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Cairo Road Case Study

PROJECT OBJECTIVE

Enhance urban living at Verde House by integrating green spaces for health and wellbeing within Croydon’s Vision 2020 regeneration project.

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The challenge

Verde House is a pivotal component of Croydon’s ambitious £3.5 billion Vision 2020 project, aimed at transforming the area into a dynamic hub for living, retail, culture, and business in the South East. The primary challenge was to integrate this high-rise urban development harmoniously into the existing environment, promoting safe health and wellbeing while being encircled by busy transport routes.

It was a planning condition of the construction scheme that it improved the public realm with hard and soft landscaping, to engender health & wellbeing for residents. We have been impressed with Eco Green Roofs’ expertise, and its single source of responsibility approach from design to install and aftercare. The EGR team took a very specific brief and added value to it, ensuring an aesthetic and compliant solution.

Remzi Ahmed, Construction Director at Skillcrown

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What was involved?

Developed by Skillcrown for Optivo, Verde House is a £25 million, 15-story tower located in Cairo Road, at the heart of Croydon’s old town. The project involved collaboration between Eco Green Roofs Ltd (EGR), Mid Kent Roofing (part of the Avonside Group), and other stakeholders. Key aspects of the project included designing
recreational spaces, green roofs on the 1st and 4th floors, landscaping on the 14th floor, and ensuring design continuity across the building’s balconies.

EGR faced the task of value-engineering the architect-designed scheme to meet planning conditions, health and safety considerations, and the stringent working environment of the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus was also on creating communal spaces that cater to both adults and children, with minimal maintenance requirements

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The results

Verde House successfully integrated green, recreational spaces into a highly urbanised setting, aligning with the broader Old Town Masterplan. The project not only fulfilled the planning conditions for an improved public realm with both hard and soft landscaping but also contributed to the human health and wellbeing criterion of creating “a better living environment with enriched urban spaces to improve mental and physical wellbeing” (see Planning Document). The partnership between Eco Green Roofs and Mid Kent Roofing proved effective in balancing aesthetic vision with practical construction and maintenance needs.

Steve Cayford of Mid Kent Roofing commended the collaborative effort and the proven relationship with Eco Green Roofs, emphasising their ability to deliver solutions that harmonise the scheme’s aesthetics with construction practicalities and maintenance management.

This case study demonstrates how Verde House, as part of the Croydon Vision 2020 regeneration, successfully merged urban development with green living spaces, contributing positively to the community’s well-being and the environment.

The solution

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The solution consisted of the implementation of two major systems by EGR: the SB Sedum Blanket Green Roof System and the EGR Podium System. These systems were crucial in constructing low-maintenance, aesthetically pleasing, and functional green spaces. The project involved installing drainage boards, fleece over the insulated roof, paving, planters, and artificial grass. Bespoke powder-coated steel planters were used to complete the look.

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