Arup and Sky-Gardens have today launched Pocket Habitat, the only modular planting system actively designed to promote biodiversity on new or existing roofs, or provide temporary greening at ground level.
Each module is a stand-alone unit made from environmentally friendly material and containing recycled substrates and wildflower seeds. They link together to form a continuous vegetated surface, which may be moved when required.
Rebecca Stewart of Arup said “The Pocket Habitat is an adaptable way to create a biodiverse rooftop environment allowing a green roof to be easily retro-fitted to existing buildings. Furthermore the innovation is generating much interest from developers for temporary greening of development sites. The Pocket Habitat can be rapidly installed and removed if maintenance of the roof or other areas is required. A further attraction is that it can be tailored to a user’s home or work area postcode, using locally sourced aggregates, thereby promoting localised biodiversity and reducing carbon footprint through travel.”
The concept will also help cities meet energy efficiency goals.
Mike Cottage of Sky-Gardens said: “This is the perfect time for this innovative new product. Green roofing is taking root in city environmental agendas the world over. In Greater London alone it is estimated there are 24,000 hectares worth of building roofs. That is 16 per cent of the capital. Pocket Habitat can help effectively and effortlessly convert this area into a greener space.”
Ideal for use by roofers and waterproofing manufacturers, the habitats can also be used by landscapers. Installation and removal is easy and requires no expert knowledge.
Pocket Habitat’s size and weight means it may be installed on development sites, existing roofs, new builds or retrofits, without the need of a crane or specialist equipment. Furthermore, when installed it already looks great, eradicating unsightly growing periods.
Pocket Habitat emulates an environment similar to the natural living conditions of plants, aiding seed germination by providing shade and shelter from the wind, while offering a large open area for maximum exposure to the sun.
It offers flexibility to host plants, flowers, grasses, bushes, shrubs and even vegetables, enabling users to personalise individual modules, as well as the look of an entire area.
Benefits to wildlife, particularly birds, butterflies and bees, are plentiful, most notably in urban areas.
Mike Cottage said: “Pocket Habitat arrives as green roofing emerges from the margins to become a mainstream product. Efforts are being made in the UK to raise the profile of green technologies already used in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, where policies are in place to drive the uptake of green roofs. An estimated 10 percent of roofs in Germany are already converted.
“The New London Plan of 2008 included the first such policy in Britain, stating that all new major developments should include green roofs within their design and that smaller green roof projects should be encouraged by the 32 London boroughs.
“Pocket Habitat will help meet this challenge – and others across the country – by making an effective and easy to use product available to the widest possible audience.”
Arup is an independent firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists offering a broad range of professional services. It is the creative force behind many of the world’s most innovative and sustainable building, transport and civil engineering projects.
Sky-Garden Greenroofs is the country’s leading roof greening company.
Mike Cottage is founder director of Sky-Garden Greenroofs. He boasts 30 years experience in horticultural roofing and water stabilisation. The driving force behind the development of biodiverse roofs in the UK, Mike has been involved in the installation of over a thousand green roofs. Flagship projects include Adnam’s Brewery in Suffolk, Eversheds’ head office in the City of London and some of the UK and Ireland’s major green wall initiatives. He is founder member of the Greenroof Organisation, which is endeavouring to bring much-needed standards to the industry.
Rebecca Stewart is a product designer at Arup with experience of such diverse areas as flooring systems and stadium seating. She has been involved in the Pocket Habitat project since its inception, taking the product from design to manufacturing and now launch stage.
Neil Marlow is a landscape architect and urban designer at Arup, with 13 years experience in the UK and around the world. He was a member of the award-winning Rail Link Engineering team who took the Channel Tunnel Rail Link from reference design through to detailed design, tender, construction and ultimately maintenance. Neil studied urban design at the Bartlett School of Architecture and has gone on to invent Pocket Habitat. Underlying Neil’s work is a desire to improve the health and well-being of people and nature through good design.
Dusty Gedge is one of the world’s leading authorities on green roofs. President of the European Federation of Green Roof Associations and London Leader for the London Sustainable Development Commission, he has worked on such projects as Barclays Bank in Canary Wharf and the Komodo Dragon Building at London Zoo.
Eloise Moody has used her pattern cutting skills to develop the pattern for Pocket Habitat. Eloise studied design at Goldsmiths and trained in hat making, creating hats for film, TV and the theatre, including Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland movie.
Website:pockethabitat.co.uk/
