Project general details
WORLD GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AWARD
The Bruce - Kensington
Nominator
Investor
Supplier
Architect
Evergreen Infrastructure
Medley Property Group
Carr Architects
Evergreen Infrastructure
Location (City)
GPS
Country
Region
Year of nomination
Melbourne
data
Australia
Oceania
2024
Project specifications
This 400m² biodiversity green roof in Kensington, located in the north of Melbourne, is connected by seven stories of trees and trailing plants that span each floor of the building. These trees serve as vital connectors, facilitating the integration of insects and birds into the roof's diverse ecosystem and bringing biodiversity to unexpected places. The creation of a biodiversity corridor between the adjacent waterway and the building will be further enhanced in the future with additional tree plantings and the creation of parklets as development continues in this area. This project demonstrates the success of the City of Melbourne's ‘Green Factor Tool,’ which was created to assist developers and builders in creating successful urban landscapes that benefit both nature and the client. The Bruce’s developers and design teams worked alongside the City of Melbourne to deliver the first project in Melbourne using this Green Factor Tool.
Object type
Roof accessibility
Roof slope
Year of completion
Project in operation?
Commercial buildings
Private
0-5 degree
2023
NO
Green roof area (m2)
400
Green roof specification
Method of establishment of vegetation
All 4600 (approx) plants were supplied in 50mm and 70mm plugs, 140mm and 200mm pots and were all planted during the same installation period. The use of larger stock was predominantly used to provide support and protection to the smaller stock. All plants were both hand watered during establishment periods and complimented with subsoil watering through an automated 13mm drip irrigation system. The original planting schedule dictated a set out of approx. 10 plants per square meter (including grasses, small shrubs and groundcovers) to assist with establishment of smaller native stock. The thinning out of plants was required during the first 3 months of establishment of the garden.
Vegetation
The project predominantly uses a native palette and is driven by a commitment to enhancing urban biodiversity in alignment with the City of Melbourne’s Nature in the City Strategy. By implementing a biodiverse green roof in Kensington, the aim is to create a thriving ecosystem that supports a variety of plant and animal species, contributing positively to urban biodiversity conservation efforts.
Vegetation layer
The planter/roof mix was installed to the roof space at a depth of 200mm. The growing media is made up from 4 equal parts of; Sandy Loam, Soil Conditioner (composted green waste), Aged Bark Fines & 7mm Scoria. No mulching was used for final layer
Retention layer
VersiDrain® 30 is an interlocking plastic water retention and drainage tray designed to store and drain water under extensive green roof systems. VersiDrain® 30 trays are positioned on the waterproofing membrane, covered with geotextile, growth media and plants. Water and soluble nutrients become stored in an array of mini reservoirs or cells and are returned to the soil, via capillary action for plant uptake, when required. VersiDrain® 30 trays incorporate interconnected channels that allow water to flow between the reservoirs. Perforations in the channels allow excess water to flow to drainage outlets. VersiDrain® 30 protects waterproofing membranes against damage and the high compressive strength effectively supports the weight of growing media, plant species and other weight bearing loads. VersiDrain® 30 ideal for use under lightweight extensive greenroofs, the 11.6 litres/m2 of stored water reduces the reliance on irrigation.
Filtration layer
This geotextile is a 150gsm needle punched non woven geotextile made of staple fibres.The fabric is a heat bonded, black polypropylene with high abrasion resistance, it contains higher UV stability by the addition of carbon black.
Drainage layer
N/A
Separate layer
N/A
Protective layer
TREMproof Torch 4000M 4mm APP Modified Bituminous Torch Applied Waterproofing Membrane with Mineralised Surface TREMproof Torch 4000M is a 4mm thick, APP modified bituminous torch applied waterproofing membrane which is polyester spunbond, with glass filament reinforcement. TREMproof Torch 4000M is coated with a highly UV resistant mineralised surface.
Root layer
TREMproof Torch Anti-Root APP Modified Bituminous Torch Applied Waterproofing Membrane with Antiroot Properties TREMproof Torch Antiroot is a 3.8mm thick, APP modified bituminous torch applied waterproofing membrane which is polyester spunbond, reinforced glass filament with extremely effective antiroot properties. TREMproof Torch Antiroot is applied as the top layer and provides a barrier against root growth throughout the entire membrane, including overlaps./A
Category:
GREEN ROOFS
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