Add an engineered substrate to a practical design, and outdoor spaces like this stop being bleak and instead become usable and precious. The next time you run into Stratagreen's Nathan Straume, it’s worth knowing that he’s now an expert on green roofs and green walls. Not that he wasn’t fairly well kitted up on the subject before he went off to Melbourne Uni: but now he’s the official deal. The point being – you can pick his brains and save yourself having to suffer two years of part time study and assignments.
Nathan with his Specialist Certificate in Green Roofs and Walls
He enjoyed being a student again. Seems it’s all about being into what you’re studying. “I honestly wanted to learn more about soils and substrates, especially where it comes to working with them on roof tops and on verticals.” Nathan and his fellow students were given the choice of three live sites. As they worked through the design and engineering modules, their assignment was to supply a treatment. Nathan chose the east-facing roof, on top of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Why? It had an intact membrane, existing good drainage fall, great access for works and the potential for crane access. After nailing the substrate, Nathan’s design offered shade under a climber-cloaked pergola, glare reduction from vertical creepers set against the walls, and garden bed filled with bee friendly plants (a bee hive is a given for biodiversity). “It was a good, chunky course – anyone interested should Check it out. It’s brought me up to date and filled in any gaps or preconceptions I had. It always makes practical sense to know what you’re talking about.”
The space (top) and the plan (below)
Imagine being surrounded by plants like these (and humming bees), more than five stories up? Hardenbergia violacea left and right, Brachycome multifida Break O Day.