Spring '21

and maximise thermal insulation and
rainwater capture benefits. Financial
and management plans should also
make sure the green roof becomes a
reality in the build, as well as its ongoing
upkeep.
In green-pioneering countries on the
continent, like the Netherlands, local
authorities have long-established, wellmanaged
and well-utilised funding for
projects such as the bus shelter green
roofs we have supplied there, as well
as Belgium and Sweden. These are
exemplary funding streams.
GM: Mobilane recently joined GRO, what
prompted this and what are some of the
key issues that need to be addressed?
PG: The sector’s momentum is
quickening. It is multi-faceted, reaching
across roofing, sealing, landscaping,
building, design, contracting and
architectural industries. The headway
that GRO has already made into
establishing strong standards and a
Green Roof Code for all those involved
in the UK green roofing industry is
phenomenal – but
this can only be
facilitated through
collaboration. As
green roof leaders,
we play just a part in
a much greater picture,
and membership of GRO puts us at
the absolute nerve centre of future
professional development in this realm.
The key elements here are
collaboration and communication.
GM: What are some of the more common
mistakes designers and installers make
when it comes to green roof projects?
PG: Mistakes are most common
when the designer or installer has not
considered the correct system for the
correct roof application.
A close eye should always be paid to
how a roof finish will be applied, as a
cassette-based system may lend itself
better than a wildflower or brown roof
finish.
GM: What are some of the myths that
exist around green roofs? Is there one
that particularly annoys you?
PG: We always make it clear that whilst
a green roof might be low maintenance,
it is not “no maintenance”. No green
roof is a “put down and walk away”
solution and its maintenance plan
should be an integral part of each
project.
GM: If there was one roof that you could
green anywhere in the UK, which one
would it be?
PG: It would have to be somewhere
iconic – perhaps Wembley or
Buckingham Palace? What would really
show a commitment to “greening the
UK” would be to see the Houses of
Parliament bestowed with the benefits
of a green roof – imagine the cooling
effects of the plants on all that rising
hot air!
GM: Can you tell us about
some of the more interesting
projects your products have
been used on?
PG: In the past 12 months
we have been working
with an installation partner
and local authorities across
the London boroughs and
Home Counties supplying MobiRoof
green roof systems for cycle storage
solutions. This follows some of our
other headline-hitting successes across
Europe. In a city-wide project across
Utrecht, The Netherlands, bus shelters
were fitted with our green roof cassette
systems. Creating biodiverse green
roofs atop of these shelters, the green
roofs not only helped reduce rainwater
run-off, but their foliage helps capture
particulate matter, improving the air
quality – and creates a real talking point,
too! This has been replicated in similar
schemes across Belgium, Sweden and
Germany.
Images l-r: Paul Garlick;
MobiRoof Cassette
System; MobiRoof green
roof bus shelters Utrecht.
Continued on page 32 >>>
www.greenscapemag.co.uk • GREENSCAPE SPRING 2021 31