LEND LEASE RAISES THE GREEN ROOF
AT THE EVENTS VENUE AT BLUEWATER

The Events Venue at Bluewater, the unique 5,200m² events and exhibition space that opens at Bluewater later this year, has created one of the largest green roofs in the UK, covering an area of over three square kilometres.

Created by urban ecologist, Dusty Gedge, of the Green Roof Consultancy, and Blackdown, specialists in green roofs with over 12 years’ experience.  The Events Venue at Bluewater’s green roof spans 3,120m², and took 620 hours to complete.

The green roof has been designed within a sustainable framework to deliver a number of significant benefits to the local environment.  Special planting techniques have been used to create a ‘bio-diverse’ habitat featuring specially sourced seeds that will attract at least 13 different species of wildlife, including rare bees.  In addition, stones and native timber logs have been introduced due to their excellent thermal retention properties and to create shelter and a natural hibernation environment for insects, which in turn will attract birdlife.

The green roof will take between three to five years to become established and change constantly from season to season.

Commenting on The Events Venue’s green roof, Dusty Gedge said: “This project is leading the way in green roof technology simply by the amount of planning and thought that has gone into this as part of the development.  I will be looking forward to watching the roof grow and discovering new wildlife species; it is a great asset for The Events Venue and one that is very close to my heart.”

Duncan Young, Sustainability Manager at Lend Lease, added: “The bio-diverse roof demonstrates our long term commitment to the environment and adds to the sustainable features already integrated in the development and management of The Events Venue at Bluewater.  We will continue to monitor the green roof as it develops naturally over time, whilst attracting a brand new habitat to the area.”

The Events Venue at Bluewater employed contractors from the local community through The Learning shop who worked alongside Blackdown to complete the Green Roof.  To date, a total of 63 local companies have benefited from the construction of The Events Venue at Bluewater.

Please visit www.evbluewater.co.uk for further information about
The Events Venue at Bluewater and the new Green Roof.

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For further information, please contact Klein O’Rorke on the below details:

Nick Thornton –     T: 020 7101 7438 or E: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Amy Cassidy –      T: 020 3008 7016 or E: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Amanda McNally -          T: 020 3008 7015 or E: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the green roof

• The Thames Gateway area is one of the most important areas of the UK for rare invertebrates associated with brown field land 
• The innovative design includes seeding with wildflowers associated with brownfields collected from both Kent and Essex and green roofs in the London area  
• The chosen seed selection will ensure that plants of local provenance will dominate the roof in the long term and create a dry meadow, similar in character to surrounding dry landscapes of the chalk pit in which Bluewater sits 
• The green roof will act as a natural flood defence by slowing rain water as well as polishing (cleaning) the water to be used in non potable areas of the building 
• Lend Lease and The Events Venue have enlisted UEL researchers,
  Dr. S. Connop and Dr.G.Kadas, to monitor the roof 
• Researchers will be especially keen to monitor the UK’s BAP species; rare bees, notably Brown and Shrills Carder bees Bombus humbles and Bombus sylvarum 
• The green roof will provide additional sustainability benefits including storm water amelioration and thermal cooling 
• Lend Lease and The Events Venue believe in setting an example that commercial development and the provision of bio-diversity within the built environment can be achieved through good design and with ecological integrity 

The Events Venue Sustainability and Environmental Facts

• Sustainability and environmental impact has been considered at every stage of the development
• The Green Roof is one very visible element but the building has been carefully designed to be 20% more energy efficient than current building regulations through better building envelope, lighting and mechanical systems.
• 1.2 million litres of rainwater will be harvested annually and stored in tanks to provide non-potable water for toilet flushing and irrigations systems, 30% of the water demands for The Events Venue

About Dusty Gedge

• For the last ten years Dusty has been working as an urban ecologist, specialising in urban brownfields and green roofs
• In 2004 he co-founded www.livingroofs.org as an independent resource of green roof information in the UK and is currently the President of the European Federation of Green Roof Associations
• Also in 2004 he was awarded the ANDREW LEES MEMORIAL AWARD at the annual British Environment and Media Awards
• Dusty is currently one of 15 London Leaders. He has made a pledge to get three corporate bodies to retrofit green roofs in the Central Core of London to adapt the city for Climate Change
• Dusty is also a member of the RSPB, Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Kent Wildlife Trust
• He has designed over 500 green roofs for biodiversity and is co-author of Small Green Roofs: Low-Tech Options for Greener Living, which will be launched at the Chelsea flower show in 2011
• For more information about Green Roof’s and what Dusty is doing, see the details below:

dustygedge.co.uk/roadblog/

http://greenroofconsultancy.com/

www.livngroofs.org

www.greenrooftraining.co.uk

About The Events Venue at Bluewater

• The 5,200m² Events Venue at Bluewater is an exciting and innovative purpose-built development.  The Events Venue at Bluewater is complemented by a 3,000m² central plaza, 13 restaurants totalling 4,000m², including five new units, and the existing 13-screen cinema
• Directly accessed off Thames Walk through the existing Water Circus, the development also includes the reconfiguration of existing areas to enhance the casual dining and public space
• It is being developed and managed by Lend Lease, the UK’s only truly integrated property company, on behalf of Bluewater’s owners
• Conceived as a significant enhancement to the brand, the highly flexible events space reaffirms Bluewater’s position as the industry’s frame of reference and is the next stage in its evolution.
• It is a unique addition to Europe’s leading retail and leisure destination and will provide new and existing Guests with additional reasons to visit by extending the Bluewater ‘day-out’ experience
• As a focal point for leisure and entertainment in the UK, it also creates exciting new opportunities for brands to interact with Bluewater’s 28 million annual visitors in a dynamic and interactive environment

www.evbluewater.co.uk