The concept of installing a green roof on a suitable building is not new and indeed has been carried out in some European countries for many years if not centuries. This has resulted in a wide range of benefits, not only for the building owner in terms of economy and performance, but also for the local environment and the people, birds, animals and plants that dwell there.
Green roofs can be divided into three types, extensive, intensive and brown or biodiverse.
Extensive green roofs are not usually accessible and therefore the management level required is often significantly less. Plant types selected are more naturalistic and self-reliant often surviving on a thin soil or substrate layer. This, compared to intensive green roofs, can allow for reductions in the overall self-weight of the system and could be regarded as a lightweight green roof.
Intensive green roofs are usually accessed by people in a similar way as to any garden or terrace, and as such, require an intensive level of maintenance. Soil depth or substrate depth is usually thicker and often they require artificial irrigation. Selection of plants is important and the supporting structure must be capable of supporting the additional soil or substrate loading.
Brown/Biodiverse roofs are designed to replicate brownfield land which has been left to naturalise and become a home for a variety of birds, insects and other wildlife. Crushed brick and rubble form the main components of the substrate and often logs and stone piles are added to provide nesting areas. These roofs are either left to naturalise or can be assisted by overseeding with wildflowers.
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