What is the Green Roof?
A Green Roof is an assembly consisting of a growing medium, root barrier, drainage and plants that are placed on a roof structure instead of other traditional roofing materials. The system acts as extra insulation for the building that retains stormwater and allows the building to avoid absorbing the sun’s heat.
How do we use it?
Our Green Roof is divided into three sections for a total of 900 square meters. Two sections are planted with sedums and chives, and one section has purple cone flowers, grasses, wild geraniums, viper’s bugloss and coreopsis that show different colours throughout the growing season. These plants grow in three to six inches of soil, and provide a habitat for pollinators, capture rainwater to reduce roof runoff, and “sweat” to help keep the building cool in the summer, while providing additional building insulation for winter months.
How does it make us more sustainable?
Traditional black roofs absorb the sun’s heat, making local temperatures higher than they would be if there was no building or road in that location. A green roof reduces this heat gain, reducing the disturbance of the building on surrounding habitats. It also reduces rainwater runoff, prevents soil erosion and provides additional mechanical benefits in addition to being aesthetically pleasing to tenants, staff and visitors alike.
