Shasta Landscaping constructs green roof

SAN MARCOS, Ca. – Shasta Landscaping completed, Inc. completed a green roof at the Charles David Keeling Apartments at Revelle College of the University of California in San Diego.

“This green roof is one of only a handful of commercial green roofs in San Diego County,” said Paul Tilley, vice president of Shasta Landscaping. “Our team was excited to work on and complete such a forward-thinking and innovative project. Not only will the roof help the school save money with heating, cooling and water costs, but it is a beautiful addition that adds more living and studying space for the students.”

The roof involved multiple steps to protect the overall integrity of the building. First, a root barrier must be put down to ensure that the plants do not grow through the roof. A moisture mat must also be installed as additional protection and to retain moisture for the garden above it. Then, aluminum planter boxes are placed across the roof, a drainage layer is added and filter fabric and a drip irrigation system are installed.  Finally, more than 4,000 drought tolerant succulents, flowering plants and low-spreading shrubs such as English Stonecrop, Reflexed Stonecrop and Snow-in-Summer are planted in a special soil mix of well-aged compost, lava rock and course sand. 

All of the water used for the roof garden is recycled on site and reused for irrigation.  Additionally, all residents’ water from laundry, sinks and showers is collected and reused for irrigation, too.

“This was our first green roof project and it was a great experience for our team,” Tilley said. “The roof is beautiful and will have a tremendous impact on the energy consumption used by the building and its residents.  We look forward to working on another green roof in the near future.”