Consultation, Design, Build + Maintenance.
Green Roofs
Green Roof ecosystems
A green roof is a vegetative layer grown on a rooftop of a building which involves a high quality water-proofing membrane, a root repellent system, a drainage system, a filter cloth, a lightweight growing medium, and plants. Green roofs bring a sense of well-being and vibrant life to the built environment; bringing back the green to the urban environment.
There are two primary green roof classifications, extensive and intensive.
Extensive green roofs have a growing medium depth of 4 to 10”, generally consist of grasses and flowering perennial with no shrubs and trees and are lighter weight and less expensive to construct than intensive green roofs.
Intensive green roofs have a growing medium depth of 10” or more and are therefore heavier systems. They support trees and shrubs and often function as park-like spaces.
There are three main green roof systems:
- Built-in-place systems. All layers of the green roof system are laid in place and function as an integrated whole.
- Modular system. A modular system is one which supplies the vegetative portion of the green roof in a tray type system that contains the growing medium, the plants, and in some cases the drainage tile and root barrier as well.
- Mat or Roll system. This type of system is nursery grown off site and delivered to the project in large rolls or mats. The system is generally thinner than built-in-place or module and therefore a lightweight system.
Why Build a GREEN ROOF?
Green roof systems provide extra insulation to the building envelope, directly increasing the heating and cooling efficiency of buildings. Roofs are often the greatest source of heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.
Green roofs can bring back into the urban environment the natural biodiversity that once existed in the ecosystem with well-chosen native plants.
Using green roofs as roof top farms provides urban communities with a source of local food production, a sense of connectivity, empowerment and improved levels of nutrition.
Urban greening is an effective strategy for making the built environment more beautiful and livable and increasing investment opportunity.
Creating a green roof at your business, municipality, or community can provide your team with a project to work on together and be proud of.
Building a green roof can show your committment to environmental core values, and be an integral connector to the natural world for your employees, customers and community.
Recent Projects
Kind Words from customers
When we built our new office building in downtown Red Deer, we wanted to explore a green roof concept tied into a roof top gathering place. We were referred to Living Lands Landscape and Design who designed an environmentally friendly and responsible space, contributing to urban habitat sustainability. We have utilized LLL&D services to maintain the green roof and plant several large planters with vegetables and flowers for the staff and clients to enjoy throughout the summer, for the past 8 years.
Cynthia and her crew are professional, reliable, creative and never disappoint – highly recommended for their knowledge and expertise.
Let’s Talk about your project.
Let’s have a consultation to help you plan your green roof project. We can assist you with finding financial incentives, what type of green roof will best fit your needs and budget, and achieve your goals.