Mark Liebman’s new shed with its green roof (Photo: Lis Bastian)
Inspired by Norwegian sod roofs, Blackheath engineer Mark Liebman built a green roof on his shed. This innovative design significantly reduced stormwater runoff during 2024’s heavy rains, potentially by 65 per cent, while also providing excellent insulation and attracting wildlife. The family now fondly refers to their shed as their mini Viking Long House!
Key Points:
- Inspired by sod roofs in Norway, Blackheath engineer Mark Liebman built a green roof on his garden shed to manage stormwater runoff and provide insulation.
- The green roof significantly reduced stormwater damage during heavy rains in 2024 (potentially by 65 per cent), attracts wildlife, and provides excellent insulation (R6), creating a comfortable space year-round.
- Building a green roof requires careful planning and structural engineering due to the substantial weight of the soil, water, and even potential snow load.
On his honeymoon to Norway many years ago, Blackheath engineer Mark Liebman was inspired by the cabins he saw, built with green ‘sod’ roofs. These roofs had been providing insulation for centuries in a very cold climate.
As a civil engineer specialising in water management, Mark was particularly interested in how a green roof could also reduce the impact of heavy rains on hard surfaces and potentially reduce stormwater runoff.
When the opportunity arose to rebuild his garden shed last year, he decided to explore recreating what he’d seen in Norway. Visiting him recently it was clear that he couldn’t be happier with the result.
Mark Liebman sitting on his green roof. (Photo: Lis Bastian)
By every count the green roof has met and exceeded his hopes and expectations.
Not only did the roof survive the multiple, severe downpours that caused so much damage throughout 2024, including reducing stormwater damage to the rest of his yard (possibly by as much as 65 per cent, according to research into green roofs), it is also now teeming with life, as insects, birds, and his family, flock to spend time in this elevated garden.
The irrigation of the roof garden increases cooling in Summer (Photos: Mark Liebman)
The shed’s roof provides the equivalent of R6 insulation, and, with evaporation of the garden’s irrigated water in summer, is probably creating even more cooling. This helps save money on heating and cooling and makes spending time in the shed very comfortable, even in extreme weather.
It has now become the central feature of his family’s compact garden: “We call it the mini Viking Long House,” Mark said.
The roof has 150mm of soil (Photo: Mark Liebman)
So how do you build a green roof?
Even as a civil engineer, Mark is clear that you cannot simply add a green roof to an existing structure because its huge weight: a combination of the timbers, pond liner, soil, water when saturated, the weight of up to two people on the roof doing maintenance, and potentially even snow that could build up on the roof in winter in Blackheath.
He estimated that the 150mm depth of soil he put on the roof probably weighs between 1.3 and 1.4 tonnes per cubic metre. This could become completely saturated with 150mm depth of water as well.
Mark sought the advice of a structural engineer as he rebuilt his shed from scratch so that it would be strong enough to support the roof garden.
To increase the insulating capacity of his roof, Mark laid R4 Kingspan solid board insulation on top of (rather than under) the external marine ply layer of his ceiling. It is protected by multiple layers above.
10 steps
1. The shed’s timber framework was initially covered with 20mm marine plywood roof sheets.
2. Looking up at the marine plywood roof supported by very strong beams.
3. The plywood was covered by two sheets of builder’s plastic.
4. Kingspan solid board insulation was then added. There was a gap created between the eave and the edge of the Kingspan board, creating a trough for subsoil drainage. The builder’s plastic and insulation board were then covered by geofabric.
5. Waterproof pondliner was then pulled across the roof over the geofabric. The trough was filled with gravel for subsoil drainage. Water flows along the trough to the drainpipe at one end.
6. Atlantis drainage cells were added on top of the pondliner.
7. The roof was then partitioned into three segments and covered with another layer of geofabric. These segments acted as ribs to stop the soil washing down. Soil was then added.
8. The roof covered in top soil.
9. Drip irrigation lines were laid in place, then covered with open weave jute mesh to help hold the soil in place.
10. Immediately after the first planting.
More resources for green roof construction:
North Sydney Council Green Roof and Wall Resource Manual:
https://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/downloads/file/1314/green-roof-and-wall-resource-manual
City of Sydney Green Roof Case Studies, Policies, Design and Waterproofing Guides:
https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/environmental-support-funding/green-roofs-and-walls
Sydney City Council Green Roof Resource Manual:
The United States Environmental Protection Authority recommends green roofs as a way to reduce the urban heat island effect:
https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/using-green-roofs-reduce-heat-islands
Share this article:
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
More from around the region
We are looking for a Professional Conference & Events Organiser to join our team at the Planetary Health Centre! If you`re keen to make a difference and demonstrate how events can be run sustainably and help inspire change, we`d love you to work with us! Applications close 30 March. Scroll down to learn more here (link in profile): https://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/jobs and ring Lis on 0407 437 553 if you`d like to discuss. Please share if you know anyone who might be interested! #jobs #hiring #conferenceorganiser #eventsorganiser #planetaryhealth #careers #inspiringchange #sustainableevents #applynow
Would you know what to prioritise if you needed to build a survival garden in the Blue Mountains? Do you know how families survived and stayed healthy during the Great Depression? What would you need to grow to provide all your nutritional needs on a plant based diet? How can you have fruit all year round in a cold climate? Have you grown salsify, skirret, yacon or American Ground Nut and would you know how to cook them? We’ll answer all these questions in our ‘How to Build a Survival Garden Workshop’ at the Planetary Health Centre from 10am to 1pm on Saturday 5 April. We’ll discuss how we can work together to make our local food system healthier and more resilient and we’ll have planting guides, recipes and some seeds, bulbs and tubers available to get you started. Places are limited so bookings essential here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4kVAUA8
#growyourown #survivalgarden #salsify #skirret #yacon #oca #bluemountains #permaculture #planetaryhealth #seedsaving #foodsecurity #healthyfood #gardening #communityfarming
It`s only just over a week until the Blue Mountains Interfaith Gathering at the Planetary Health Centre on Sunday 30 March. We`ll be sharing spirituality and care for the environment in these challenging times with music, ideas and ceremony ... starting with a smoking ceremony at 1.45pm. The event is free but please book here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/3Fw8RqB
#planetaryhealth #bluemountains #interfaith #katoomba #interfaithgathering #smokingceremony #ceremony
The stories we share determine the direction of our culture. That`s why the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative has established news in every neighbourhood to share the inspiring ways both council and community are taking action for a healthier planet. Check out this interview with Belinda Coates in the Katoomba Area Local News story: "Towards Zero Waste Hero" (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4hLnNOW
#towardszerowaste #bluemountains #katoombalocalnews #planetaryhealth #hyperlocalnews #solutionsmedia #saynotoplastic
Amidst dramatic global turmoil the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre is creating a peaceful place for contemplation and connection as we collaborate with the Blue Mountains Interfaith Group to host an Interfaith Gathering at 1.45pm on Sunday 30 March. It’s an opportunity to gather in these challenging times to share spirituality and care for the environment with music, ideas and ceremony, starting with a smoking ceremony by Dharug man Chris Tobin at 1.45pm. The event is free but please book in here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/3Fw8RqB
#interfaith #interfaithgathering #bluemountains #katoomba #spirituality #peace #contemplation #connection #smokingceremony #planetaryhealth #planetaryhealthcentre
Our Newsletter is now out! Read about our recent Planetary Health Day and our upcoming Interfaith Gathering; our Bushfire Sprinkler Research; our upcoming workshops on Frogs of the Blue Mountains, Upcycling and How to Build a Survival Garden in the Blue Mountains; and a new position at the Planetary Health Centre for an experienced Conference and Events Organiser. We`ve also written two new stories: one on a Zero Waste Hero and one on a rare native bee that`s been re-discovered on Faulconbridge Ridge.
You can read all of the above here (link in profile) :https://bit.ly/3FsyzfI
#planetaryhealth #planetaryhealthcareers #skillshare #planetaryhealthday #upcycling #frogsofthebluemountains #interfaith #interfaithgathering #survivalgardens #conferenceorganiser #eventsorganiser
Our Frogs of the Blue Mountains exhibition is on in the Planetary Health Centre Studio and our frog ponds are teeming with tadpoles and almost frogs! Come and check them out! We`ll be having a Frogs of the Blue Mountains workshop on Saturday 5 April (link in profile) #frogs #tadpoles #planetaryhealth #katoomba #bluemountains @frogidaus
Thank you to everyone who participated in our second Planetary Health Day last Saturday at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba. It was an inspiring and very enjoyable community event and you can see some of the highlights in this short video. A lot of our research and previous presentations can be found in the videos on our YouTube channel (link in profile). Please subscribe and share! Our next Community Day will be the Interfaith Gathering at 2pm on Sunday 30 March. #planetaryhealth #planetaryhealthday #planetaryhealthparkland #communityday #katoomba #bluemountains
Thank you to all the participants at Planetary Health Day on Saturday and to everyone who tied a ribbon around the Peace Pole and struck the gong for Peace. And particularly to @tinamariepizel for creating the space for this to happen! #peace #peacepole #peacegong #planetaryhealth #planetaryhealthday #notowar #community #love
Feeling the heat? Planetary Health Day will be cool!!!! As well as a program of inspiring speakers, an exhibition of the Frogs of the Blue Mountains and workshops (all in air conditioned comfort!), there will be live music and Plant Based Food stalls on Saturday 1 March. We’ll also have a wide variety of stallholders in our beautiful parkland: Earthrising Mushroom Farm with mushroom grow kits; Michael Trickett with his mobile saw mill; Clifftop Harvest with fresh local produce; Permaculture Matters with info about permaculture, upcoming courses and a chance to win Rowe Morrow’s book: Earth Restorers Guide to Permaculture; Blackheath Community Farm with garlic and seeds; Fire Halo with their bushfire prevention invention that featured on Shark Tank; Katoomba RFS with their fire truck; Vegan NSW with cookbooks; WIRES with information on how to care for our wildlife; Bushcare with how to regenerate our bushland to increase habitat; Blue Mountains Conservation Society and Wildplant Rescue with plants and info; The Repair Network; Boomerang Bags and Lacebrook Stitchery. We’ll also have a Bushcare session on site at 1.30pm and outdoor chess, games and activities for children courtesy of Sarah from Kindlehill School. View the full program and register here (link in profile): bit.ly/42HZ623
#planetaryhealth #katoomba #bluemountains #familyday #planetaryhealthday @clifftopharvest @permaculturematters @kindlehill_school @Lacebrookstitchery
@blue_mts_conservation_society @wildplant.community.nursery @bbagsbluemtns @wireswildliferescue @vegannsw @firehalo.au @earthrisingau
Physicist Hans Coster will be giving a presentation at our Planetary Health Day event this Saturday on Life, Energy and the Biosphere, including what he`s chosen to do at his property Middle Earth with nickel iron batteries. Reserve your place via the link in our profile. #nickelironbatteries #energy #life #biosphere #planetaryhealth #planetaryhealthday #community
