Category: Design

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Construction Design Ecology Encouraging wildlife and nature Green roofs

New green roof in Dulwich

Alex standing in front of the finished roof, looking smug.

I put together another roof in Dulwich recently and thought I would share a few pictures and details.

This one started out with a visit to the clients to have a look at the roof. They had initially asked about a sedum roof and possibly even a cartridge system so I hadn’t been that keen. However when we met they were open to a more interesting type of green roof with a wider range of plants and a roof that develops over time.

We also looked at the skylights in the roof and decided that it would be better to build the roof with something more adaptable than the tray system. We settled on an expanded clay pebble drainage layer that flowed around the obstacles with some gravel borders and the usual Shire Green Roof Substrate for the plants.

    I got an excellent selection of plants from Rotherview Nursery near the south coast.

    They have a wide range of green roof plants and have been really quick to deliver, the plants including sedum reflexum gold, campanula pusilla, Erigeron, saxifraga scenic red, sedum schoebusser blut, sempervivums, thymus minimus, stops pony tails, armeria splendens, chaenorrhinum, erosion flore pleno, frankaenia thymifolia, and sedum pachyclados. I also added in a selection of alium and armeria bulbs, the client will be putting in crocus bulbs come the autumn. Finally we topped it off with a selection of wild flower seeds including Field Poppy, Red Campion, Black Meddick, Common Knapweed, Ox-eye daisy, Ribwort Plantain, Yarrow, Lady’s Bedstraw, Bulbous Buttercup, Cowslip, Salad Burnet Grasses: Browntop Bent, Strong Creeping Red Fescue, Crested Dogstail, Meadow Fescue, Sheeps Fescue. Hopefully most if not all of them will find a space that suits them on the roof. I expect all the plants to develop and grow over the next few years finding their place on the roof. Not all of them will find that and not all of them will thrive every year but we should get a great selection finding their place.

    Tania planting the roof
    bench made from pallets

    Finally I made a bench from the pallets left behind by the delivery of the substrates and soils.

    After we built the roof I was left with a couple of pallets and some wood I used to create straight lines on the gravel. After a bit of online research I found a design for this bench and we need some garden furniture so I spent last weekend putting this together. A bit cold to sit outside at the moment but I think it will come in useful later in the year.

    For more details and to get a quote for your roof send me a message.

    alex@ecoalex.com
    020 8133 0190

    Categories
    Design Ecology Encouraging wildlife and nature Green roofs

    Bike shed green roof in Dulwich

    I like making green roofs but one problem with them is that I nearly always build on extensions and garden buildings at the back of houses so no one but the home owner gets to see it. Bike sheds are usually at the front of the house so they are on show to the world.

    This one I built in Dulwich, London is for a client I built a sedum roof for last year. I persuaded them that this one would look nicer with a wider range of plants. I put in a selection of sedums including Sempervivum for long term coverage and then added herbs: creeping thyme, chamomile and rosemary. Then I added some saxifraga and a selection of plants that are flowering now for cover.

    • Green roof in Dulwich
    • Flowers growing in East Dulwich
    • Bike shed in East Dulwich
    • Japanese maple in the foreground
    • Growing like crazy
    • Sedum in the foreground
    • Growing well
    • Overhang
    • Flowers on a bike shed
    • Spreading over the whole roof
    • Some height but not too much
    • Responding well to the rain
    • Starting to spread
    • This will spread and replace the pansies when they die out

    I think you will agree it looks fantastic now. If you want one for your bike shed get in touch. alex@ecoalex.com

    Categories
    Construction Design Ecology Encouraging wildlife and nature Green roofs sustainability

    Green roof on a bike shed

    Installed in a front garden

    This is a project I completed back in October, secure cycle storage and a green roof. The client wanted secure storage in the front garden without having a big ugly box taking up all the space for planting and we came up with this elegant solution.

    Still flowering in March

    As the shed is on the way into the house we planted a number of different herbs which can be easily picked when you are on the way home and also release a scent if you brush past. These were combined with some flowering plants (it was October so not much available) and sedums. The whole roof was also sown with wildflower seeds so should be quite productive in the spring. There are saffron crocus bulbs underneath which may start to appear in late summer.

    Freshly planted

    The bike shed itself has capacity for 2 bikes but there is a larger 4 bike version or these can be put side by side for multiples https://www.asgardsss.co.uk/twin-bike-locker.

    To order.

    This type of roof can be more easily accessed by the householder so we can try and create a slightly more formal garden than I would on a normal green roof as you can change the plants around and water and feed them if it is necessary.

    The green roof itself has a fleece at the bottom then a drainage layer of aerated clay pebbles before the soil, here to about 125mm depth but the sheds are pretty tough so this could be bigger if required. The sleepers look really good but an alternative would be cobbles in gabion cages depending on what would fit with your front garden. Order page.

    Categories
    Design Ecology Ecoretrofit Encouraging wildlife and nature Green roofs Using less water

    Marlow green roof update

    Not all my green roofs are in London, you can see one of my early ones in Welwyn Garden City and this magnificent roof on a garage in Spring Gardens in Marlow

    Shows edge detail and flowers
    Lots of wildflowers growing here

    The roof was installed early this year using Shire substrates and materials from Optigreen. I used expanded clay for the drainage layer and large cobbles to create a more natural looking border.

    Wildflowers and sedum

    The roof had loads of really nice seeds in it and was also planted with some sedums, aliums and stipa grasses and it has really blossomed tremendously.

    the long edge of the roof
    Categories
    Construction Design Ecology Ecoretrofit Encouraging wildlife and nature Green roofs Using less water

    Low impact green roof in Marlow

    Lots of green roofs going in recently and I need to spend more time documenting them. This one in Marlow on a garage was a new design that I am quite pleased with.

    I have been working for a while to reduce further the plastics going into a green roof. I used to work with SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems) a lot in the past and one thing I always noticed was the number of pipe manufacturers trying to shoehorn more plastic into natural drainage systems. Roofs obviously need to be waterproof so I can’t change that bit and we need something to protect it from sharp objects etc. Then comes the drainage layer which is lots of plastic sheets, this is important to hold a bit of moisture but also to makes sure it drains effectively. So drainage is important for weight but maybe we can make it of something else. For this roof we used aerated clay balls wrapped in a filter sheet that is held in place with some extra large cobbles. So the plastic is at a minimum.

    • Starting out with a recycled protection mat for the roof
    • Drainage layer of aerated clay balls
    • Retention/protection fleece held in place with cobbles
    • Finished roof
    • Planting
    • Planting
    • Planting
    • Adding substrate
    • Adding substrate
    • Roof construction
      Lifting on to roof
    • All planted and logs for mini beasts

    The cobbles add a really nice touch to the edge of the roof and enhance the appearance considerably especially on a roof like this where there is no parapet. The soil is also held in place by the cobbles and I guess some of it may wash between them but not off the edge of the roof.

    The roof has been planted with about 15 different plants, some sedum and ornamental, seeded with 30 different wildflowers and also bulbs planted to come up later in the year. I am monitoring progress and plan to pick up some crocus bulbs in autumn to plant.

    Finished roof

    If you like the look of this, drop me a line or give me a call 020 8133 0190 and I can see what we can do for you.

    Categories
    Construction Design Ecology Ecoretrofit Encouraging wildlife and nature Green roofs Projects

    Extension in Kennington with green roof

    I went to visit an extension in Kennington which has the biggest domestic green roof I have built. There are some very big skylights so it isn’t all green but it looks great. This first picture shows the rear extension with some rather fine timber cladding, you can see the plants poking over the top of the coping stones:

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    The combination of rain and sunshine we have seen this summer has been really good for the plants, even if people haven’t been so happy. I missed the peak flowering of this roof but there were still plenty in bloom on Monday. The clients daughter has a bedroom window looking out onto the roof and has been enjoying the developing scene.

    [peg-image src=”https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gjklVXE-k6I/V4zlsGy6-NI/AAAAAAAAXtw/JMqgXOzcgdMA8hSZ56Fpp9o7478SLZuDQCHM/s144-o/IMG_20160718_143829.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/106273352894365708957/6309743418905257873?authkey=AvRWaf1IHgo#6308669723940419794″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMG_20160718_143829.jpg” image_size=”3264×2448″ peg_gal_align=”left” peg_img_align=”left” ]

    The skylights really bring light into the house and the kitchen looks even bigger than the space the extension added on. You can see some of the plants waving in the breeze around the sides when you are having dinner.

    [peg-image src=”https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NwWuePns30Y/V4zlA8R2XBI/AAAAAAAAXtg/I16FSfo8_HoZ9IxJBfhrryY1e7IDZGt-QCHM/s144-o/IMG_20160718_143606.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/106273352894365708957/6309743418905257873?authkey=AvRWaf1IHgo#6308668982382976018″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMG_20160718_143606.jpg” image_size=”3264×2448″ ]

    [peg-image src=”https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bCkZ92ndP6c/V4zmVA5rqqI/AAAAAAAAXt8/82ASBvAnkiAbhwgMVhmrtZGDDN_HN5migCHM/s144-o/IMG_20160718_144054.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/106273352894365708957/6309743418905257873?authkey=AvRWaf1IHgo#6308670426732800674″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMG_20160718_144054.jpg” image_size=”3264×2448″ ]

    Categories
    Construction Design Ecoretrofit sustainability Using less energy

    Reclaimed bricks and cladding looking great

    The glass, reclaimed cladding, exposed steel and reclaimed bricks really work well together.

    We have nearly finished the extension we have been working on for the last few months in Hackney. The walls, roof and floor are all in place and there is just fit out for the inside and the green roof to go on top.

    The glass roof had to be lifted into place by hand
    The glass roof had to be lifted into place by hand

    The yellow London stocks were reclaimed on site. The doors have a u value of 1.09 including the frame
    The yellow London stocks were reclaimed on site. The doors have a u value of 1.09 including the frame

    All the wiring is in galvanised steel conduit. The exposed bricks will be protected by external wall insulation on the outside.
    All the wiring is in galvanised steel conduit. The exposed bricks will be protected by external wall insulation on the outside.

    The glass, reclaimed cladding, exposed steel and reclaimed bricks really work well together.
    The glass, reclaimed cladding, exposed steel and reclaimed bricks really work well together.

    A lightweight industrial screed is making up the floor
    A lightweight industrial screed is making up the floor

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    Design Projects

    Blog entry with Slider

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    Design News Projects

    Blog entry with Video

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