Green roofs make a difference; what are you waiting for?
Sourced from Innovation Origins
Extreme heat has been a daily occurrence in recent weeks. Especially in densely populated areas, the temperature can rise considerably. To make living and working bearable, air conditioners are often running at full capacity. But that is not a structural solution. More greenery is a relatively easy and efficient solution to combat extreme heat. Trees and plants keep the temperature down, create natural shade, retain water, increase biodiversity, and improve the livability of a city. But how can we best go about greening? Entrepreneurs Alexander Ilsink, director and co-owner of Mobilane, and Corné van Garderen, owner of Sempergreen Group know the answer.
Entrepreneurship in the world of plants was something they were both brought up on. Van Garderen comes from a family of growers. His father gave him the idea at the age of eighteen to set up a new business around green roofs. Now – 27 years later – Sempergreen Group is an international company offering various green solutions.
Ilsink also grew up among greenery. His grandfather was a dendrologist, specializing in shrub innovation. He set up the Darthuizer Nursery and developed new shrubs, especially aimed at public spaces. His son – Ilsink’s father – further expanded the company with several green companies. Mobilane is one of them. The company became big with the ready-made hedge and expanded into green roofs and facades.
Fresh air and dry feet
Van Garderen and Ilsink have both been focusing on greening the built environment for years. They see that green roofs are being used more and more often. With a green roof, a layer of plants is placed on top of the roof covering. These are often sedum plants, possibly combined with wildflowers. How the greenery is attached to the roof varies by roof type and provider. Sedum plants – like turf – can be rolled out on a roof. Underneath is then, among other things, a layer of substrate. The sedum plants can also be contained – often already together with the substrate – in trays attached to the roof.
Various forms of green roofs can already be found on the streets, while green facades are still really emerging. For a green facade, panels are attached to the outside of a wall, along with an irrigation system to water the plants. This can hold a variety of plants, depending on a property’s environment and location.
“If we look at heat, it makes a difference of about five degrees in a street if there is more greenery,” Van Garderen says. This refers to the temperature on the street, but it’s more pleasant indoors as well with a green roof. Ilsink also sees clear benefits to more greenery. “Besides cooling, it also provides water storage. After a heavy downpour, the greenery retains the rain for a while so it drains more slowly. This reduces the peak load on drainage and can prevent flooding.”
From the Living Architecture Monitor
