How city parks, green roofs, permeable parkings and swales make cities green and cool again.
Built of glass, steal, and concrete, urban cities were made to “last”, not to grapple with the ebbs and flows of climate change. Increasing temperatures and greater precipitation are felt more intensely in the concrete jungles where heat is deflected and water is repelled – leaving city dwellers to swelter and municipal storm systems to choke in the rainy seasons.
Yet, in some European cities, rather than fight the obvious extreme changes in our environment, places like Berlin – aka “Sponge City” thanks to landscape architect Carlo Becker – are reconfiguring their urban climate and water management in order to work with mother nature not against her.
Right in line with many European and now north American cities, Vancouver lays claim to two of the world’s 10 largest non-industrial green roofs in the world:
Photo Credit: Vancouver Convention Centre
1.The Vancouver Convention Centre can boast 6 acres of green roof, making it the largest in north America hosting over 400,000 indigenous plants and grasses.
Photo Credit: Vitaroofs
2. The Vancouver Olympic Village has 260,00 square feet of green roofing and storm water management using swales – similar to those in parts of Berlin – planted with native vegetation.
Both are places of great civic pride, beauty, and most importantly, evidence of our commitment towards an environmentally sustainable way of urban living.
Toronto, recently became the first city in North America to create a bylaw that requires the inclusion of green roofs in new residential, commercial and industrial developments.
Can individual residential and commercial buildings easily join the Green Roof Trend?
Absolutely. If it’s time to replace your residential commercial or industrial roof – a great idea before the rainy winter seasons set in – consider this ecofriendly roofing alternative as your environmental and cost effective way to go.
At Western Turf Farms, we’ve partnered with Architek, a Vancouver-based architecture firm that specializes in designing, installing and maintaining living architecture buildings on the West Coast.
Grassy permeable paving technologies for driveways and parking are also an ideal solution for creating water absorbing, cooling environments with low impact. Together we are fully equipped to make the Living Roof a reality. We grow special grasses and other vegetation for Architec’s projects.
What can a Green Roof do for you?
Reduce Your Energy Bill. Grass roofs provide a natural insulation that keeps things cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Thus considerably decreasing the amount of energy (aka dollars) required to keep up with the seasonal temp highs and lows.
Increase Your Roof’s Lifespan. On average, you can expect to replace a conventional roof every 15-20 years. This can be both wasteful and expensive. But, with a living Green Roof that naturally protects the waterproof membrane from the usual wear and tear of temperature fluctuations and damage from sunlight, many of these ecofriendly roofs can surpass 40 years!
Reduce Water Runoff. Green roofs and other easily installed eco solutions such as grassy pavers and permeable grass paving for driveways and parking, are designed to absorb rain water, filter out pollutants, ease the burden on municipal storm systems, and reduce the heat island effect felt in urban areas.
The Takeaway
At the end of the day, a Green Roof, is a beautiful, durable, low-maintenance and cost effective roofing solution for your home or office building. We are proud to partner with Architek and mother nature to make this your first choice for roofing.
Interested, have questions or comments or simply want to learn more? Give us a call at 1-888-888-7072 or email us at [email protected] – We’d love to hear from you!
