18/05/2026
🌿 From a Polish factory floor to a Dutch town square - here's how our green roof system found its way to Gemert.
With our participation, another project has been completed - a green roof on the new wing of the expanded town hall in Gemert, the Netherlands. The investor was the municipality of Gemert, and the building is located right next to the historic centre of the town. The roof, with its slight slope, required a solution that would be lightweight, self-regulating in terms of water management, and low-maintenance. It was also intended to serve a showcase role, demonstrating the municipality's pro-ecological approach.
The main design challenge was combining the limited load-bearing capacity of the ceiling with a high water retention capability and efficient drainage of excess water on a roof with minimal slope. Traditional ballast roofs were too heavy, while standard thin drainage mats would not retain enough water for the plants to thrive in the Dutch climate.
A complete Atus CRICKET 🦗 system was used in its extensive version, with each layer working in coordination with the others. A layer of Atus APIS SR geotextile was placed directly on the root-resistant waterproofing membrane, protecting it from damage and providing additional water storage. Next, a CRICKET 🦗 drainage mat made of recycled HDPE was installed; it collects water in its cups and channels off the excess between them. The vegetation layer consists of a substrate; a blend of volcanic tuff, compost, and washed sand, which ensures that the roots have access to oxygen. The roof is topped with a sedum mat, which provides instant plant coverage.
The project in Gemert is a great example for public buildings with limited structural load capacity and high environmental requirements. It demonstrates that an extensive green roof, with a weight comparable to a traditional ballast roof can deliver the full range of retention, microclimatic, and insulation benefits typically associated with intensive systems.
Thank you for joining the natural change!
