The Ethelred Estate, Central London, has recently undergone a programme of regeneration works to produce a community environment to inspire others. The roofing refurbishment of the housing properties is a phased programme with works on 10 of the medium-rise residential buildings, which comprise 253 flats.
Reason for Green Roof
Securing a better future for the estate and to add value to the community was a top priority for the Ethelred Tenants Management Organisation who wanted to provide best value in terms of whole life cost.
Type of Roof
Bauder Extensive Green Roof System.
Size of Green Roof
4000m2
Build up of Roof
Waterproofing Build-Up
Bauder VB4-AL Vapour barrier, 4mm thick featuring an aluminium lining and utilising SBS modified elastomeric bitumen giving total vapour impermeability and providing initial waterproofing integrity during the system’s installation.
Bauder 5mm thick Underlayer, highly modified with SBS elastomeric bitumen and reinforced with a very high tensile polyester carrier.Bauder Plant-E Capping Sheet, 5mm thick, bituminous root resistant capping sheet containing a specially formulated chemical root inhibitor.
Green Roof Build Up
Various waterproofing layers incorporating a multifunctional single layer that provides filtration, drainage and protection of the waterproofing system.
Bauder Xero Flor Sedum Blanket, an ‘instantly green’ and established vegetation layer comprising various species of sedum and other drought resistant plants. This blanket’s unique patented geo-textile fleece with its “nylon-loop” substrate carrier layer, provides secure support for both special lightweight growing medium substrate and the established vegetation on flat and sloping roofs alike.
Comments
The Bauder Extensive Green Roof System attained immediate support from the tenants. They were educated on the benefits of green roofs with focal points placed on the roof’s ability to extend the life of the waterproofing, its potential to attract buyers or tenants and the forecasted reduction in maintenance costs.
Residents were also educated on the benefits to the surrounding environment including storm water run off management, reducing the ‘heat island’ effect, and the sedums capacity to provide improved air quality by their ability to convert the ‘greenhouse gas’ carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Ethelred Estate has become a demonstration project for others to follow. The sheer size of the estate makes it, to date, the largest green roof refurbishment within the UK and underlines the forward thinking of all parties involved.
Finally, the residents have attained a more positive and healthier lifestyle, tacking basic human expectations such as the provision of safe and secure homes that are a joy to come home to after a hard day’s work. Quite simply Ethelred Estate’s tenants have homes of which they can feel proud.
