Conventional ‘roll out’ green roof systems are not feasible for certain roof conditions. Some systems are bulky, built like mattresses, require specialized teams to measure and survey the site, can be difficult to retrofit, and require at least two experienced people for installation.

For rooftops necessitating flexibility and versatility, a modular vegetation system like Pocket Habitat might be a good solution.

Designed  to promote biodiversity and facilitate easy installation in urban areas, Pocket Habitat is composed of compact and modular individual planter bags that connect together during installation to form a continuous vegetated surface.

The bags are made of a partly recycled outer textile material to promote drainage, a layer of carpet waste, and expanded clay for water retention, and are pre-filled with a recycled soil substrate and wildflower seed mix engineered to promote local biodiversity.

Once the bags are positioned and connected together to form a regular pattern, a simple pull of a drawstring opens the bag, exposing the substrate and seeds and allowing rainwater and light to begin seed germination and promote plant growth.

Laid over a drainage layer, each Pocket Habitat weighs just 20kg (unfilled), which simplifies and reduces installation time and cost, particularly for the retrofitted rooftops of existing buildings or at temporary sites. And because they are modular and moveable, they offer easier access to the roof’s waterproof layer for maintenance.

Pocket Habitat was developed for an existing urban British Lands building, but is suitable for and now available for use in a variety of spaces including, urban balconies, brownfield sites, and wasteland.

Pocket Habitat offers the same benefits as any green roof system, and as it is a stand-alone modular system, it can be installed by anyone in any size commercial or private space.

Pocket Habitat is a collaborative venture between Arup, a global engineering consultancy, Sky-Garden, a UK green roof company, and UK green roof expert, Dusty Gedge.