The purpose of this thesis is to collect knowledge of techniques and materials for planning roofgardens.
Gardens built on top of buildings is not a new phenomenon, already in the beginning of the century architects were experimenting with roofgardens. During the Modern Era roofgardens appeared as a part of the design and worked well together with flat roofs and the ideas of light, air and greenery. Today the most common kind of roofgarden is on a ground-level joist that hides parking or other underground functions.
The most important difference between planning a roofgarden and a garden on the ground is the limitation of the load of the roofgarden. Plants, paving-material and equipment must be chosen with this in mind. A light and thin layer of soil demands plants with small needs for water and nutrition. The planner also has to consider the local climat, for example sunny and windy on a rooftop or deep shadow in a yard.
The chapter with collected facts about material and techniques starts with a description of the underlying construction: joist, insulation and waterproofing, not any of the landscape architect’s responsibility but still important to have some knowledge about. Then follows a catalogue with the elements in the roofgardens structure such as materials for drainage, geotextile, soil, watering and plants.
The two projects represent different kinds of roofgardens, one on a sunny rooftop and the other in a closed yard.
Finally the experiences are summarized and the most important conclusions are:
- that it is important to work closely together with the other consultants and in the same time be aware of the dividing line.
- that it is hard to find objective and relevant litterature in the subject, at least for swedish conditions and t...
