1) By reducing temperature fluctuations of the building envelope, it also reduces the expansion and contraction fluctuations of building materials.

2) They protect the building envelope from ultra-violet rays and acidic rain.

3) They reduced cracking and carbonization of the building envelope

4) The buildings durability is improved and its life extended.

5) Green Walls and Roofs reduce Air Conditioning requirements in buildings, that means energy consumption reduction.

6) It has been proven that the room temperature of a room that is under a Green Roof decreased 2.0°C. That means, air conditioning energy savings.

7) Likewise, when water slowly is drained when added to a flowerpot . Green Roofs act like a huge sponge and giving a relieve in the pressure of the water collection after rainfalls.

Green Roofs and Walls photosynthesis process consumes CO2 and releases O2.

9) Green Walls and Roofs massively reduce street noise and vibration.

10) Green Walls and Roofs help restore habitat for birds and butterflies. They provide food, water, protection and a place for offspring to bear and raise.

11) Green Roofs add significantly to your buildings value. It has been proven that landscaping adds 15- 20% to a buildings value.

The construction of roof gardens can be difficult, due to the many layers involved. See figure 1 below.

The bottom layer is the roof construction. The roof construction must have a waterproofing layer that is durable enough to safeguard the structure over time with minimal maintenance. An example of a commonly used waterproofing agent is a fluid-applied rubberized asphalt waterproofing membrane. Above the waterproofing layer is the moisture retention protection mat that retains a portion of the precipitation for future plant usage. Contained within the moisture retention protection mat is a root retardant that prevents plant roots from penetrating. Root barriers often contain copper sulfate to retard plant growth. The next layer is the drainage layer. Various kinds of drainage layers are used by different contractors. Some layers have drainage channels that allow excess precipitation to collect and drain. Others contain small cups that collect excess precipitation that can be absorbed into the soil medium for plant use in the future. The water contained within the cups provides a moist, beneficial subsoil environment for the plants, without allowing fungus or root rot. Next a filter fabric mat is installed to prevent soil particles from entering the drainage layer.
The final layer consists of the soil medium. Ordinarily, good soil is very heavy due to its high clay content (Wood 2004). Because of the loads already associated with green roofs, lighter soil mediums are required. Soil medium used for green roofs is a combination of shale, pumice, sand, and organic matter. Care must be taken when preparing the soil mixture to prevent the export of pollutants. Mixes with large quantities of compost have been shown to export nitrogen and phosphorus. The USDA-Agricultural Research Service suggests providing the mix with a quality mature compost manufactured using industrial byproducts high in iron and manganese to reduce phosphorus solubility and increase heavy metal adsorption. The mix must promote hydrated plant life, but prevent over-saturation. The depth of the soil medium depends on the type of green roof under construction.

The final step of the whole process is the selection and installation of the vegetation. Vegetation should be chosen for its ability to thrive in the local climate, withstand the harsh conditions of a roof, and imitate the surrounding landscape’s diversity. It also needs to withstand direct radiation, drought, frost, and strong wind conditions. For an intensive green roof, trees, bushes, and other large plants are suitable. For an extensive green roof, smaller plants and grasses are more appropriate.

Europe buildings have being using green rooves for over a decade. New Tokyo construction regulations require that at least 20% of medium and large building´s roof has to be green.

In the States the leader is Chicago, on most of the new buildings the rooves are green!

What You Will Learn

This webinar series will provide you with the information and resources you need to utilize the REGREEN guidelines in your next remodeling project. Join us as leaders in the field provide you with the lessons tools to:

• Understand the market demand for green remodeling
• Define the way REGREEN, as a guideline, can be accessed to help incorporate greening into remodeling projects
• Understand the key elements in maximizing energy efficiency and greening kitchen and bath renovations
• Describe specific strategies for successful implementation of energy strategies on a remodeling project

Session 1
Introduction to the REGREEN Program

Session 2
REGREEN Your Kitchen & Bath

Session 3
REGREEN & Deep Energy Retrofit

Is there a written, working environmental policy in place? Is it easy to find on their Web site or product
literature?

Does this policy strive to make important improvements in manufacturing, reducing and reusing
first, then recycling?

Do they comply with their industry’s voluntary testing programs?

What are the raw materials used to create the product?

And where do they come from?

Did the materials come from renewable resources?

Is the manufacturing process energy efficient?

Does the manufacturing process release harmful substances?

Are adhesives needed to make the product viable?

What are they using?

Are coatings or finishes needed to make the product viable?

What are they using?

Does the product nurture the health and well-being of its occupants?

Does the product do the job well?

How much energy does it use?

Does the product release VOCs? At what rate?

How is the product packaged and transported?

How is the product installed and maintained?

Does it have a color or texture that can lead to reduced lighting energy or an expanded range of thermal
comfort conditions?

Can the product be maintained in a benign manner?

Using safe cleaning products?

Is the product durable? Biodegradable? Recyclable?

Can the parts be separated for recycling?

Can it be made into something else?

Can the product be returned to its manfacturer at the end of its useful life?

I found this amazing article on Decor8 about Mettes Pottery, the images of the handmade pottery are wonderfull. It is an exquisite solution for having a nature friendly material that is highly decorative and very functional. Ideas like this, inspire us in looking for more artesanal answers, that will not damage our planet.

The executives here work under lots of stress.

So we thought it might be nice to give them an oasis of calm.

So we decided to create a green isle under the stairway.

To recreate the environment we used visual and sound elements.

The sound of water was perfect to sooth the work tensions. So we created a small, relaxed fountain… that look like a continuation from the river stream from the mural behind.

We even created two real sized trees, that where decorated with different varieties of orchids.