Green roofs
A green roof can transform an unused roof area into a living part of a house, a commercial building or a public space. The vegetation helps retain some of the rainwater, reduces overheating of the roof surface, supports a more pleasant microclimate and at the same time creates space for plants and small animals.
At LANDECO, we provide the design, construction and subsequent care of green roofs. We always adapt a vegetated roof to the specific building, its technical possibilities, how it will be used, local conditions and how demanding its future maintenance should be.
A green roof designed for a specific place
There is no single universal green roof build-up suitable for every building. A simple vegetated roof on a smaller building is designed differently from an accessible roof garden that is intended to function as a fully-fledged outdoor space.
The design must above all take into account the load-bearing capacity of the structure, the roof pitch, the waterproofing, the drainage and rainwater management, the thickness of the green roof build-up, light conditions and the requirements of the selected plants.
It is also important to think about future care. Plants on a roof are exposed to wind, sun, high temperatures and faster drying out, so the whole system must be designed as a functional whole.
Extensive and intensive green roofs
Extensive green roof
An extensive green roof is usually based on lower-growing vegetation with lower demands on substrate and regular care. Sedums, drought-tolerant perennials, herbs and other species able to cope well with the harsh conditions on a roof are used, for example.
This type of vegetated roof is particularly suitable where the greenery mainly has an ecological and aesthetic function and the roof is not intended for regular use by people.
Intensive green roof and roof garden
An intensive green roof allows us to work with a deeper layer of substrate and a wider range of plants. It can include perennial beds, grasses, shrubs and, where technical conditions allow, smaller trees.
An intensive solution can create a real roof garden with seating areas, paths, furniture or other garden features. Such a roof requires a more detailed design, suitably designed irrigation and regular professional care.
A green roof build-up must work as a whole
The final form of a green roof is not just a question of plant selection. Beneath the vegetation there are several functional layers which together provide suitable conditions for plant growth and the proper functioning of the whole roof.
Depending on the specific system and structure, the main aspects addressed are:
- the vegetation and substrate layer,
- filter, drainage and water retention layers,
- protection of the roof structure,
- drainage of excess water,
- the connection to the waterproofing,
- irrigation, if required,
- access for inspection and maintenance.
We therefore always choose the specific green roof build-up according to the building, its expected use and the adjoining building structures.
Plants for green roofs
The choice of vegetation depends above all on the depth of the substrate, the orientation of the roof, the amount of sun, the availability of water and the desired final character.
Extensive roofs often use sedums and other hardy, drought-tolerant species. On intensive roofs, we can work with perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs and other plants to create a compositionally richer roof garden.
Just as with an ordinary garden, we think about how the individual species will work together, how the planting will change through the year and what it will look like in several years' time.
Green roof construction
High-quality green roof construction requires close coordination between horticultural and building trades. Before work begins, we therefore need to know the roof structure, the technical design of the building and the intended build-up of the vegetation system.
Depending on the scope of the project, we provide the green roof build-up, substrates, planting, vegetation mats, the establishment of individual areas and other horticultural parts of the construction. On more complex buildings, we coordinate the process with the designer, the architect and the related specialist trades.
The aim is not merely to create a green area at handover, but to establish the vegetation so that it has good conditions for further development.
Water management and irrigation
One of the important functions of green roofs is rainwater management. The green roof build-up can capture part of the rainfall and gradually use it for the plants or release it back into the environment through evaporation. Excess water, however, must be safely drained away.
For more demanding planting or accessible roof gardens, the solution may also include automatic irrigation. Whether it is needed, and to what extent, depends on the type of vegetation, the roof structure and local conditions.
Green roof care and maintenance
Even a low-maintenance green roof is not entirely maintenance-free. After establishment, the key tasks are checking that the plants have taken, removing unwanted self-seeded growth, replenishing the vegetation and checking that the drainage is working.
For intensive roof gardens, care is more similar to that of an ordinary garden and may include pruning, fertilising, care of perennial planting, irrigation checks and other seasonal work.
The advantage of working with us is that the design and construction can be followed by regular professional care. The team knows the build-up, the plants and the original intention, and can oversee the development of the green roof in the long term.
A green roof as part of the architecture
A well-designed vegetated roof should not look like an afterthought layer of greenery. It should naturally relate to the architecture of the building and the way the space is used.
We design solutions for private houses, commercial and residential buildings and public projects. We can work to our own design or follow on from the documentation of an architect or designer and turn the original intention into high-quality construction.
Planning a green roof?
Send us basic information about the building, photos and, if available, the design documentation. We will assess the possible solutions and propose suitable next steps – from the green roof design through construction to subsequent care.