Leeds Skelton Lake Services, Green Roof Case Study
Location: Leeds, Yorkshire
Product used: Wildflower Turf™ Roof Turf
Project Size: 4,600m² Project Overview
Wildflower Turf Ltd has a long history of pioneering innovative green roof solutions. The Skelton Lake Services project stands out as one of most interesting, rewarding and unique roof projects to date. In 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the £64 million Skelton Lake Services located on the M1, opened its doors, providing an essential service to hauliers and key workers at the height of the pandemic.
The new Motorway Service Area (MSA) occupied a lakeside environment with a 10 acre ecologically diverse country park. The MSA’s unique location presented a compelling opportunity to create a truly unique and biodiverse landscape. Wildflower Turf Ltd was tasked to supply over 4,6000m² of a bespoke grown wildflower roof turf as well as all of the roof substate for the project. Working closely alongside Landscape Architects, Smeeden Foreman, Brambledown Landscapes Ltd and installers ABG Ltd we were able to successfully deliver a green roof that not only enhanced the landscape, but that fit seamlessly into the local environment whilst also conforming to planning regulations.
Our Wildflower Turf crowned the top of the main MSA building comprising of a 100 room Hotel and Food Court. The roof was designed to include a drip irrigation system that had been laid across the substrate underneath the turf to ensure sufficient water supply for the wildflower turf. The bespoke mix was carefully curated and designed for the specific requirements of the project, consisting of 41 different native UK wildflower species, designed to thrive on green roofs. The bespoke mix ensured that the living roof met the necessary planning requirements whilst effortlessly blending into the environment. The wildflower roof not only enhanced the MSA’s aesthetic appeal but also provided a valuable habitat for local wildlife including pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
The Challenges
As rewarding as this project was, it was not without its challenges. The very wet winter of 2019 ensured that the site was often sodden causing inevitable delays in the build and installation. Similarly, the dry weather that followed in the early Spring of 2020 meant that an irrigation system was required to ensure that the wildflowers received a sufficient water supply during the key initial weeks following installation.
The Results
The installation of a wildflower green roof has provided numerous environmental benefits to the site. The sustainable design featuring a wildflower green roof assists in mitigating stormwater runoff, filtering pollutants from the air and rainfall, reducing carbon emissions and insulating against noise pollution.
By absorbing rainwater and minimizing surface water runoff, the wildflower green roof helps to prevent flooding and erosion in the surrounding area. In combination with the substrate and filtration fabrics used in its construction, the wildflowers play a crucial role in filtering dust and pollution from the air and rainfall, thereby reducing the amount of chemicals and pollutants that reach the surrounding river networks.
The green roof has also helped to significantly reduce carbon emissions from the amenity building with any heat generated drawn into the cool roof construction and then diffusing into the environment. In turn this helps to low the buildings overall energy consumption and environmental footprint. The wildflower green roof has proven to be an effective sound barrier, absorbing and reducing low frequency noise from the nearby motorway. With its extensive build up, the green roof can insulate up to 40dB, providing a quieter and more pleasant environment for building occupants and nearby residents. Boasting a show stopping design and numerous biodiverse and ecological benefits, its worth stopping by next time you are in the Leeds area!
Photo Credits: Nick Rogers ABG Ltd