SUSTAINABILITY, BEAUTY AND QUALITY STAND OUT AT THE CHALK FARM IN LONDON BY RENOLIT
The most innovative intervention on the construction site thanks to the RENOLIT ALKORPLAN LA waterproofing membrane combined with a Sedum garden roof system
Sant Celoni, Barcelona, 23 February 2021 - A «blue roof» is a friend of water, it stores it when it rains and then releases it gradually. It was conceived for the city, so as not to waste a precious resource above all, and avoid the dispersion of water in large quantities thus avoid flooding, a growing issue for many urban places due to climate overheating and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. Blue roof is environmentally friendly and manages to be even more so when combined with a green roof, a garden roof because it feeds it by bringing water. Blue-green roof is, therefore, brilliance applied to roofing and that has been successfully done on the roof of the 8a Belmont Street semi-detached building in Chalk Farm, London, where the design conceived was captivating as well as unusual and complicated, comprising six sections, including three blue roofs.
The solutions envisaged by the manufacturer of synthetic waterproofing membranes for roofs RENOLIT ALKORPLAN LA in synergy with Gribben Solar Roofing and ACO Building Drainage - the first specialized in green and blue roofing, the second in drainage systems - have led to significant results.
RENOLIT proposed a perfectly adherent RENOLIT ALKORPLAN LA membrane combined with a Sedum green roof system. ACO, on the other hand, was responsible for water storage and flow mitigation modules for the 'blue roof' areas. RENOLIT ALKORPLAN products have again proved themselves innovative, reliable, durable, and resistant. RENOLIT ALKORPLAN LA products stood out as an extremely sustainable choice, since they can last for over 40 years, as confirmed by the BBA report, and thus avoiding the extraction of new raw materials for a longer time. In addition to their durability, RENOLIT ALKORPLAN LA membranes are completely recyclable and contain, from the first production phase, a high quantity of recycled product. Robust membranes also mean lower maintenance costs and fewer post-construction interventions which, in the case of a delicate project such as the one that perfectly combined blue and green roofs, would also be costly.
Tony Brown, National Technical Manager for RENOLIT Cramlington [RENOLIT ALKORPLAN roofing products], said: «The waterproof membranes proved to be very flexible as well as suitable for this project, being applied on any type of substrate. The system offered for the 'blue green roof', more than a pleasant appearance, allows for better management of rainwater, reducing the temperature of the building with a consequent decrease in energy needs for cooling, and improving sound insulation. With this operation, it was possible to maximize the energy benefits, reaching the highest levels of environmental sustainability and thus contributing to an overall improvement in the quality of life. The collaboration between companies offering complementary solutions was the key to the success of this project». Innovation and high quality in the products made it possible to complete the Belmont Street construction site on time and within the budget, improving the original project.