about green roof designs

Green Roof Designs brings more than 38 years experience in horticulture and plant science to the construction / housing industry to create tailor-made greening solutions that enhance building functionality and design. Our company is able to provide a complete greening scheme including green roofs, and ground level planting schemes. Our expertise lies in our ability to guide the architect or client towards achieving their greening design objectives whether they are driven by sustainability, ecological or aesthetic requirements. We can also advise on planting schemes that work within the constraints of pre-existing buildings and designs.

Member - Clive Greenstone:


  • 1995 Qualified as a Water Reticulation Engineer.
  • Studied towards a Diploma in Nature Conservation at (TECH S.A)-(1999-2000).
  • 2003- 2005 Bachelor of Social Science Degree.
  • 2006 - Honours Degree in Political Science & Development Studies focusing on Environmental History and Policy. (Honours research was based on the Point development and appropriate urban agriculture).
  • 2008-2009 Masters in Town and Regional Planning (UKZN). Thesis was on rooftop agriculture/ green roofs.
  • Has been involved with testing different containers for growing food and plants for +/- 4 years. More recently he has been involved in growing food crops for students on top of the university buildings.
  • 2008 – Custom designed a rooftop container with built in drainage system for growing plants & vegetable crops.
  • 2009 – to date, project management of the Green Roof pilot project for the eThekwini Municipality.

Internal consultant - Jan Burring:


  • 2003 Durban Parks Department: Horticultural Internship.
  • And Courses 2001-2003 Durban Institute of Technology: National Diploma: Horticulture.
  • Attended: 2000 Technikon SA: Nature Conservation.
  • 1999 Herb Association of South Africa: Practical Applications in Herbalism.
  • Provinces worked: Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, North West Province, Western Cape.
  • 1994-2003 Plant production, commercial and domestic landscaping, landscape maintenance, turfgrass management, golf course construction.
  • 2004-2005 Botanical Horticulture: Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.
  • Career Summary:
    • - 2006 Research Assistant: Prof. M. Lawes, School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal.
    - 2006 Chief Horticulturist: Pretoria National Botanical Garden.
    - 2007 Botanist/Horticulturist: Hibiscus Coast Municipality.
    - 2007- present Specialist botanical assessments and horticultural consulting.

Independent Consultants – Michael Hickman:


  • Dip. Parks & Recreation Admin. Cert. Hort. Cert. Turf Management Horticulturist - Durban Parks Department 1971 to 1998.
  • Planning of horticultural development (LANDSCAPE PLANNING AND DESIGN) as well as the horticultural maintenance of several suburbs, including: Parks; roadside plantings, native vegetation reserves (including coastal sand dunes), storm water and wetland projects, recreational amenities, sports fields (12 rugby/soccer and 3 cricket pitches).
  • Strategic development advice landscape planning and design as well as the supervision for section managers.
  • Re-creation of coastal sand dunes: several kilometres of sand dunes were re-established and planted with suitable native vegetation.
  • Durban Municipal Open Space System: planning design and implementation of various parts of a continuous green corridor.
  • Bluff Tropical Nursery (my involvement continues to present).
  • Equal joint partner in wholesale and retail nursery, selling a range of native and exotic, outdoor and indoor ornamental plants.
  • Private consulting (approx. 1975 to 1998).
  • Interior plant landscaping.
  • Arboriculture- Orchids in particular South African native Orchids.
  • Native plants and plantings, Key areas. South Africa, Western Europe, New Zealand.
  • Re-naturalization of eco-systems - Urban conservation
  • Membership of the Institute of Parks and recreation administration.
  • Involved in a German green roof installations and has been monitoring it for 19yrs.
  • Installation of green roof pilot project EThekwini Municipality 2009.

Independent Consultants – Geoff Nichols:


  • Qualified Expert Horticulturist/ Ecologist and specialized Urban Landscape designer.
  • Involved as a consultant with various organizations in planning and executing wild plant resource management in South Africa.
  • Working with Tongaat Hulett Developments at Zimbali on the KZN North Coast.
  • Currently consulting to the National Parks Board in the Kruger National Park working on their invasive alien plant problem, especially, the plants that escape from cultivation.
  • Landscaping and habitat creation for the Hawaan Forest Estate in Umhlanga Rocks and Lynton Hall at Pennington.
  • Developed the rooftop garden system at the Hawaan Forest Estate. Author of numerous plant books and flora management.
  • Has been and still is, involved with various municipal/ provincial/ national flora & fauna projects.
  • Has received numerous conservation awards for outstanding service and input into the environmental field.

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