Building on my previous article on Environment & Sustainability I deemed it fit to post a few thoughts on the use of green and brown roofs and their hugely popular positive contribution to the environment.
The green and brown roofs consist of soil and vegetation and they can be anything from a short grassy patch to a whole garden on the roof of your building! This kind of roof is also commonly referred to as an EcoRoof as it provides biodiversity.
Green and brown roofs are an excellent way to give back to our environment, some of what we take away when we erect new buildings. The soil from the site can be used on the roof which will reduce any waste transport off-the site and save land-fill costs, transport cost and pollution, while earning you ‘Brownie Points’ with your local council (pardon the pun, just could not resist it).
These roofs also protect buildings from heat gains in summer especially in hotter regions of the world, are aesthetically pleasing, provide environment for the various plant and animal life forms that maybe under threat and help clean the air.
EcoRoofs include sedum, grasses and mosses apart from flowering plants. These can be carefully chosen to greatly minimise any regular maintenance required as various types of sedum can be extremely resilient in extremes of weather, are installed on top of special drainage and irrigation systems on the roof, which can assist in control of rainwater runoff during heavy rainfall.
About the Author:
Harry McQue is a hospital Design & Equipment Manager with Post Graduate degrees in business management and information technology. Harry has 20+ years of international experience ranging from working on hospital projects in Dubai (Middle East) to over £1 Billion hospital projects in the UK & Europe. You can benefit from his experience at: www.hospitaldesigntips.com. If you have current or upcoming projects big or small or topics that you would like his advice on, you can get in touch via the Contact page.
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