Create an ideabook for your next remodeling project!
Browse more than 1,000,000 photos from top designers and save your favorites
Gardening
Top Ideabooks
- Enjoy the Peak of Spring Gardening — Here's What to Do in May
- 11 Perfect Plants for a Moonlit Garden — in Pots
- 6 Beautiful Plants for a Shady, Wet Site
- 6 Captivating Roses for an Alluringly Fragrant Garden
- 5 Essential Considerations for a Landscape Design Project
- Get on a Composting Kick (Hello, Free Fertilizer!)
Landscape Design
Top Ideabooks
- How to Turn a Side Yard Into a Glorious Garden Room
- How Low Can Hedges Go? Discover Unusual Garden Borders
- 5 Essential Considerations for a Landscape Design Project
- See 6 Homes That Rise to the Rural Landscape
- Take Your Garden on a Rural Route With Plant-Dominant Designs
- 8 Outdoor Playspace Ideas to Nurture Kids' Imaginations
Living Roofs Crown Green Design
Living roofs save energy, improve air, water, curb appeal — and the view from above doesn't hurt either
I'm lead landscape designer at Grace Design Associates, a custom landscape design-build firm headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA. I’m a self-taught landscape designer and contractor with a degree in biology and minor in geology.
I’ve been hooked on gardening ever since I laid eyes on the teeny tiny Swiss Chard plant that sprang forth from the first improbable-looking seed I ever planted at the age of 10. I learned the practical side of design and construction from my very creative and resourceful (that is to say, broke) DIY parents, followed by a spate of home remodels in my twenties (seven houses in seven years!).
I definitely came to landscaping through a different door and I carry a different set of tools from my university trained colleagues. My designs are conceived as...
I'm lead landscape designer at Grace Design Associates, a custom landscape... More »
Been wanting to lighten your footprint, or do you live in an urban setting and yearn for a little piece of nature? Got a nasty view of a bare roof out your window? A green roof — one covered with living plants — might be just what you've been looking for.
Whether your next project is a whole-house remodel or a chicken coop, consider covering it with a living green roof instead of the familiar dead, impermeable, heat-absorbing, fast-shedding, usually not so pretty roof we're all familiar with. It's well worth a little added construction time and expense to reap the following benefits:
Building a green roof. Do not just huck a bunch of soil and plants on top of the roof you have. A green roof is an integrated system comprised of layers of subroof, waterproofing, soil, irrigation components, plants, etc. It is much heavier than a typical roof system, and the building upon which it sits must be engineered to carry the weight calculated for the roof you intend to build (intensive vs. extensive, full watering system vs. none, etc.).
Start small if you're doing it yourself. My first green roof was on a doghouse. It wasn't until I'd done a lot of research, worked alongside experienced green roofers, received a lot of help from others and graduated from the doghouse to a shed, then to a garage, before I felt ready to tackle a whole house green roof.
Even if you just have a little shed in the back and want to give it a colorful hairdo, it's worth giving green roofs a go.
Whether your next project is a whole-house remodel or a chicken coop, consider covering it with a living green roof instead of the familiar dead, impermeable, heat-absorbing, fast-shedding, usually not so pretty roof we're all familiar with. It's well worth a little added construction time and expense to reap the following benefits:
- Reduced energy needs. A living roof acts as an insulator, reducing the energy needed to heat and cool your home or building.
- Reduced greenhouse gases. Living green plants convert carbon dioxide to sugars, producing oxygen as a byproduct.
- Reduced urban heat island effect. The cooling effect of evapotranspiration and the lower Solar Reflective Index* of a living roof result in lower overall heat given off by the roof surface. (*SRI: a measure of the energy a material absorbs, then releases as heat.)
- Enhanced stormwater management. Slick, impermeable roofs shed water quickly and efficiently, contributing to both higher and faster peak runoff and flooding in densely developed areas. A green roof's plants and soil slow both the rate and the energy of runoff.
- Enhanced water quality. Plants and soil in a green roof absorb and break down pollutants in rainwater. The slower flow rate of stormwater equals less erosion and subsequent sedimentation downstream.
- Added habitat. A living roof provides shelter and food for local birds, bees, butterflies and other fauna.
- Improved value and curb appeal. This is a no-brainer — just look at the pictures!
- Improved quality of life. Admit it: You're happier when you're surrounded by beauty ... and I'd argue that most ordinary roofs fall in the category of blight rather than grandeur.
Building a green roof. Do not just huck a bunch of soil and plants on top of the roof you have. A green roof is an integrated system comprised of layers of subroof, waterproofing, soil, irrigation components, plants, etc. It is much heavier than a typical roof system, and the building upon which it sits must be engineered to carry the weight calculated for the roof you intend to build (intensive vs. extensive, full watering system vs. none, etc.).
Start small if you're doing it yourself. My first green roof was on a doghouse. It wasn't until I'd done a lot of research, worked alongside experienced green roofers, received a lot of help from others and graduated from the doghouse to a shed, then to a garage, before I felt ready to tackle a whole house green roof.
Even if you just have a little shed in the back and want to give it a colorful hairdo, it's worth giving green roofs a go.
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Harmony with the setting. This green roof blends perfectly with the extended view and makes the cabin look less obtrusive in the landscape. A vegetated roof is less disruptive of local habitat than a typical roof. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Typical extensive green roof. Note the multiple components of the roofing system. The slower rate of runoff from a living roof allows more stormwater to percolate into the surrounding soil. A typical roof sheds water at high speed, increasing likelihood surface erosion. See more of this hillside property |
| Double-duty green roof. Integrate some solar panels, and your roof becomes twice as productive and beneficial while keeping your home comfortable, dry and snug. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Drought-tolerant succulents. Succulents are well suited for vegetating an extensive (shallow soil) living roof. High water-use, low water-demand plants, most succulents can take the punishing heat, blistering sun and shallow soils of the rooftop environment — often with no permanent irrigation and nearly no maintenance. Note the pattern of the plantings and the band of pebbles around the perimeter of this roof. The pebbles enhance the composition and trap any soil kicked up by driving rain, keeping the soil on the roof where it belongs. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Extensive and intensive roofs on the same project. The extensive green roof in the middle ground of this photo has shallow soil and shallow-rooted plants. The rooftop garden in the foreground is comprised of pavers laid over a suspended infrastructure with intensive green roof borders. |
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
California natives. A mix of California poppies (Eschscholzia californica), yarrow (Achillea mellifolium) and other natives makes this intensive green roof right at home in this California garden.
| Prevegetated mats. Consider prevegetated mats for your green roof project. Modular units of substrate plus rooted plants simplify installation once the proper structure and waterproofing are in place. A carpet of mixed stonecrop (Sedum) varieties creates a low-muss, low-fuss green roof. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Enriched composition. This green roof provides all of the environmental benefits of a living roof and complements the strong lines of this home's modern architecture. |
by Robert Hawkins
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Habitat and a borrowed view. What might have been an unfortunate view of a hot, glaring roof is now a charming vignette. The plant palette on this living roof ties the house to the distant mountains and brings seed-eating birds to eye level.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Rooftop tapestry. Colorful stonecrop varieties contrast with a white-leaf fescue on this colorful green roof.
| Garden in the sky. This rooftop garden shows another approach to creating garden space in the domain usually dominated by air conditioners and other mechanical components. The building has to be designed from the ground up to accomodate the weight of the garden and manage stormwater. Tough, year-round plants in 18-inch-high planters require little maintenance. Planter walls provide seating; pavers set over a suspended infrastructure and a killer view make this space popular with building tenants. More: So Your Style Is: Green Easy Green: 10 Ways Toward a Zero-Energy Home |
Ideabook published on Aug. 3, 2012.
What are you working on?
News From Our Partners
Latest Ideabooks
People found the photos in this ideabook after searching for:
View over a million photos:
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
2012 Artist Series
Also, how do living roofs do in areas that receive a mix of weather conditions? Anyone have pictures to share? I live in the southeast, which can get a lot of rain, or a lot of heat, and increasingly, some drought as well.
Is a flat roof needed for a living roof? NO - ROOF DOESN'T NEED TO BE FLAT - ALLOWABLE PITCH DEPENDS ON CONSTRUCTION. CHECK WITH PROFESSIONAL AND/OR INTERNET GUIDELINES FOR PARAMETERS
I know that traditional flat roofs have often had issues with leaking/drainage, but don't know if the living roofs mitigate those effects. - MODERN GREEN ROOFS ARE WATER TIGHT IF BUILT RIGHT - MOST ROOFERS WARANTEE THE WATERPROOFING SYSTEM FOR 25-30 YEARS, DEPENDING ON SITE CONDITIONS AND SYSTEM SELECTED.
Also, how do living roofs do in areas that receive a mix of weather conditions? - THE KEY IS TO DESIGN AND INSTALL SUITABLE ROOFING SYSTEM AND PLANT CHOICES. A WELL DESIGNED AND BUILT ROOF STANDS UP TO THE EXTANT CONDITIONS.
Anyone have pictures to share?
SEE: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.archicentral.com/wp-content/images/10_living_roof.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.archicentral.com/tag/san-francisco/&h=338&w=450&sz=48&tbnid=B0rC6h2Q3eIE0M:&tbnh=95&tbnw=126&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dgreen%2Broof%2Bmuseum%2Bsan%2Bfrancisco%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=green+roof+museum+san+francisco&usg=__TAVOMdjhfmMu0BauWIjP30EBrEA=&docid=x7xBasjSnwrQDM&sa=X&ei=TfUeUOn6LajGiwLa2YDQDg&ved=0CHQQ9QEwBg&dur=1839
SEE: GREENROOFS.COM
I live in the southeast, which can get a lot of rain, or a lot of heat, and increasingly, some drought as well.
We went for chestnut wood 'blocks', directly cut from the branches as pavers, These we layed on a bed of crushed terracotta mixed with some organic material. The gaps were also filled with this. Under all this is our roof insulation topped with a plastic membrane that has cups in it to retain some water in dry periods.
The main consideration in maing a roof livable is the weight rating. We were told that normal flat roofs here in Switzerland are rated to 170kg/square meter. As compared to 350kg for normal living floors in a house. We upped the roof to 350 as well anticipating an open living area up here.
As you can see there are planters (quite heavy static objects that would definitely exceed the 170kg limits) and garden beds for herbs and veggies. Nice bonuse for the veggies is 'no more snails'!
The excellent view is also a huge bonus, but a sail for some shade is required on hot sunny summers days.
You can find a list of books about living or green roofs by doing a search over at Amazon for 'living roofs'. Anything by Nigel Dunnet would be a good start, as would be Clark Snell's Building Green.
A living roof can be as steep as 45 degrees, or a 12 in 12 pitch, but one needs something to hold the soil material in place. As a rule of thumb, up to about a 4/12 pitch is good, although I prefer a 5/12 for a number of reasons.
On a flat roof, the water drains have to be kept clear to prevent problems with water pooling too much. That's fairly easy to do, and is common sense stuff.
For more images of green or living roofs, check out the photo album at http://naturalhomes.org/