Product category:
Roofing
News Release from: Bauder | Subject: Green roofs
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 06 July 2007
Bauder Case Study: Fort Dunlop
Green roofs can reduce external noise (up to 3 dB) giving users of the building protection from the noise of the overhead aeroplanes.
The Project During the past few years the city of Birmingham has been undergoing a dramatic facelift with new and innovative buildings being incorporated in its centre
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 10 Jun 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Yet the approach to the city by road held nothing to suggest such changes were being undertaken - that is until now.
Situated just off the M6 the massive former warehouse and storage facility for Dunlop Tyres has been redeveloped to house 40,000m office space and 5,000m retail space complimented by a 6,000m hotel which has been constructed at one end of the building.
The Challenge.
One of the practical challenges that had to be considered when deciding upon the design of the roof included the fact that Fort Dunlop was situated directly underneath the busy flight path of Birmingham International Airport Another was the lifespan of the building had to maximised.
For an aesthetic challenge the architects, namely Shed KM who were working with the developers namely Urban Splash, envisaged the rooftop of Fort Dunlop providing people with the ideal platform from which to view Birmingham's skyline and the surrounding countryside.
The Solution.
The Bauder Sedum roof proved the ideal answer.
The practical challenges were met as standard.
Green roofs can reduce external noise (up to 3 dB) giving users of the building protection from the noise of the overhead aeroplanes.
The green roof can also increase the lifespan of the building.
Research has proven that when protected by landscaping, the life expectancy of the roof's membrane is subsequently increased and can last the estimated design life of most buildings.
This potentially eliminates further replacement costs.
For the aesthetic challenge a new alleviated timber deck "promenade" was installed running lengthways across the top of the building giving clients the chance to look out over a visually stimulating green roof towards Birmingham and beyond.
The Outcome.
Fort Dunlop is a prominent building that visually represents the modern construction work currently been undertaken in Birmingham and other like minded cities.
The construction industry is increasingly taking into consideration the environment and its future when designing buildings and a green roof can act as a strong visual testimony of the construction industry's forward thinking not only for its future but of the environment's future too.
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