The difficult beginnings of green roofs, walls in PH

IT’S NOT about painting your walls and roofs the color green. It’s about making them environmentally sound and ecologically active. “Green” roofs and walls are catching on fast in the booming high-rise and condominium markets in the developed world. However, the same trend cannot be said in the Philippines.

Ronnie Traballo, chief executive officer of landscape contractor Cypress Bomanite Inc., observes that green wall landscaping is still very much in its infancy here.

“It has not yet reached the stage of Singapore and Hong Kong where vertical gardens are mainstream ideas. However, with a lot of high-rise condominiums being built now, I think vertical gardens provide a practical solution to tight spaces,” he explained.

There are only a few projects featuring green walls and roofs in the Philippines, but a number of suppliers are making this option more accessible to home owners, landscapers and environment enthusiasts.

Jose M. Javellana Jr., president of green roof provider Specserv Inc., told Inquirer Property there are only three companies that he knows of that have the knowledge in the new roof garden system technology.

Green roofs, or garden roofs, and walls are especially advantageous in tropical climates, for the following reasons:

1 They provide the perfect heat isolation and cold insulation, with good storm management capabilities. According to Javellana, garden roofs are capable of storing water, therefore helping minimize flooding in the streets. Garden roofs also help prevent the “heat island effect” in urban centers. Conventional roofs, whether concrete or steel, generate or reflect heat to neighboring buildings, thereby inducing the heat island effect.

2 They improve air quality in the immediate area. Traballo said the many benefits of having green walls include the reduction of the overall temperature of the area, as plants absorb heat, rather than heat being reradiated by a concrete surface; they also improve the air quality around the area as plants filter air pollutants.

3 They are esthetically pleasing. Traballo said that the type of plants and flowers used in the green wall adds beauty to the place.

4 They are conducive to health. Some homeowners are now planting vegetables, herbs and other edible plants in their vertical gardens, Traballo added.

5 They provide habitats to wildlife, and minimize erosion damage to buildings. Javellana said tests would show that even if only 50 percent of a roof deck is planted, one would get the benefits of heat reduction. He added that in some building rating systems, a 60- to 70-percent planted area roof garden is regarded as a replacement of the habitat destroyed by the building’s footprint.

He added that executed correctly, a green roof should be able to store up to 55 liters of water per square meter, have an effective storm drain management system, be leak proof, lightweight and require low maintenance.

6 Green roofs and walls provide options for special plants, making it possible to create instant landscapes, particularly in urban, congested areas with no gardens.

Traballo said special plants made specifically for green walls are now being used as they produce an instant landscape, compared to climbing plants that need time to grow and cover the wall. Lightweight planting medium is also used to lessen the weight of the planters.

7 Roof gardens are leak-free, lightweight and low maintenance. The major problem that hounded the roof gardens of yesteryears was water leaks, dirt and mud, root attack and root penetration into the structures, and flooding. Mud would usually find its way to the drain systems and harden, thereby clogging the floor drains and preventing water from draining out.

This is no longer the case, Javellana said. He added that Daku, for instance, is already leak-free, lightweight or structurally friendly, and has low maintenance. The oldest Daku roof garden in the Philippines is already about 10 years old, located at the Rizal Bustle of Rockwell Residences.

8 Roof and wall gardens are easier to maintain. Traballo said a better perspective would be to look at walls as a garden. Any garden would need maintenance. If you don’t have space for a typical garden then a green wall is a good option for a homeowner.

Traballo said that before jumping into the green wall trend, people need to take into consideration several factors to make sure that its benefits far outweigh the cost of installation and maintenance.

These considerations are:

Use of the wall. Will the wall be used primarily for asthetics, or do you need more security and privacy? Will you use it to   plant herbs, vegetables, etc.? The plant choice and suitability to the environment should be determined. “We need to know what kind of plants are appropriate for the area where you will put your wall.”

Maintenance requirement. Will you install a built-in irrigation system or will you just water them conventionally? Will the homeowner be active in maintaining the vertical garden, or do you want a low-maintenance wall system? Traballo said a good landscape contractor/designer can recommend the proper green wall for you.

Costs. Traballo said a wall that is finished with high-quality natural stones or stone veneer will cost around P4,000 to P5,000/sq m using modular/fabricated system compared to onsite installation. A typical green wall system is installed at a cost of around P6,000 to 7,000/sq m.

Traballo uses lightweight planting medium.

Javellana said a more affordable Bungkal 2 (short for Bubong Kalikasan or Nature Roof) price ranges from P2,900 to 3,200 per sq m. Bungkal 2 is recommended for noncritical areas like the top of canopies and garages. Bungkal will be installed soon in the Mind Museum at Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. Daku’s price ranges from P3,800 to P4,000 per sq m.

Do you have suggestions that would make homes and buildings “green”? E-mail the author at [email protected].