Last updated: November 2021
The roof installation at the Re:center building comprises of a wildlife pond planted with native marginal plants, a native wildflower area, grasses and herbs, bird feeder tables, insect houses etc. Design features encourage the development of flora and fauna on the roofing area and a growing media (from ABG) provides a nutritionally rich base for vegetation. Beneath this surface, a free-draining void allows for storage of collected rainwater to irrigate the vegetation. This roof is part of the Bright Building at the University of Bradford. (ref2) The building was known throughout its building phase as The Sustainable Enterprise Centre, but it is recognised that thinking around sustainability has moved considerably since this project started back in 2007 and the new name will ‘re:flect’ new agendas in a way that is distinctive within Higher Education (ref 6).
Green roof
Source: http://www.margarettwigg.co.uk/projects/colleges-universities/bright-building-university-of-bradford
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
- Other
- Green areas for water management
- Rain gardens
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change mitigation
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Green space creation and/or management
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable production
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
The University of Bradford introduced the Ecoversity programme with the aim of embedding sustainable development throughout the whole institution. (reference 3) The aim of the overall project was to design and construct a building with the highest possible sustainability credentials and have the lowest possible impact on the environment during construction and operation.
The roof is a part of this building and a biodiverse system was required to replace lost habitat enhance ecology and increase the number of native or beneficial plant species present on-site to achieve the BREEAM Ratings. therefore 2 key goals are:
1. be a significant contributor towards BREEAM rating.
2. Replace lost habitat & enhance biodiversity (reference 2)
3. The building itself has been designed to minimise the need for mechanical interventions to heat and cool the building, therefore reducing the amount of energy needed to run it (ref 6).
4. Implementation of solar thermal and photovoltaic panels, hempcrete walls, rainwater harvesting, and SUDs drainage (ref 7).
Implementation activities
The following features were incorporated in the roof: A wildlife pond planted with native marginal plants, a native wildflower area, matrixes of sedums, grasses and herbs, insect hibernacula’s including bird feeder tables, insect houses, pebble areas and coiled hemp rope. Specially designed features to encourage the development of flora and fauna in the roofing area. A growing media provides a nutritionally rich base for the specially selected vegetation. Beneath this surface, ABG Roofdrain drainage geocomposite was used to create a free-draining void that also allows for the storage of collected rainwater to irrigate the vegetation (reference 2)
Installation of solar thermal and photovoltaic panels, hempcrete walls, rainwater harvesting, and SUDs drainage. Therefore, the building design will minimise the need for mechanical interventions to heat and cool the building, therefore reducing the amount of energy needed to run it (ref 7).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change mitigation:
- Install vertical or horizontal artificial surfaces that help with carbon storage and cooling
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
Main beneficiaries
- Researchers/University
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Researchers/university
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Key client of the green roof construction by ABG ltd at the re:center was Bradford University who obtained EU funds and funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) (Ref 4, 5)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- EU funds
- Public national budget
- Other
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Reduced emissions
- Energy efficiency improvements
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Enhanced support of pollination
Economic impacts
- Attraction of business and investment
Socio-cultural impacts
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. University of Bradford. 2015. Bright Building Case study.
2. ABG ltd. nd. Green Roof Biodiverse, re:centre. Accessed: Source link [Accessed 27 July 2020].
3. Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges. nd. University of Bradford - Ecoversity. Accessed: Source link [Accessed 27 July 2020].
4. University of Bradford. n,d. Inspirational-building.
5. BD Index. nd. Biodiverse green roof - Bradford University. Accessed: Source link
6. Source link. 2020. SEC - University Of Bradford. [online] Available at: <Source link [Accessed 27 July 2020].
7. Margaret Twigg. 2020. Manchester Landscape Architect Bright Building, University Of Leeds | Margaret Twigg. [online] Available at: <Source link [Accessed 27 July 2020].
8. Source link. 2015. [online] Available at: <Source link [Accessed 27 July 2020].
9. University of Bradford. 2020. Coronavirus (COVID-19) - News - University Of Bradford. [online] Available at: <Source link [Accessed 27 July 2020].
2. ABG ltd. nd. Green Roof Biodiverse, re:centre. Accessed: Source link [Accessed 27 July 2020].
3. Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges. nd. University of Bradford - Ecoversity. Accessed: Source link [Accessed 27 July 2020].
4. University of Bradford. n,d. Inspirational-building.
5. BD Index. nd. Biodiverse green roof - Bradford University. Accessed: Source link
6. Source link. 2020. SEC - University Of Bradford. [online] Available at: <Source link [Accessed 27 July 2020].
7. Margaret Twigg. 2020. Manchester Landscape Architect Bright Building, University Of Leeds | Margaret Twigg. [online] Available at: <Source link [Accessed 27 July 2020].
8. Source link. 2015. [online] Available at: <Source link [Accessed 27 July 2020].
9. University of Bradford. 2020. Coronavirus (COVID-19) - News - University Of Bradford. [online] Available at: <Source link [Accessed 27 July 2020].
Green roof
Source: http://www.margarettwigg.co.uk/projects/colleges-universities/bright-building-university-of-bradford
Green roof
Source: http://www.margarettwigg.co.uk/projects/colleges-universities/bright-building-university-of-bradford