Terms to know when working with green roofs
Fabric Architecture | May 2010
By Frank Edgerton Martin
Here are some terms to be familiar with when working with green roofs.
Overburden
The technical term for everything installed to cover the waterproofing membrane. When writing specifications, designers refer to the “vegetated overburden” in lieu of “green roof”
Intensive and extensive green roofs
Intensive A green roof with deeper soil media (200–760mm in depth). These roofs are typically comprised of diverse plant material, accessible to users, and higher cost than extensive systems.
Extensive A green roof with shallow soil media (51–152mm in depth) that are typically comprised of sedum plants, inaccessible to users, and lower cost than intensive systems.
Frank Edgerton Martin is a contributing editor for Fabric Architecture specializing in landscape design and planning. His profile on Jeffrey Bruce, FASLA, appeared in the Nov/Dec 2009 issue.
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All images courtesy sharp and diamond landscape architecture inc.
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Comments are the opinion of individual posters and do not reflect the views of Fabric Architecture or Industrial Fabrics Association International.
2:43 pm CDT
I've always thought that green roofing was a really cool part of landscape design for two reasons. First, it helps with the environment in reducing carbon in the air, and second, it just looks pretty awesome!
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