Green Roof Systems : A Guide to the Planning, Design and Construction of Building Over Structure [Hardcover]

Susan Weiler (Author), Katrin Scholz-Barth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2009 | ISBN-10: 0471674958 | ISBN-13: 978-0471674955 | Edition: 1

Green Roof Systems goes beyond the fashionable green roof movement and provides solid information on building accessible space, often as important public space, over structure. It offers brief coverage of the entire process, including planning and collaboration, and focuses on the technical aspects of these roof systems, their components, and their applications.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Green Roof Systems, provides technical information for the planning, construction and maintenance of green roofs. The authors provide a lucid introduction with basic definitions of green roofs and a discussion of the serious effects that conventional roofs can have on the environment. They describe the value of using green roofs for stormwater management and for the creation of usable landscapes over structure." (The Designer, Summer 2010)

"This is the green roof textbook that will be indispensable for many years. The book credibly situates the green roof in the sustainable "save the planet" scenario. There is comprehensive coverage of the documentation, bidding, construction, and risk management phases of green roof implementation. The content of this book will set the industry standard henceforth…overall, the book seamlessly merges the extensive and international experience of both Weiler and Scholz-Barth, yet brings the green roof industry to this continent, with American standards and practices." (Landscape Architecture, October 2009)

"Replete with charts, diagrams, and photos, "Green Roof Systems" can serve as a one-stop resource for designers. Authors Susan K. Weiler and Katrin Scholz-Barth provide the basics as well as technical information about green roof systems, component and applications, and how to design and build them." (GreenerBuildings.com, May 2009)

"…this book is loaded with valuable information. The book provides a bit of preface and context of the larger picture of green roofs from concept to planning- but this is not the strong selling point. That comes in the details. And there are details. The structure of the book guides a reader through systems, materials, documentation, structure, bidding and construction, and touching on liability and maintenance." (landscape+urbanism blog, 4/30/09)

"With the Obama stimulus package emphasizing the effort to weatherize existing buildings this book couldn't come at a better time. A designer's one stop resource to green roofs that merges architecture and landscape. The book offers substantive and technical information on living green roof and landscapes over structure." (Green Insight Newsletter, May 2009)

From the Back Cover

The designer's one-stop resource to green roofs that merges landscape and architecture

Green Roof Systems offers substantive and technical information on living green roofs and landscapes over structure. It goes beyond a mere overview of the green roof movement by providing reliable advice on building ecologically practical, accessible, and useful open spaces over structures.

From planning and collaboration to successfully handling the technical aspects of green roof systems, components, and applications-this single-source reference:

• Explains the environmental, social, and economic benefits of turning the underutilized surfaces of roofs into multifunctional systems
• Features a comprehensive, system-based approach to understanding, designing, building, and maintaining green roofs in an urban environment
• Examines the ins-and-outs of green roofs from a technical perspective
• Offers design and technological material alongside issues surrounding urban design and planning, engineering, architectural and landscape architectural considerations, and stormwater management

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471674958
• ISBN-13: 978-0471674955
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 0.9 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #317,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complete and Comprehensive, May 10, 2010

By 

J. Thaxton (Abu Dhabi, UAE) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Green Roof Systems : A Guide to the Planning, Design and Construction of Building Over Structure (Hardcover)

Finally, a complete and comprehensive guide to planning, designing AND constructing green roofs, A to Z. Most books on the topic of green roofs only offer case studies or explain the reasons why we need green roofs, but not the nuts and bolts. This book gives you all of the tools required from understanding the planning involved up front down to the technical details of design loads for trees and selection of waterproofing systems. As a landscape architect, this is one reference I find valuable for any project over structure.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Weeellllll......, February 28, 2011

By 

gus "Gus" (Gloucester, Ma United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Green Roof Systems : A Guide to the Planning, Design and Construction of Building Over Structure (Hardcover)

This book has a wide variety of information, however, it does seem aimed at much larger projects. It discusses much, but gives few recommendations. For instance, it discusses built up roofing and sbs roofs, who in their right mind would consider putting them under a green roof? There seems to be a fear of recommending or discounting things. I guess I did expect more specifics. There are many places where it states "X is used in many green roofs" or "green roof designers generally do this" Is this good? Is this bad? What do you think? I am reading your book, I want to know what you think! I cannot recall many places where it states 'don't'

It does have some illustrations of the green roof layers. I think I wanted more

Overall, it is a multidisciplinary look at all of the topics involved in a green roof, but after reading you will not be ready to do it, unless by building a green roof you mean hiring the people who do it.

So I still need a book on plantings.....

I still need a book by a hands on green roof builder about building in my climate.....

It does have info on weights of soils etc.

So it is a good book, but not the book I wanted it to be, so who's fault is that?

5.0 out of 5 stars Great design manual, April 5, 2011

By 

greenengineer - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Green Roof Systems : A Guide to the Planning, Design and Construction of Building Over Structure (Hardcover)

This book is a tremendous resource if you are going to get into the nuts and bolts of designing a green roof. Loaded with technical information including example design drawings and specs. It is hard to find books like this to support engineering and designing.