Biodiversity, wildlife habitats and community outdoor space
Since its opening, IKEA Greenwich in London has received an ‘Outstanding’ BREEAM certification – the highest award for sustainable construction – and attributable to its green roofs and roof garden alongside its use of renewable energy from solar panels, LED lighting, rainwater harvesting and renewable construction materials.
In the roof gardens, the combination of the artificial and the natural is multi-faceted, adding elements of all-year-round planted interest, colour and form to the functional space. The seated area provides a haven for visitors to take time out to relax, bringing them closer to nature and allowing them to maximise the enjoyment and health benefits of the open air and outdoor space. “The store takes sustainability to the next level, not just in its design and architecture, but also as it was built with the local community in mind,” stated Helen Aylett, IKEA Greenwich store manager.
Choosing an accredited artificial green roof system for safety and fitness for purpose
Whilst the IKEA Greenwich installation has a focus on community, sustainability and biodiversity themes, it also holds functionality and safety to account. As a business, the Evergreens UK Group of which EverRoof® is part has invested heavily in the development of the only fire and wind accredited artificial green roof system on the market today. The EverRoof® artificial green roof system provides regulatory assurances to the Building Inspectorate, fire and safety officers and housing managers and the products and system have been tested and accredited to BS and EU fire standards specifically for flat roofing. Wind speed tested to 100mph, every EverRoof® product installed on flat roofs by professional, accredited installers has been developed and rigorously tested with fitness for purpose (an external fitted layer affixed on a flat roof), safety (BROOF(t4)) and all relevant fire and wind accreditations in mind.