Green Roof Essays -- Environment, Plants, Structural Design

Green roofs, also known as living roofs, eco roofs, roof terraces or roof gardens, are a roof design of a building that is partly or entirely enclosed with vegetation and growing medium, therefore, the roof is planted over a waterproofing membrane and it has extra layers, for instance roof fence and drainage. He and Jim, (2010) states that green roof require the making of vegetated space on the top of artificial structures design. They can help to reduce the thermal properties of buildings to produce cooling energy conservation and increase social comforts. There are two main types of Green Roof-Intensive and Extensive. Castleton and Davison, (2010) explains that intensive green roofs have a shallow substrate layer that tolerate deeper rooting plants, so that the trees and shrubs can remain alive. They are usually accessible and need regular maintenance such as extensive irrigation and fertilising. This type of roofs is generally thicker and can support a wider selection of plants and generally they are heavier systems, but therefore it has the highest demand on building structures. Fioretti and Palla, (2010) suggest that Intensive roofs are considered to be expensive to maintain and to build. Nagase and Dunnett, (2010) debates that extensive roofs are not appropriate for plant growth, therefore it has inadequate water accessibility, extensive temperature variations, great exposure to wind and solar radiation that generates highly strained, and occasionally troubled environment. Due that reason, insignificant variety of plant types is generally used for extensive roofs. Sedum types are the most frequently used plant, Dunnett and Kingsbury, (2008) suggest that they are greatly adapted to dry environments. Extensive Green Roofs... ...was the hefty rainfall that happened in the earlier fortnight leaving the ground soaked without much of capacity to absorb additional rainfall. Biodiversity An important feature of green roofs is their potential to provide habitation for urban wildlife, therefore many animal species such as rats and ants would benefit from green roofs. Coffman and Waites, (2008) explains that the urban development practices recognised as roof greening offers habitat for wild species within the towns and it also helps rise the home-grown natural diversity. However, roof greening is not a method restoration ecology, but it is method of reconciliation ecology, where entirely new habitation is formed for non-human species. In addition Green roofs certainly delivers some form of habitat, it is also possible that the properties of the roof could harm the wildlife diversity.