Project

Rooftop
garden
Weston-super-Mare

Close to the Grand Pier in the seaside town of Weston Super Mare, you’ll find a large shopping centre with rooftop apartments, a small senior community and a semi private rooftop garden. The gardens have grown as residents moved in with the precious horticultural memories. However, after 25 years, the roof needed a complete refurbishment. Zoontjens have worked closely with living roof specialist, Bridgman & Bridgman to provide rooftop paving solutions.

Planted podium area

The apartments are built in a U-shape configuration with a private garden in the middle. This planted podium area of about 1500 sqm was built on the shopping centre roof. As with many similar roofs, age and the environment have led to the need for it to be re-waterproofed. This has offered a wonderful opportunity to renovate the whole rooftop garden.

New rooftop landscape design

The rooftop garden is an important space for many of the residents of the building; it is their own outdoor area. Over the years, many have added their own plants, which have a sentimental meaning. For example plants from their original homes or late partners favourite trees. To give these important elements a place in the new design, Landscape Architects, Tessa Tricks Design in cooperation with Bridgman and Bridgman created a new rooftop landscape design.

Photo: before and after

Confidence

The design called for the podium deck to be surfaced with Zoontjens Dreen®Nxt system. The sympathetic colours reflect seaside heat during the summer time and create an airy feeling for the enclosed rooftop area. As it is a complete system, developed with over 45 years of rooftop experience, the installers and owners of the surface have complete confidence in its performance for at least the next 25 years, protecting both the membrane and insulation but also providing a durable and aesthetically please area to the residents.

Installation and hand over

The installation started in November 2023 with Bridgman & Bridgman carefully transporting the precious horticultural memories to their nursery and Rooftop Paving Solutions installing the surface onto the areas provided by the main contractor and refurbishment experts Weatherproofing Advisors. In May 2024 the project was completed. Over 1700 square meters have a great new look and is safe to walk on again. All the planting have been put back in place. And together with some lovely benches and suitable plant pots the rooftop garden is a great place to be.

More
about this project?

Contact me Matthew Hoddinott
technical@zoontjens.uk
+44 7 912 030 774