Urban Roof Garden Design

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Whether at home or at the office, rooftop gardening has many benefits to people living and working in an urban environment. An urban rooftop garden is intended to bring nature and humans back together, a connection that is sometimes lost in big cities. A rooftop garden can help insulate the building, improve the air quality, help filter and delay storm water runoff, provide a source of urban food production, increase value of the building, as well as create a beautiful area for lounging or entertaining.

Rooftop Container Garden. You can make a rooftop container garden using a variety of different types of planters and outdoor structures, such as trellises, arbors and maybe even a shed. Planters can consist of free standing planters, terra cotta pots, rail planters, decorative urns, and hanging planters. You could even use a window box, if you have a wall you want to spruce up. Many kinds of flowers and vegetables, and even some varieties of trees can be grown in containers.

Green Roof. A green roof garden is simply put a roof that is covered in vegetation. It's important to line the roof properly to prevent the roots from penetrating the building. A green roof garden has multiple layers, including a waterproofing membrane and root barrier. Extensive green roofs are designed to be self sustaining and require a low maintenance. Incorporate cold tolerant plants and drought tolerant plants, such as grass, moss or even colorful sedums into your design. An intensive green roof use deeper soil and requires the same maintenance as a regular garden. Intensive green roofs contain a more elaborate landscape design which could include a container garden as well.

Additional Features. Complete your look with some exterior benches, dining and lounge furniture for entertaining or relaxing. Maybe add a winding trail through your rooftop garden, guiding its travelers to the rooftop garden focal points. Add an automated watering system to aid with the maintenance of your garden and exterior lighting accents to have your roof garden continue to look beautiful even during the night time. To further bridge the connection with nature, you might even try incorporating a rooftop pond into your design, even birdhouses and flowers that attract butterflies in your area.

Having an urban rooftop garden is a great way to relax, entertain, and even incorporate nature into your daily lifestyle. Depending on the complexity of your design, you may even be able to turn this into a do-it-yourself project.

1. Enhanced value

The most obvious advantage of a roof garden is as a valuable amenity that enhances the worth of the structure it occupies for a relatively modest expenditure. A roof garden substantially enhances re-sale or rental values. It raises property values. It is additional or reclaimed usable space. A bonus is the ability to gain promotion and marketing benefits via a green roof.

2. Increased Life Expectancy of the Roof

One of the great benefits of roof gardens and green roofs is that, by protecting the underlying roof covering, they extend the life of the existing roof fabric by up to 200%. A green roof protects the roof membrane from climatic extremes and physical abuse, thereby greatly increasing the life expectancy of the roof.

3. Property Tax Credit Incentives

New York City recently passed a city bylaw that rewards building-owners who cover 50 per cent of available rooftop space with a green roof with a one-year property tax credit of up to $100,000. The credit would be equal to $4.50 per square-foot of roof area that is planted with vegetation, or approximately 25 per cent of the typical costs associated with the materials, labor, installation and design of the green roof. More and more municipalities and other government agencies are providing incentives that can help offset the cost of a green roof.