The Barriers To The Implementation Of Green Roofs & Potential Solutions To Promote Green Roofs

 
Abstract
Green Roofs are viewed by most of the planners, designers, and architects to benefit local
amenity and help in enhancing the overall environmental conditions around buildings. In the
context of broader urban the technical advantages about by these built form treatments in hot and
temperate atmospheres also help in minimising the heat island effect. The concept of green roofs
is comparatively a very recent phenomenon, although there have been a substantial amount of
normal roof in building designed in the past five decades, at the same time as designers and
architects have tried hard to deal with sun light and other whether conditions.
However, the basic objective of this research study is identification of the barriers to the
implementation of Green Roofs as well as the potential solutions to promote Green Roofs. The
study also aims to develop concepts on a comparatively new research domain for urban designers
and planners.
Both primary and secondary research methods are used in this research study to collect most
relevant qualitative data. So, the author of the study will conduct interviews with architects
(n=15) and roofing contractors (n=15) who will be the subjects of this study. The study will also
review the literature, including journal article, textbooks, and other academic materials to collect
secondary information regarding the green roofs implementation, benefits, barriers, and
promoting solutions.
The findings of the study are that 71% of roofing contractors already offer green roofs as a
material, but a smaller number of architects (12%) have used green roofs in over 20% of their
projects and of these projects a large proportion didn’t make it to the construction stage. The
common view amongst exhibitors is that grant funding and increased awareness is needed.
In conclusion, the benefits are widely recognised in the UK industry and across the world as
well. The cost is putting the majority of people off. People do not want to have a negative impact
on the environment; however, some people are willing to use green roofs and pay high amount
for it. The governmental authorities need to subsidise the initial cost of implementing green roofs
with financial support and should also start the programmes to promote the green roofs. 
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Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1. Introduction
Affecting both horticultural circles, architectural and environmental, green roofs have attracted
much interest in recent years, especially in densely populated urban areas. Only in 2006 North
America, an estimated 362 new projects emerged, for a total area of 254,513 m2
(2.74 million
ft2
), representing an increase of 24% in 20051
. Green roofs have also reached to the United
Kingdom and Canada in the last few years and appeared to be a promising technology.
However, in the last few years as building form transformed in the bid to acquire efficiency,
most of the designers and architects have not taken into account the opportunity for inclusions of
green roofs in their building forms. The concept of green roofs is comparatively a very recent
phenomenon, although there have been a substantial amount of normal roof in building designed
in the past five decades, at the same time as designers and architects have tried hard to deal with
sun light and other whether conditions.
A majority of the literature give examples of the earliest green roofs that acknowledged for
vertical roof and modern roof top gardens and it has been observed as stemming from Germany.
As far as the Post-European settlement in Australia, examples of green roofs and exteriors are
there from the early era of twentieth century comprising residential flats in Perth (Figure 1). A
very significant point is that it has been the development and enhancement of people
understanding regarding sustainability and green roofs that has stimulated a recent rise in the
people interest and implementation of green roofs.

1
Pickard, A. J. Research methods in information. Facet Publications; (2013). 
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Figure 1
There were a majority of research work has been carried out in the field of green roof systems
and the quantity appears to rise during the last few years as environmental concerns become
more intensified across the globe. The research works that have been carried out in the green
roof field can be divided into seven groups, including management of storm water, research on
materials, research on barriers and opportunities or incentives, research on atmosphere, research
on energy and building, research on insights and views, and research on guidelines. Researchers
performed a research on Green Roofs for Stormwater Runoff Management as the study of storm
water management. They reported in their research study that the green roofs are completely able
to eliminate 50% of the rainfall annual volume through retention and evapotranspiration. Rainfall
not maintained by green roofs is detained, effic