A Rhenofol CG sedum green roof helped secure a silver Green Apple sustainability award for a West Wirral healthcare development, which also won the LRSA Design Award 2012. Built on greenbelt , the Warren Medical Centre was designed by BRP architects of Market Harborough. SIG Design Technology designed and supplied the roof build up.
Sustainability was key to achieving planning consent and the curved plan form of the building over two floors reduced the scale and mass of the 2000+ m2 design and build project. The building was lowered into the ground by two metres to maintain the silhouette of the broadleaf woodland backdrop. Local materials such as such as natural stone, natural green oak cladding and three species of sedum were chosen as they will gradually mellow and harmonise with the backdrop. The building was designed and constructed to achieve an Excellent BREEAM rating.
There are two curved green roofs together covering some 1083m2. A built up green roof was chosen over a modular system as facets had been removed using plywood sheeting. The 150 m2 roof to the rear is waterproofed in Rhenofol CG only and houses photovoltaic panels and mechanical plant. Surface water run-off is facilitated through the green roof and permeable paving systems contribute to a SUDS drainage solution.
Suitable for green roofing projects, Rhenofol CG resists weathering, chemical oxidation and UV radiation and retains its physical properties over a wide range of temperatures. The polyester fleece backing can be bonded or loose-laid when ballasted.
The final testimony to the success of the building rests with the patients and staff of the West Wirral Group Practice (WWGP), which first embarked on the journey for new premises almost a decade ago. Senior WWGP Partner Alan Johnston said: ‘It is a wonderful building……nothing but praise from the patients; the doctors and staff are ecstatic ……….it was all that was hoped for.’
