Green roofs are being added as “a piece of fluff” to finished designs when they should be integral, according to an expert.

Architects need to stop adding living walls and roofs as an afterthought or simply to meet DA requirements for landscaping and start integrating them in the first stages of design, Sidonie Carpenter, president of the not-for-profit Green Roofs Australia, said.

“The truly sustainable benefits come from integrating green roofs back into storm water management, grey water recycling, increasing capacity of solar output, reducing energy costs of running air conditioning units. When they are totally integrated into the design will really start to make a difference at that sustainable level and not just as a marketing tool,” Carpenter told Architecture and Design.

But this problem is institutional, said Carpenter. Landscaping has traditionally been left until the end of a project, often as “a token”, she said.

“If we’re serious about integrating green roofs and green walls into the structure it needs to start on day one. It needs to be integrated into the total design and that’s when you get just amazing results.”

Up to 19 different professions can be required to design, install and maintain a green roof on a large commercial project, and communication needs to be improved, she said.

Australia is lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to green roofs and living walls. While Germany has been working on green roofs for 60 years and North America has notched up 20 years’ experience, Australia has only had a Green Roof Association for three years, said Carpenter.

“There’s a limited skill in terms of installation and construction. It’s very easy to compare ourselves to what’s happening in North America and Europe but we need to remember that in those countries the building codes, construction methods, climate, clients are all different. We really do need to invent a whole new industry here in Australia, using our plants, our building code, our construction method. It’s just an issue of time. We’ve got a lot that we’ve been doing over the past 60 years in terms of podium planting so we’ve got a lot to learn from that as well.”

At the moment, most states – South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, NSW – are all looking at green roof guidelines to be included at the state level in building codes.

Government support can go a long way towards harvesting the “tangible and intangible public benefits” of living roofs, Carpenter said.

“Many cities offer grants and subsidies for green roofs, and there is a mounting body of evidence that they can work as profit-generators for building owners and developers.”