GRC working on largest green roof retrofit project in London
We have been working on the Museum of London (MOL) retrofit green roof project for awhile now. The roof at the museum is actually a warren of different roofs. The plan is to create a series of seminal green roofs that demonstrate the possibilities and potential for green roofs in UK. They will address the issues to tackle climate change in urban areas and, importantly, show how biodiversity and habitat creation at roof level can be achieved through good design and understanding of green roofs.
A sunken garden at the Museum of London
There has been a green roof at the Museum for many years. It is a sunken garden. Last year the Museum created another garden specifically for their Honey Bees. We helped add to this garden by designing and specifying a new wildflower system that is now coming into it’s own.
Widlfower mat in full bloom at Museum of London
A series of small green roofs have already been installed. These are mainly sedum substrate based extensive green roofs. Two areas have been planted with a new wildflower blankets/mats that has been developed by Bauder. As a consultancy we are working with MOL because we were recommended by Bauder, who are one of the UK’s leading green roof companies. A couple of roofs are also a mix of sedums and wildflower planting in keeping with the principles and approaches we have developed over the last ten years through the seminal research on green roofs and biodiversity in the UK and Switzerland.
Roofs yet to be turned into green roofs at Museum of London
However what excites us and MOL is the large areas of roofs that have already been root protected and are yet to be greened. These offer the opportunity to do something really exciting in terms of design – creation of dry riverbed and ‘coastal’ green roofs, woodland planting, semi-intensive ‘Mediterranean’ planting and species rich grassland.
We have also been working with UEL, MOL and GLA on a small area of roof, which will be a research station as part of the Drain London project. This will monitor the impact of the green roofs on intense summer storms and ascertain how green roofs can help reduce the likelihood of flash floods in the summertime.
