WaterShed’s south module has a green roof covering 312 sq. feet. The LiveRoof Lite® extensive modular green roof consists of drought-tolerant sedums grown in 2.5 inches of planting media, providing a lightweight system that can be installed on most conventional roofs. Unlike most modular systems, LiveRoof uses hybrid technology which allows water and root systems to be shared between modules, improving the roof’s resilience and overall vitality.
Despite its robust appearance, WaterShed’s green roof does not require specialized engineering to support its weight. At around 8 pounds per square foot (which is 15 pounds less than Maryland’s average snow load), WaterShed’s green roof is a lightweight option that carries many benefits, including:
- Absorbing rainwater to reduce ‘first flush’ (initial runoff in rainstorms) and decreasing pressure on sewer systems
- Filtering pollen and pollutants from the air
- Serving as insulation to reduce temperatures on the roof by 20-60°F
- Protecting the roof membrane from UV radiation and weathering
- Decreasing urban heat island effect, which is the increase of air temperature (up to 10°F) that is attributed to building surface area and is particularly significant in high density urban areas
Green Roof Plants
Sedums are succulent plants with water storing leaves. Recognized for their hardiness, there are over 400 varieties of sedum, including cold and heat tolerant species, that can be selected to allow green roofs to remain colorful year-round.
Species on our roof:
- Album “Coral Copper”
- Spurium “Dragon’s Blood”
- Reflexum “Blue Spruce”
- Spurium “Tricolor”
- Reflexum “Angelina”
- Sexangular “Utah”
To learn more about our green roof system, please visit the LiveRoof Lite site.