make a green roof model funded by u.s. green building council
TRANSCRIPT
Materials• Plastic container
• Filter Material, cut to fit container• Fleece, cut to fit container
• Potting soil, enough for a thin layer• Sedum, 1-2 plants, sometimes sold as
“stonecrop”• Water
Tools•Drill
•Scissors
Filter MaterialA cut-to-fit furnace filter made of recycled materials is a good representation of the filtration level on the Ford Rouge’s Green Roof. They are inexpensive at big-box home stores, and one filter is enough for several models.
Select a ContainerThis project can be made large or small. A transparent or translucent container allows students to see the completed layers.
Select your container and drill a few drainage holes in the bottom. The Green Roof drains water to a collection system to be reused.
Options
A layer of packing peanuts can be used in place of the filter material. Be sure they are not the kind that dissolves when wet!
Fleece Layer
Add a layer of fleece on top of the green filter or packing peanuts. Some fabric stores sell fleece made of recycled plastic called eco-fleece! This layer will hold water for the sedum.
Soil Layer
Next, add a thin layer of potting soil on top.
This layer is so the sedum roots can hold on. On the Green Roof, this layer is made of a crushed shale mixture.