Extensive Green Roofs for Urban Buildings
Turn your unused terrace into a cooling, low-maintenance green cover that lowers building heat and manages stormwater naturally.
This project is a prime example of an extensive green roof. We applied a thin layer of vegetation directly onto the building's angled roof, creating a living skin that helps cool the structure and manage stormwater with minimal upkeep.
About Extensive Green Roofs
Retrofitting an old roof doesn't always require heavy structural changes. Our extensive green roof systems use a lightweight soil-less mix that keeps the saturated weight under 100kg per square meter, so you get the cooling benefits of a living roof without stressing your building's load-bearing capacity.
How We Build Lightweight Green Roofs
An extensive green roof is essentially a low-impact living skin for your building. Unlike intensive gardens that require deep soil for trees and heavy foot traffic, our extensive systems focus on functional, hardy greenery. We install these in a thin layer that acts as natural insulation, reducing interior temperatures during Mumbai's summers and managing rainwater runoff efficiently.
The Technical Layering
Our system is built to protect your roof while keeping it green:
- Surface Protection: We start with a professional cleaning followed by a specialized root-barrier membrane to keep the building structure safe.
- Drainage: We install 20mm to 30mm plastic drainage cells. These retain just enough water for the plants while ensuring excess storm water flows out of your drainage outlets.
- Filtration: A non-woven geotextile fabric layer sits above the drainage to prevent soil from washing into your pipes.
- Lightweight Media: We use a proprietary soil-less mix of cocopeat, perlite, and vermiculite. This keeps the load low while providing enough nutrition for hardy ground covers.
Plant Selection and Maintenance
We prioritize plants that thrive with minimal attention, such as Bermuda or Mexican carpet grass, or sedum mats. These are chosen for their ability to handle full sun exposure and require very little fertilizer. To keep the upkeep at zero, we include a concealed, pressure-compensated drip irrigation line connected to a battery-operated tap timer. This ensures the roof gets exactly the amount of water it needs without you having to lift a finger.
Whether you are looking to cool down a commercial office or a private home terrace, these systems are built to be self-sustaining, long-term solutions for urban heat islands.
Looking for other green solutions?
Explore related services like vertical gardens or biophilic interior design.
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