Green Roof Considerations

Green roofs are suitable for any pitch of roof.

Green roof considerations.

Green roofs for healthy cities grhc is the north american industry association for the green roof and wall sectors. To deliver a successful green roof the designer must consider the building s position and location along with the orientation of the roof during the. Considering the underlying purpose will shape the next decisions in designing the green roof and help determine if a green roof is an appropriate solution at all. Pitched green roof design considerations.

You just need to build up the core layers as per manufacturer s instructions when constructing a green flat roof. They fall into three main categories extensive intensive and semi intensive. These issues are addressed below as general considerations where green roofs are either planned or already installed. Once the vegetation finish has been determined the structural and design considerations and green roof components can be proposed.

Flat green roof design considerations. Green roofs are also known as vegetative or eco roofs. Weight vegetative roof weights can range from 16 to 60 pounds per square foot depending on the depth of the growth medium types of plantings and accumulated weight of other additions such as pavers or water features. An intensive green roof will require the regular maintenance associated with the planting scheme and landscape design whereas an extensive green roof will need only minimal maintenance maybe one or two visits a.

When constructing a flat green roof the design aspect is much simpler. Although there are no precise definitions of them an extensive green roof has a shallow growing medium usually less than six inches with a modest roof load limited plant diversity minimal. Example costs of individual components of green roofs. Drainage and protection layers 20 30 m 2.

Design considerations for a successful green roof for a green roof to flourish it requires suitable amounts of sunlight water sufficient drainage and aeration to encourage healthy plant growth. It is vital that the protection of the building s fabric and in particular its waterproofing is considered in the green roof design. The next step planning the green roof to meet the needs of the vegetation. The most important thing to keep in mind is that a green roof should not negatively impact the building s historic character.

However these costs may also vary according to the issues outlined above under cost considerations. Grhc develops and protects the market by increasing the awareness of the economic social and environmental benefits of green roofs green walls and other forms of living architecture through education advocacy professional development and celebrations of excellence.