Anatomy of a green roof
Originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

Amongst the talks at the Green Architecture Event on Saturday was one on green roofs, given by Jeff Sorrill of the Green Roof Centre. Amongst the things I learnt was that you don’t want too much organic matter on your roof- an 80:20 to 90:10 mix of rubble and soil is best- because then only the hardiest plants can survive on it. Make your roof too nutritious and you run the risk of getting larger plants with more active roots that will push the weight limits and try to work their way into your building.

A section of green roof was brought along in a fish tank and set up on a table.

Two pieces of positive news from China.

The state is planning to spend $175 billion on an environmental clean up.

The money — equivalent to about 1.5 percent of GDP — is to be spent on measures including control of water pollution, improving air quality in cities and halting soil erosion, the official Xinhua news agency quoted He Bingguang, of the State Development and Reform Commission, as saying.

Sewage treatment plants would be built in 10 river valleys to dispose of waste water discharged by urban areas and part of the funds would also be used to reduce sulphur dioxide and dust in major cities.

In Beijing, the roofs are all going green, as this is an easier and cheaper way to create new green space than to try and find room at ground level.

both via TreeHugger

Technorati tag: China, Environment, Green Roof

The penguins at Edinburgh zoo have a green roof in their new enclosure.

The roof provides a viewing area for visitors and lets them get close enough to watch the zoo’s 130 king penguins, gentoos and macaronis breed and nest.

Richard Millar, technical manager at parent company Icopal, said: “Garden roofs not only look much more pleasant but they take in the rain and spread out the water or use it to grow. The lawns are drought tolerant and don’t need much watering.”

Technorati tag: Green roof, Edinburgh Zoo

The area of green roofing in North America grew 72% between 2004 and 2005, and by over 80% in the United States, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities has announced. North American green roof infrastructure implementation increased from 1.3 million square feet in 2004 to 2.5 million square feet in 2005.

The 4th Annual Green Roof Conference, Awards and Trade Show takes place in Boston, MA, on May 11-12, 2006.

Technorati tag: Green Roof

Recommended by Treehugger- Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls. The book details weight bearing requirements and the various other requirements for a thriving lawn on a roof- which will improve insulation in winter and cooling in summer as well as cutting down on the amount of run off water for drainage systems to deal with.

Technorati tag: Architecture, Grass