What Are Green Roofs?

Our green roofs are composed of lightweight layers of free-draining material that support low-growing, tough drought-resistant alpine plants, (sedum). Generally the depth of growing medium is from only a few cms. These roof types have great potential for wide application because, being lightweight, they require little or no additional structural support from the building, and because the sedum is adapted to the extreme roof top environment, (high winds, hot sun, drought, and winter cold), they require little in the way of maintenance and resource inputs. Our green roofs can be designed into new buildings, or ‘retro-fitted’ onto existing buildings.

Because of their very wide range of environmental and economic benefits, (in particular their insulation and cooling properties, ability to significantly reduce rainwater runoff from roofs, and their value in promoting biodiversity and habitat in built-up areas), green roofs have come to be important elements of sustainable and green construction in many countries. Moreover, because they can be highly visible, they also clearly outwardly signal an intent for sustainable building and can give a very positive and distinctive image to a building or development.

The European Green Roof Association, (EFB), considers the UK as having the largest potential in Europe for green roofs. In London alone there are over 28 hectares of roofs that could be converted to green roofs, plus the potential of new developments. In 2001, in Germany 13.5 million square metres of green roofs were installed.