This report describes the continued observation of the plant development on a green roof on a retrofit building in Berlin from 1986 to 2019. This project symbolizes a shift in the urban planning paradigm in post-war Berlin away from demolishing blocks of the housing that survived World War II to gradual renovation of the remaining historic rented courtyard buildings.

The abiotic conditions of the ExGR substrate are analogous to those of native dry grasslands (poor, shallow and highly drained soil), providing opportunities for diversifying ExGR with native flora. This study characterized vegetation and substrate dynamics of a sown native dry grassland community on a 254 m² ExGR in relation to microenvironmental conditions.

In this study, 21 green roof tables were constructed and utilized to compare nine green roof treatments including a roof water reservoir designed to provide temporary water storage (blue roof), two commercially available module systems, these module systems combined with a blue roof underneath (blue-green roof), rockwool, pavers, gravel, and the roofing membrane alone.

Rainfall interception by the leaf canopies of natural forests are typically 25% of annual rainfall. Promoting canopy interception in the urban environment (e.g., roofs and parking lots) with vine canopies grown on suspended trellises could delay and reduce urban stormwater runoff and suppress peak flows.

Journal of Living Architecture, Volume 8 Number 2 Pages 1-19

Journal of Living Architecture, Volume 8, Issue 1, p 41-64

Journal of Living Architecture, Volume 8, Issue 1: Evaluating the potential stormwater retention of a living retaining wall system; and Observations on the survival capacity of 118 plant taxa on a green roof in a semi-arid climate: 12 year update