Wildflower Turf Ltd celebrates award win for its Skelton Lake Services green roof

Accredited Supplier, Wildflower Turf Ltd is proud to announce that it has recently been awarded first prize by the Theatro360 Green Roof Competition in partnership with the Green Roof Organisation (GRO).

The award is in recognition of the innovative living roof solution, which was created at the Leeds Skelton Lake Services.

The services, which were completed in 2020, are located at Junction 45 on the M1 and the site is adjacent to Skelton Lake, a 40,000m2 area of ecologically diverse country park, 2 miles south-east of Leeds city centre.

To enhance the biodiversity of the area and minimise the visual impact of the development on the natural landscape and local wildlife, the main 5,277m2 amenity building features an over sailing, undulating green roof.

An innovative new concept building design was commissioned by Extra MSA Group for the services, which included an extensive green roof, complete with wildflower turf and sedum planting to enhance the biodiversity of the area as well as providing a significant expanse of native grassland for invertebrate species.

Beyond the ecological benefits, the green roof acts as a key component of the site’s sustainable drainage strategy, by absorbing rainwater and minimising surface water run-off. As much as 95% of rainfall on undeveloped land is naturally absorbed into the vegetated surface. The green roof therefore provides a practical way to attenuate rainfall and limit the development to a similar rainfall response as the natural land, allowing infiltration into the roof build up.

To compete the green roof installation, Wildflower Turf Ltd. supplied over 4,600m² of a bespoke grown Green Roof Wildflower Turf® as well as all the roof substrate for the project. The roof turf was bespoke grown, specifically developed for the project to adapt to the needs of the local wildlife.

James Hewetson-Brown, Managing Director of Wildflower Turf Ltd. said:

“We are thrilled to have won this award. The Skelton Lake Services project was an exciting project to be involved with and one which showcases the potential for seamless integration of industrial buildings with nature.

“Now with evolving Biodiversity Net Gain, (BNG) legislation, projects like this serve as a crucial example of how developments can positively contribute to ecological enhancement. This recognition is something we are very proud of and highlights the importance of such approaches moving forward.”

Additionally, the Judges commented that overall, the Wildflower Turf® Green Roof transforms an industrial space into a visually appealing and environmentally beneficial feature. The judges were, Jonathan Stock (Architecture Today), Jonathan Lucas (Photographer Theatro360) and Carol Wright (Designer Advantage London).

For more information about Wildflower Turf’s products and how they can be implemented in a wide variety of architectural and development projects, visit here