Over the past few years the green roof market has grown steadily. In 2017 the first UK Green Roof Market Report was produced by livingroofs.org . With the help of the NFRC and GRO, the report concluded that the green roof market shows an annual growth rate of 17.1% as green roofs become mainstream technology. However, this report only focussed on extensive and intensive green roofs .
Here at Sky Garden, we are seeing a shift of how people perceive green roofs and value the space on top of their buildings. Increasingly, we are installing ‘podium’ roofs; amenity spaces consisting of planting, decking, paving, seating, playgrounds and pergolas. Anything you might see in a park, just 40 stories higher and with a much better view. It allows businesses and residential developers to try and reduce their environmental impact by incorporating all the benefits of a conventional green roof with the added benefit of being a pleasant space to be enjoyed by the people who use the building.
Whether the podium is used by workers on their lunch breaks or in the evenings by residents to wind down after a hard day at work, many studies have shown that the addition of green space reduces stress levels, increases productivity and can help to reduce the prevalence of mental health conditions. However, the addition of green, amenity space may be far more beneficial to companies than originally thought. New evidence shows that property in London that has its own amenity space has an increased value of around 20%. Now this may not be financially viable if a residential company for example has to give up some of its properties to create this space, but if you put it on the roof you negate this problem. Seems like a no brainer then?
It isn’t just commercial properties that can benefit either. Particularly in cities like London, where gardens tend to be small or non-existent, the addition of a roof terrace would not only add value to your property it would also give you a perfect area to relax in and enjoy.
If you are a domestic customer looking for a new terrace, or you think your employees could benefit from a bit more green in their lives, get in contact with our expert team who are on hand to help with any enquiry, big or small.
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