University green roof research flourishes at Chelsea Flower Show

The Department of Landscape’s green roof research will be under the spotlight at the Chelsea Flower Show this week.

Dr Zoe Dunsiger, principal researcher at The Green Roof Centre, will be exhibiting three display green roof areas in the main pavilion at the show. The exhibit will demonstrate the wide range of planting possibilities offered by green roofs and is set against a backdrop of the Sheffield city skyline.

The main aim of the exhibit is to communicate the variety of research and activities being undertaken by the Green Roof Centre to the visitors to the show. More than 150,000 people are expected at the Chelsea Flower Show over the week, while the BBC will broadcast from the show to a further 2.2 million viewers.

The green roof exhibit has been built with the help of students from the Department of Landscape. It focuses on green roof plant trials and selection, sustainable urban water management and the Green Roof Code. The Green Roof Code is a national statement of good practice for green roof implementation that has been coordinated by Jeff Sorrill, Manager of the Green Roof Centre.

Since 2005, most University buildings have been built with green roofs. There are now nine University buildings with green roofs including Jessop West, the Sir Robert Hadfield Building, the Soundhouse and Regent Court.

Since its beginnings as a small research project in 1999, the research activities of the Green Roof Centre have increased dramatically. The centre now works closely with the city council and Groundwork Sheffield to promote the benefits of green roofs. The city now has a number of landmark green roof projects including Sharrow School’s which recently featured on the BBC’s Wild Weather programme.

To find out more about the work of The Green Roof Centre, you can visit their exhibition in the foyer of the ICOSS building until the end of May. Alternatively you can visit their website: http://www.thegreenroofcentre.co.uk/

For news about another University exhibition at the Chelsea Flower Show, take a look at this month’s Overview, the newsletter for all staff. University academic aims for gold at the Chelsea Flower Show