Ballinteer Educate Together National School, on the south side of Dublin City, first opened in a temporary premises in 2012, and when it planned to move into a new purpose-built school building, adding a green roof was essential to obtaining planning permission.
What’s more, the two-stream primary school has always prided itself on its green credentials. The project offered the opportunity to put its sustainability efforts into action, with a green roof solution for the school’s roof, together with solar panels. Roof gardens are ideal for converting otherwise unused areas into practical and sustainable spaces, reducing a building’s carbon footprint.
There are many environmental benefits to incorporating a functional roof into a building’s design. A roof garden or green roof contributes to biodiversity, reduces the urban heat island effect, and improves air quality. The green roof also helps mitigate stormwater runoff, reducing the burden on local drainage systems. Green roofs also protect the roof and act as an additional insulation layer, increasing the roof’s lifespan. And, importantly for a school, green roofs help towards reducing noise pollution inside the building.
Specifications and technical assistance from Soprema
To deliver this combination, the school’s main contractor BAM partnered with Soprema Ireland to specify the right solution and to work closely with Coady Partnership Architects, and the approved roofing contractor, Integrity Roofing & Cladding Ltd.
Soprema’s technical experts were involved from the very earliest stages of the project, contributing to the detailed designs and drawing up specifications for the warm roof and green roof build-ups. Soprema also provided technical submittals with U-value calculations and RWO calculations to specify the correct number of rainwater outlets required for the roof.
PVC waterproofing membrane warm roof buildup
There are two different buildups on the school’s roof:
- PVC waterproofing membrane warm roof buildup with a green roof system installed on top. Full warm roof installed on a concrete substrate, where the system buildup included the primer, PLASTIGUM 3 VV TF vapour control layer, 140mm Sopratherm Finsulation, FLAGON SR2.0 RAL 7016 waterproofing membrane mechanically fixed, and Flagon S150 for detailing.
- PVC waterproofing membrane warm roof buildup with a green roof system installed on top. Full warm roof buildup installed on a metal deck and featured TECSOUND high-density membrane as both a vapour control layer and soundproofing, 140mm Sopratherm Finsulation, FLAGON SR2.0 RAL 7016 waterproofing membrane, mechanically fixed, and Flagon S150 for detailing
SOPRASOLAR FIX EVO torch bonded directly onto the waterproofing membrane, which supports the modular PV panels when fitted, and is a revolutionary, bonded fixing system for installing photovoltaic panels directly onto the waterproofing membrane. No fixings are required, therefore there is no penetration to the waterproofing membrane or insulation.
Green roof garden
The school’s roof garden covered 2,200 sq m, featuring Soprema’s specified Sopranature 4+1h; the growing medium Sopranature WSM-50 and Sopranature Sedum Blanket for vegetation.
This system provides excellent insulation, reducing heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer, resulting in lower energy consumption for heating and cooling, therefore lower utility costs for the school.
On completion as per manufacturers instruction and specification, Soprema signed off on the project’s BCAR documentation and Certificates were issued.
In the summer of 2023, Ballinteer ETNS received its first Green Schools flag. Green Schools, known internationally as Eco-Schools, is an environmental education programme promoting long-term, whole-school action for the environment.
With its green roof and warm roof buildups specified and supplied by Soprema, Ballinteer ETNS has a new building substantially helping its sustainability goals. In 2023, it joined almost 300 schools in the Dublin City Council that are registered with the An Taisce Green-Schools scheme.
Get in touch
Want to find out more about our solutions, the technical services we offer, or to discuss how to work with Soprema systems on a warm roof project? Don’t hesitate to contact our technical experts who can advise on the best solutions, delivered on time, on budget and to the highest possible standards.
