Elements of a green Roof

They may be popular interventions of the 21st Century, but green roofs are in fact thousands of years old. The first recorded appearance of a green roof occurred in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon around 500 BC. The site is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

It was the Icelandics who came up with the original design, with constructed houses and sod ceilings and walls. With a lack of natural construction purposes, they made do with what resources were available. The ceilings were usually constructed of turf, but the walls were built up with stone and alternating strips of sod and turf. They realised the green roofs and walls provided extra insulation during weather extremes.

The 18th C Germans constructed green roofs as a sign of wealth and status. They were constructed on the manor houses and castles. The trend then spread across Europe in the 19th century and the first signs of green roofs in the United States occurred in the 20th century in New York City.

With that short introduction I attach an image courtesy of the American Wick Drain Corp showing the elements of Green roofing.