projects: green roofs

• City Engineers Building - Green Roof Pilot Project:
The green roof pilot project is located one on of the buildings in the City Engineer's complex, on two flat roofs on adjacent sides of an arched roof.  The entire area of green roof is 550 square metres (5,920 sf), broken down as: 5 x modular systems at 55 square metres (592 sf) each; 3 x direct applications at 55 square metres each; and 2 x control areas at 55 square metres each.  The choice of location was informed by the following facts:


  - The roof is flat and has an easy access;
  - It is in a secure location where scientific analysis can be undertaken;
  - The roof was assessed by a structural engineer and found to be suitable in terms of its loading capacity;
  - The roof is visible to municipal staff and public visiting the city engineer’s buildings.


Green Roof Pilot Project Emphasis:
The pilot study is testing the following:


- Both the direct and modular methods of green roof construction;
- Different growing media across a range of nutrient levels, textures, composition, depths, weights and drainage characteristics;
- A range of different plant species;
- Some containers are being used as ponds, to see which submerged aquatic and wetland plants will survive under rooftop conditions;
- Different watering rates.


Scientific analyses to assess the following:
- The temperature reduction that the green roof affords both the ambient atmosphere and the building itself (resulting in the reduction of the “heat island effect” and the reduction of air conditioner use, respectively);
- The quantity, velocity and quality of the surface run-off from the roof;
- The increase in biodiversity of the roof through insect collection and data correlation;
- Before application of the Green Roof Design to the roof, the structural load capacity was estimated at 100kg/m2.  The existing waterproofing was checked and repaired where deemed necessary.  Both the Modular and Direct Green Roof applications were installed.  Five areas were planted using modules / containers and three areas using direct application with varied depths.


• eThekwini Municipality Green Roof:



• Edmonds Road, Glenwood:
The first test site for the green roof modular system application.



• Larch Road, Morningside:
Was used as a testing sight for a small direct green roof on a corrugated asbestos roof. The necessary layers were applied and finished off with totally indigenous grasses, shrubs and ground covers.



• Master Builders Association (MBA), Modular Green Roof, Westville:
Modular systems were installed on the existing flat roof. 2 types of modules were used a wooden modules as well as HDPE custom designed trays for green roof installations.



• Vele High School, Limpopo:
Vele High School is a rural school located in a mountainous region of the Vhembe District in the Limpopo Province. This Design Proposal for Vele High School forms part of the Creating Learning Spaces Programme initiated by Oprah's Angel Network (OAN). Direct green roof systems were installed on 4 buildings and a covered walkway, 95% of plants used occur within 50km of the school.



• Hollander Crescent, Durban:
A modular green roof system with color coded modules to clients specs. Area: ± 38sqm, Residential.