Green and Blue bee bricks have also been used as part of the extension, providing shelter for solitary bee breeds. This property, under development by Iguana Architects, will eventually have a 60 sq m green roof planted with bee friendly flowers. As a guide, prices can vary from £50/m² for a sedum roof to £200/m² for a fully planted intensive roof - the cost of any reinforcement needed to the roof and/or wall structures is additional to this. The cost will vary with the green roof system and the particular situation. On top of a shed or garage they make a great talking point. They still need conventional insulation, and rainwater run-off will still need to be dealt with, but they offer good ecological benefits, are cheaper to install, easier to maintain and have good visual appeal. Any growing medium will attract other species – that is sort of the point – and maintenance is likely to remain an issue whatever system you install, but the thinner extensive systems are generally the right choice for most domestic situations. The thicker intensive systems are really for specialist applications - buildings that want to make that big statement about their eco credentials. They offer less water retention and insulation, but are easier to install and maintain. Extensive and semi-extensive roofs are less of a problem. Intensive systems and meadow roofs need to be designed in, as they are heavy and the supporting structure needs to be designed to carry the weight. It is also relatively low-maintenance.Ī meadow roof brings this single storey extension from Archic to life, while also improving the space's insulation. Semi-extensive systems have slightly greater depth than extensive systems (100-200mm) but constructed on the same principles to allow for a greater diversity of plants. The insulation quality is relatively low and extensive systems always incorporate conventional insulation. These lightweight systems require little maintenance. They offer good insulation and better water absorption than the thin types, but need a lot of care.Įxtensive green roofs are generally made up of a shallow layer (20-100mm) of substrate planted with low-growing, stress-tolerant grasses, mosses and sedum. They provide a valuable habitat for wildlife but place significant weight on the building and need substantial roof support. These need to be accessible gardens (for maintenance) and can even be used as a recreation space. Intensive systems consist of a thick layer of soil (50-200mm+) in which a variety of grasses, herbs, flowers and shrubs can grow. January 15, 2001.There are three basic types of green roof: intensive (thick), extensive (thin) and semi-extensive (somewhere in between). “Greenroofs: Stormwater Management from the Top Down.” Environmental Design + Construction.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |