Green Roof And Roof Gardens

Words: 1842
Pages: 8
Open Document
Green roofs and roof gardens are terms that are often used interchangeably when referring to a roof that supports vegetation. Professionals, however, draw a distinction between the two types (147); roof gardens are installed for the access and enjoyment of people. They are also costly to build, require intensive maintenance and are heavy in weight due to the deep soil profiles. In contrast, green roofs are lightweight with thin soil profiles and minimal maintenance requirements. They are cheaper to construct as they are installed for environmental performance and visual improvement only. The origin of green roofs can be traced back to the vernacular architecture of various regions, while roof gardens have been documented as being built by the …show more content…
Known to exist for centuries, in form of Sod roofs in Scandinavia, vegetated roofs provided extra warmth and insulation in the cold, wet climate (152). However the susceptibility to leaking, extensive maintenance and frequent replacement, lead to eventual rejection of sod roofs in favor of new leak proof construction techniques.
Other vernacular examples have been recorded in the traditional houses of tropical regions of China and Japan. The summer rainfall was often damaging for the region, but increase in summer humidity levels supported the growth of vegetation on roofs. Plant roots helped in bonding and strengthening of the structure (153) and protected the thatch from washing away. Development of modern building materials reduced the number of traditional green roofs as new roof assemblies were cheaper, easy to construct and required less …show more content…
Such green roofs provide greenery on the building roof and help preserve biodiversity at that height by providing natural habitat for plants, birds and insects.
Extensive roofs have a narrower range of plant species limited to herbs, low growing grasses, mosses and drought tolerant succulents such as sedum (155). Substrate depths are relatively thin between 0.05 m (2”) to 0.15 m (6”) which are significantly lower than intensive roofs (156). Saturated weights for extensive green roof system are approximately in the range of 48.8 – 170.9 kg/m² (10-35 lb/sq ft). Extensive green roofs do not require regular input of resources like water, labor as required by an intensive roof and can be designed for steeper slopes (greater than 2:12) (155).
These systems can often be installed on existing buildings without additional structural costs and alterations, but an engineering analysis of the structure must be performed. Careful selection of plants and growth medium ensures the success of a green roof
Show More

Related Documents: Green Roof And Roof Gardens

rain gardens Essay

A rain garden is a shallow depression that is planted with deep-rooted native plants and grasses. A rain garden is a planted depression designed to capture rain runoff. A rain garden should be positioned near a runoff source like a downspout, driveway or sump pump to capture rainwater runoff and stop the water from reaching the sewer system. A rain garden is not a pond and will absorb runoff within 24-28 hours after a storm. . Rain gardens slow down the rush of water from hard surfaces, holds the water…

Words 1107 - Pages 5

Essay about Rooftop Gerdening

farming? A roof garden is any garden on the roof of any building. It does provide a decorative benefit, but also is also to provides foods, building temperature control, hydrological benefits, architectural enhancements, corridors and habitats for wildlife such as wildlife walls, bat houses, bird nesting areas, bee hives, etc. Usually these roofs are done using green roof, hydroponics, aeroponics, air-dynaponics systems or container gardens. Aside from using already present space on the roof itself additional…

Words 473 - Pages 2

Essay about The Benefits of Green walls and Living Roofs

Ahmed El-mokadem #102753569 Lab 5 - Living Walls and Green Roofs Current living conditions, with respect to resource consumption, as well as demographic studies have determined global population will exceed nine billion by the year 2050 (Bongaarts, 2009). Taking this into consideration, a positive correlation can be made between increasing urbanization and industrialization (Davis and Golden, 1954). In other words, the construction of many homes and buildings has been increasing since the industrial…

Words 807 - Pages 4

English: Green Roof and Heat Island Effect Essay example

Heat Island effect Many communities are taking action to reduce urban heat islands using four main strategies: Increasing tree and vegetative cover Installing green roofs (also called "rooftop gardens" or "eco-roofs") Installing cool—mainly reflective—roofs Using cool pavements I aim to use all of these strategies in my neighbourhood, starting with trees and vegetation. Trees and vegetation will help reduce the urban heat island by blocking some of the…

Words 782 - Pages 4

Low-Impact Development Case Study: Florida

Evandro Queiroz 10.29.2014 Letter of Intent Low-Impact Development Case Study The state that I chose was Florida. I chose it because they are a state with many water issues since it tends to rain practically everyday and since they have a higher population than can be supported by their current water system. According to an article by St. Johns River Water Management District, the biggest problem is Florida is that due to the high volume of rain, much of the untreated stormwater runoff goes straight…

Words 1238 - Pages 5

The Barrett Honors College At Arizona State University

controls, energy-consumption use monitors on each floor, a green roof, an organic garden, cost-saving dual flush toilets, and a gray water reuse system (SHAB 2013). The rootop garden was constructed on top of Sage South where students learn and participate in growing their own fresh, organic food. Currently mint, chocolate mint, lemon trees, artichokes, and orange and lime trees are growing in the rooftop garden. Food from the rooftop garden is integrated into SHAB’s community dinners, and is sold…

Words 1866 - Pages 8

Green: Hotel Chains and Westin Harbour Castle Essay

data? d. Current trends 2. The Green Market e. In the country you have chosen, how many hotels have adapted green policies/practices? Popular GREEN HOTELS that take action to: conserve heat, conserve water, install eco-friendly lighting, reduce carbon emissions, compost waste food, in-room recycling, linen reuse program, use eco-friendly cleaning agents, instruct staff in green practices, and include green room information packs. Green Hotel Chain List Best Inn & Suites…

Words 1689 - Pages 7

Essay On Green School

COMMON GROUND BB ROOF ASSEMBLY GREEN ROOF 70mm SUBSTRATE 28 5mm DRAINAGE MAT 25mm DRAINAGE BOARD VAPOUR BARRIER 29 3 6 5 4 9 8 200mm REINFORCED CONCRETE SLAB 33 2 1 120-300mm RIGID INSULATION 30 300mm CEILING VOID 16mm GYPSUM BOARD 32 10 WALL ASSEMBLY FFL 92.0 16mm GYPSUM BOARD 32 31 22 22 KINDRGARTEN COURTYARD VIEW 22 9 9 23 19 19 INFILL CONCRETE BLOCK 24 FFL 94.0 22 300mm WIND CHIMNEY VOID SPACE 30 16 INFILL CONCRETE BLOCK WITH MORTAR AND CEMENT VAPOUR BARRIER…

Words 4052 - Pages 17

1SampleAs Is Displayed In The First Essay

the figure, the first step of obtaining water outdoors is to find a hole with green plants on its bottom. Next, remove the green plants in the middle and put a container there. Then, cover the hole with a plastic sheet and place two stones on both ends of it to secure its position. A third stone is laid on the middle of the plastic sheet so that the middle part is also the lowest part. When the sun shines on the green plants in the hole, water evaporates from these plants. The vapor rises up and…

Words 1210 - Pages 5

Going Green Essay

Going Green and the Building Industry The popularity of green living has increased significantly over the years. No industry has been impacted more by green initiatives than the building industry. “In 2010, a third of all new commercial construction was green, amounting to a $54 billion market for commercial green buildings” (Pentland, W.). With this discussion we will review how green initiatives have shaped and continue to shape the operations of the construction industry. “By 2015, green buildings…

Words 1595 - Pages 7