Main Contractor: Galliford Try Construction South
Type of works: supplied a Blackdown green roof

Alumasc has provided a stunning Blackdown green roof for Coworth Park Hotel Spa, the ‘ground breaking’ new eco-luxury spa opened by the Dorchester Collection.

The luxurious spa is situated in Ascot on the borders of Windsor Great Park, buried within the natural contours of the landscape. The building is camouflaged by the Blackdown green roof which is also being used to cultivate thyme, lavender, chamomile and other fragrant herbs for use in natural treatments at the Spa. The pioneering design by architects, Purcell Miller Tritton, has kept the building's volume and footprint to a minimum whilst intimately relating the spa to its sensitive green belt setting.

Throughout the design and installation, Alumasc liaised closely with Purcell Miller Tritton to find the optimum solution for the unique semi-circular design of the Spa’s pitched curved roof. A total of 700m² of extensive and semi-intensive green roof systems were installed by M&J Flat Roofing over a Derbigum Warm Roof waterproofing system, also from Alumasc. Derbigum is a high performance membrane which was specified for its exceptional long-term performance and durability. Derbigum is BBA Approved and manufactured under the ISO 14001:2004 and EMAS Environmental Management Standards.

The Coworth Spa roof garden is the perfect example of the range of landscapes that can be created using Blackdown green roofs. The semi-intensive system is ideal for creating a varied planting scheme that can include shrubs and woody plants, yet still has a low build-up. Semi-intensive systems are suited to interactive roof gardens that need all-year-round colour and limited but scheduled maintenance and irrigation. The extensive areas of the roof require only minimal maintenance.

Alumasc provides green roofs to suit virtually any type of landscape, including biodiverse systems and intensive roofs suited for areas of public and recreational use. All Blackdown green roof types offer notable ecological benefits, providing a natural habitat for plants and wildlife, while helping to reduce air and noise pollution, cutting carbon emissions and assisting with rainwater retention and attenuation.

The main contractor at Coworth Park was Galliford Try Construction South.

For further details on Alumasc’s Blackdown green roofs visit the website www.alumascgreenroof.co.uk or to request literature, please contact Alumasc on 0808 100 2008.