INTENSIVE GREEN ROOF
ROOF GARDENS

Intensive Green Roof

An Intensive Green Roof or Roof Garden includes unlimited plant and design varieties. Likewise in open space planning, which allows any form of vegetation. Intensive greening may consist of perennials, grasses, bulbs, summer flowers, shrubs and large trees. Because of high maintenance requirements, Lawn is considered an intensive Green Roof. However, the general maintenance of intensive Green Roofs without lawn is less than most people would expect. Of Course, this all depends on plant selection and overall design.

Never GeoFoam

In addition, intensive Green Roofs often include landscaped areas with variations in heights.  However , to reduce weight loads of landscaped and/or deep intensive Green Roofs some planners still use Geofoam (expanded polystyrene). As a result, an entire environmentally friendly intention of the idea wiped out. Geofoam has no benefits for plants and soil biology. Actually it is even banned in many countries worldwide, because of it's hazard for the environment, health and instability. Besides, Geofoam interrupts natural water and nutrient cycles on Green Roofs, reduces valuable rooting space, and offers cozy homes for rodents. Green Roof Technology never used Geofoam for the reasons above and the horrible waste production during Green Roof installation.

Overall, an intensive Green Roof can restore the entire environmental footprint of a structure, if designed with the same biodiversity of a given location. E.g. Urban Tiny Forests on roof tops are one option for meeting a country's Carbon goals.

sim·pli·City

That intensive Green roofs require high maintenance is partially a myth because this strongly depends on the plant selection. For instance and urban rooftop forest hardly requires any maintenance other than professional trimming after every other year. Sure this can require some costly equipment but in comparison to some intensive Green Walls projects this is insignificant.

Green Roof Technology's solutions incorporate an artesian irrigation system, where the vegetation controls the water supply. This can operated accurately without electricity and entirely invisible. Thus, no lost of precious water (patented in 1974). As a result it reduces the amount of water by 50-80% comparing to conventional systems. It works in any Climate Zone and it is around 30% cheaper. In arid climate Zones, additional near surface irrigation maybe required, depending on plant selection and overall depth of the system. At the end it all comes down to a well-engineered soil horizon.

Also Green Roof Technology engineers intensive Green Roofs as additional subsurface stormwater retention and detention facility with optional Smart Drains.

Vegetation

The limit is the sky. Intensive green roofs are a garden on a roof. Anything is possible from lawns, perennials, shrubs, trees including other landscape options such as ponds, pergolas and patios. Furthermore, enjoy urban agriculture on intensive Green Roofs. Still, some literature considers intensive Green Roofs are the heavy-weights under the Green Roofs. Of course, this is one of many misconceptions because they weigh a fraction of a comparable garden on grade. In short, Green Roof Technology delivers a fully functional solution paired with common sense.