Steve Jones and Dave Richards make the case for green roofs - and reveal some fo the the story behind the Sector39 partnership.
When the idea of a roof garden at Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC) began to take shape, it was a practical response to the problem of a leaking roof and how to provide sound and heat insulation for a conference hall which doubled as a venue for noisy events.
From this seed of an idea grew a forest garden – food-producing, low maintenance, no-dig – based on a natural woodland ecosystem. It was designed to be an educational tool for raising awareness of global issues, including sustainable development and the economic and historical importance of plants.
Planting was completed in Spring 2002 and the garden is now well established. In an area of 200 m2, over 120 species of perennial plants from around the world thrive in soil only 30cm deep. The garden supports a range of layers, from roots, through small shrubs to our miniature version of a canopy layer. Most have multiple uses: food, medicine, fuel, fibre, construction, dye, scent. The garden demonstrates many ways we can all reduce our environmental footprint. Features include: composting of kitchen waste from the Global Cafe, irrigation using harvested rainwater pumped by renewable energy from a solar array and wind turbine, use of recovered soil and recycled newspaper, wood, stone and plastic in its construction.Suddenly we found ourselves the object of unexpected interest – a procession of journalists intrigued at finding an unexpected oasis amid the busy roads, shops and offices of central Reading, and a Country in Bloom Award for most innovative garden. We also discovered we are part of an international network of aerial gardenistas… a Japanese professor delegated a student to make a visit, an email from Baghdad sought advice, visits from local authority planners… all coming to learn and share. In many parts of the world roof gardens are not a novelty, but a solution to pressing urban problems. Over 40% of German cities offer financial incentives for green roof construction and the International Green Roof Institute was opened in Malmö, Sweden in 2001 to research and promote roof greening.
Planners, architects and developers in Britain are just waking up to the potential of putting soil and plants on top of buildings. Green roofs (particularly the intensively planted kind found at RISC rather than the more common extensive sedum mat) are huge sponges, prevent flash flooding (50-80% of rain is absorbed). They cut power consumption for heating and air-conditioning, reduce the albedo effect of buildings and also help to break up the distorted ecology and heat islands created by cities. They absorb atmospheric and noise pollution and become vital oases for insects and birds, providing habitat and refuge. A roof garden is a means to re connect a building with the landscape that surrounds it and creates a dynamic relationship between internal and external activities. We become slightly different people when sat in garden, more relaxed and less formal – it creates a valuable meeting place for people.
So we have become evangelists, promoting intensive roof gardens to anyone who will listen. Between May and October, when the roof garden bears its fruit and hums with life, they need little persuasion that the time of the hanging garden has returned. Steve and Dave have set up Sector 39 Sustainable Design which provides landscape and planting design and construction services for forest gardens on roofs and terra firma.
www.sector39.co.uk;
e: dave@sector39.co.uk; steve@sector39.co.uk t: 0845 456 5312 .
