The roof of Building 002 at the former Navy Yard in Amsterdam has been retrofitted with a Blue-Green roof system that captures and stores rainwater in the 85 mm drainage layer underneath the soil. The lightweight recycled plastic drainage units are innovated by Permavoid Ltd and are fitted with integrated fibre technology enabling capillary transport from storage-to-soil to naturally irrigate the myriad of plants species growing in Project Smartroof 2.0. All without the use of pumps, hoses, valves or energy.

The challenge of the design of a rainwater retention roof is the often limited load bearing capacity of the roof itself. In order to create a lightweight yet biodiverse green roof, capable of storing water still,  a capillary suited soil (substrate) and carefully choosen plant selection is key. With our project partners we managed to compose a reliable yet lightweight and biodiverse system, because thanks to the stored rainwater, water no longer is a growth limiting factor. Like plants are connected to ground water levels, just like in nature.

Image courtesy of Permavoid Ltd.