Green roofs
A two-day course run in partnership with Brighton & Hove Building Green and Green Roof Training
Saturday 24 April 2010, 10.30-4.30, Varndean school
Sunday 25 April 2010, 10.30-3.30, Crew Club
Learn about green roofs and how to build them. Includes a hands-on practical and site visits.
What will the course cover?
The course will enable participants to learn about green roofs and their benefits. Background information will be provided on their history and evolution, and also. The creation of wildlife habitats including local ecologies will be covered, as will the growing of food on green roofs. Details will be given on the selection and purchase of suitable plants and substrates to be used on a green roof, and also the availability of all the materials. Some time will also be given to discussing green walls.
The course includes a practical session on the construction of a simple green roof, which can be applied to timber structures including garden sheds. Each participant will finish the course with a 'sample roof' (approx 30cm x 30cm) to take away with them to serve as a physical reminder of how the roof was built.
Visits to some local green roofs will stimulate discussion about design and implementation.
Additionally a CD-Rom with practical information will be given to participants at the end of the day.
Course tutors
The majority of the tuition will by provided by Dusty Gedge and John Little.
Dusty is responsible for establishing Livingroofs.org, the first not-for-profit company to provide independent advice on green roofs in the UK. He also starred in the TV series 'Wild Thing I Love You'.
John Little is the founder of The Grassroof Company, which has worked for the last ten years on improving urban landscapes across Essex and London.
Hanna Waldbaum will also give a presentation on growing food and medicinal herbs on roofs based on her thesis 'Green Roofs for Urban Agriculture thesis' (3mb pdf).
Dusty and John will be assisted by members of Brighton and Hove Building Green and Brighton Permaculture Trust.
Who is the course for?
The course will be of interest to architects, planners, builders, conservationists, gardeners and horticulturalists as well as people interested in building their own garden structure. No prior knowledge of green roofs is needed. The course is open to anyone over the age of 16.
The optional practical element of the course involves very basic woodwork, carried out in pairs and is not strenuous.
Brighton Permaculture Trust aims to meet the needs of participants with physical disabilities and leaning difficulties. If you have any issues which you feel may affect your ability to attend or participate in this course/event please contact us to discuss them prior to booking.
What you will need to bring
- If possible a pozidrive screwdriver (no. 2 is best) and hammer
- Warm/waterproof clothing and sturdy outdoor footwear
- Gardening gloves?
- Pen, pencil, notepad, etc
- Packed lunch
- Water bottle
Learning methods
The course will include talks, slide presentations, discussions, question and answer sessions and site visits. In addition, part of the course will be devoted to gaining practical experience in the construction of a green roof, with guidance from the tutor. By the end of the course, participants will have an overview of the benefits of green roofs and how they can be designed, as well as the practical skills necessary to build a green roof for their garden shed or similar structure. Information sheets will be provided on the day in the form of a CD rom.
Recommended reading
There is a wealth of information about green roofs available - the following websites are useful sources of information:
www.building-green.org.uk
www.livingroofs.org
www.grassroofcompany.co.uk
www.greenrooftraining.co.uk
Fees
Fees include tuition, refreshments, materials for your sample green roof and a CD rom:
£225 - Sponsored/organisation rate
£225 - Individual income more than 25k/yr
£185 - Individual income 18-25k/yr
£145 - Individual waged less than 18k/yr
£105 - Individual, concessionary rate
Concessionary rates are available to people in receipt of means tested benefits (including housing benefit and council tax benefit) and working tax credit, also fulltime students and OAPs.
We endeavour to make our courses/events affordable to all. Unfortunately we do not receive any external funding for most of our courses/events and rely on large amounts of voluntary input. If your circumstances are exceptional we may be able to negotiate fee reductions, but please contact us before reserving a place.
See the cancellations and refunds policy.
Booking
Advanced booking is essential. Most of our courses/events are fully booked weeks in advance, however if places are still available then reservations can be made until midday the day before the course/event.
You can pay now using a credit/debit card or paypal. This is our preferred option as it saves us administration time. It is usually also possible to pay by cheque/postal order, however this option will not be available on the form in the 2 weeks leading up to the course/event, or if it is nearly fully booked. A place is not secured until we have received the requested payment and reservations will only be valid for 3 working days.
Please read the information on this page then
register here for Green Roofs, 24-25 April 2010
(if places are available).
You will receive email confirmation of your registration and further emails from us, please check your spam or junk email folder (especially Hotmail account holders).
Contact us
For further information or if you have problems with your registration please contact us.