From Grey to Green in Westminster

Green roof installations are an increasing trend, they enhance a building’s performance, reduce environmental impact such as their use as a pollution abatement, but they also have a beneficial impact on occupants.

There is growing evidence that visual and physical contact with green open spaces provide a range of health benefits. Research by Salford University indicated that nature-based activities such as gardening can help social inclusion, self-esteem and perceived wellbeing.

Eco Green Roofs Ltd (EGR) has provided a retirement home, ‘Chimes’, a magnitude of sustainable features across the estate, both on ground and roof level, bringing the benefits of the outdoors as features within the external building envelope.

Chimes is a development managed by Pegasus Ltd. Pegasus is a company that offers beautifully crafted spaces that establish communities and create surroundings that encourage health and wellbeing. Chimes offers a collection of 39 homes in the heart of Westminster.

The roof terrace

The roof area of the building was utilised to create a multi-use recreational area. Residents have a 360º view of London with iconic Westminster landmarks in the forefront with seating areas and large planters home to a mix of evergreen plants.

As green open spaces are limited within urbanised areas, with focus to central London, the building design also incorporated two sedum roofs which can be viewed by residents from the roof terrace. Offering aesthetically vibrant roof scape for residents to enjoy and offers a sanctuary for an abundance of wildlife.

Groundfloor courtyard

The building wraps around the central courtyard which offers landscaped planting beds that included shrubs and trees. Due to the cascading glass windows and the increase of impermeable land, the developer wanted to ensure storm-water was managed by utilising SUDs (sustainable urban drainage). EGR installed aspects of their blue roof system under the soft landscaping areas of the courtyard including two Restrictor Chambers in each corner. This supported the mitigation of flooding by reducing the flow rate of the water entering the drainage system.

EGR supplied and installed all paving to the communal roof terrace and courtyard and across residential balconies, to ensure design continuity.

Matt Burman, Project Manager at Lifestory said ‘The finished aesthetics of the natural environment at both roof and ground level surpassed expectation. Both EGR and Kingsley Roofing worked collaboratively with the Principal Contractor and achieved the requirements specified in a climate that called for extra safety measures following Government guidelines”.

For further information on EGR’s sustainable roof service offering, visit https://bit.ly/3oUdu01