-grown onto a mat with a lifetime supply of growing medium.
Enviromat sedum mats are supplied with at least 95% plant coverage for instant greenery.
Sedum plants are drought tolerant succulents; ideally for ground cover and living roofs. Sedums have nectar rich flowers that are attractive to butterflies and bees.
The Enviromat green roof build up is probably the least heavy and the easiest system to install.
Tel 01842 828 266
sales@qlawns.co.uk
www.qlawns.co.uk
 
 
 

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