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London’s first wetland green roof

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London’s first wetland green roof has been taking shape over the summer on the roof of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Installed during the heatwave July, the roof is slowly evolving and next year we hope to see the first dragonflies and damselflies enjoying the water and the vegetation on the roof. The Green roof takes up a small area of the roof ‘wilderness’ of the V&A, but is already a hit with the museums Honey Bees.

Wetland living roof

London’s First Wetland Green Roof designed for Biodiversiyt

Project Partners and Funding

The project was a collaboration between the Victoria and Albert Museum,Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust and Cofely GDFSuez . GRC had worked closely with Cofely GDF-SUEZ’s   John Spall, (Energy Manager at the V&A) to identify an area of roof at the museum that could be retrofitted. GRC’s Dusty Gedge was keen to create the first Wetland green roof in London. A small area of was identified and in partnership with Buglife funding was received from  Western Riverside Environmental Fund (WREF).

A design was arrived at that worked with the roofs innate characteristics. Down the central part of the roof was a deep gully to drain rainwater. This gully would create a central wet area.

Designing a Wetland Green Roof

GRC worked with the innate characteristics of the existing roof. Down the centre of the roof a central gully, 150mm in depth, ran to either end and drained rainwater off the roof. A dam either end would allow at least a 150mm narrow pond to sit in the gully. Moisture protection layers would capillary water across the rest of the providing moisture for the wet meadow vegetation.

Either side of the main roof, two steep lead pitch roofs dispensed their water onto the roof. To dissipate the force of this water and to provide an interface between the green roof and the edge of the building a narrow shingle run was installed. The roof would be planted with a range of wetland and wet meadow vegetation using seeds and native wildflower plugs.

wetland green roof V&A

Bringing biodiversity to a green roof at the V&A

Water Water Everywhere

The V&A lies within the Counter’s Creek Sewage catchment. This lost London River is prone to overflowing and causing floods in the area. GRC had worked on an green infrastructure audit for Thames Water at the inception of the V&A project. There is a need to retrofit green roofs in the Counter’s Creek area to ameliorate the likelihood of floods. The creation of London’s first wetland roof would store more rain water than a standard biodiverse green roof.

Installation

London’s first wetland green roof  would need a specialist green roof contractor. Active Ecology were contracted to install the roof, primary because of Mike Cottage’s experience creating wetland areas at ground level. The Active Ecology team worked at roof level during the July heatwave to complete the roof by the start of August.

Biodiversity and wetland green roof

Wetland green roof at the V&A

Biodiversity on a Wetland Green Roof

The V&A’s resident bees are housed close to the roof. Since the roof has been installed they have been observed drinking at the pool. To do this they sit on emergent vegetation and lap up the rain water stored on the roof. Several butterflies, hover flies and other bees have been noted visiting the roof. We have no doubt that by next year when the roof is fully established the first dragonflies and damselflies will be gracing the roof, along with a whole range of other mini beasts.

Monitoring

Other than the seeds and wildflowers plugs, nothing has been added to the roof. This means will can chart how the roof is colonised over time. When will the first water snail appear? How will it get there? When will the first water boatmen be seen skimming across the surface of the central pool? These type of questions will be answered by the UEL green roof team. GRC has worked closely with UEL on a new wetland green roof centre in Barking Riverside. The team will monitor the V&A roof. This will give us an understanding of how wetland green roofs develop over time.

So the story is only just beginning…

The wetland green roof is installed and over the winter the wildflower plugs will take root. The special seed mix will start to cover the meadows and spring will herald an small oasis of wildlife in the heart of Royal Borough of Chelsea and Kensington. There are plans to feed the wetland roof with water discharged from nearby air conditioning units. This will of particular importance during heat waves. So storing rainwater, creating nature and reuse of water are all part of the ongoing story of London’s first wetland roof. And GRC, with all the partners involved, is looking forward to what is encountered over the coming years. And telling the story as it unfolds.

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