The planting around the Steltloper is still fresh. Young trees, plants and fresh sod on the parking garage roof and surrounding ground level surround the striking building. "Now the planting is still bare, but soon in the spring the Steltloper will be surrounded by beautiful strong plants that bloom almost all year. This will be a place where you can enjoy rampant greenery in the middle of the city."
Edwin Schiks, business manager of Schadenberg Combi Groen, is pleased that landscape architect Lola did not choose the customary shrubs, but rather trees and plants that add value for everyone who moves around De Steltloper. The specifications for the landscaping were written by the municipality and worked out with the developer. The result is a green plan with many strong perennials, beautiful grasses, height differences and a generous jetty from which visitors can look out over the water and enjoy the aquatic plants.
'Lightweight' surface
Before Schadenberg Combi Groen started working on the implementation of the specifications, it looked at them with a critical eye. She specializes in roof gardens and knows the risks. "To limit the load on the underlying roof, you obviously have to use a light material as a substrate. In that respect, it was a good choice to use the prescribed EPS blocks - better known as 'Styrofoam blocks'. But we now know that this can cause problems with pests. For that reason, we suggested using glass foam slag. That's a nice, circular product; slightly heavier, but still within the allowable weight."
Slotted channels
For the paving, Schadenberg Combi Groen, together with DDC-Heinenoord, developed corten steel trench gutters. These are now in the pavement of the roof garden. The gutters regulate drainage and give the overall look extra cachet. Edwin: "It is often thought that an own design will be very expensive. Yet the price difference between an existing design and a custom made design is not that big. It is definitely worth investigating the possibilities. In the case of the Steltloper, the slotted gutters give a beautiful effect and the drainage is better regulated."
Accoya wood recreational jetty
Along the water, Schadenberg Combi Groen constructed a wooden jetty, inviting for a green break. What is special about the jetty is the material. The decking is made of Accoya wood. This is produced with very widely available, fast-growing wood species such as Pinus Radiata. The wood species always comes from sustainably managed forests with the FSC®- and PEFC™ certification. This guarantees a sustainable origin and complies with the EUTR (European Union Timber Regulation). "The wood has a beautiful appearance," Edwin believes, "and is highly preserved." The two stairs connecting the roof garden and the ground level are also partly made of Accoya wood.
Sharing knowledge
"We have achieved a beautiful result," Edwin concludes. "This is certainly also due to the constructive cooperation with the municipality, our client De Nijs and the architect. In the past sixteen years we have grown into a specialist in roof gardens and vertical gardens and have left the regular landscaping work behind us. Especially now that parking garages are springing up like mushrooms, there is a growing need to give these gray surfaces a green look. You can create beautiful gardens on them. You can use the roof garden to direct water to the plants and not to the sewer system. How nice is it that the residents of the Steltloper will soon have a park next to their building? We are happy to share our knowledge with anyone considering having a roof garden installed."