When piccadillymanchester heard news of Bruntwood’s first ever ‘green roof’, we were intrigued.

Bruntwood’s 1 New York Street is now topped a green roof, which constitutes (according to the blurb) ‘a bio-diverse system of sedum, wild flower turf, rubble and rocks, along with various recycled materials that have been specifically engineered into the building’s design to ensure it is as efficient and environmentally friendly as possible.’ Fancy.

Bruntwood director, Peter Crowther (pictured) said, “Our approach to property redevelopment is focussed around getting the very best from existing buildings, without incurring the environmental impact that many other new builds have. The site at 1 New York Street leant itself most appropriately to the creation of brand new office space, which we’ve designed and delivered in the most ecologically efficient way possible.”

For those toying with the idea of getting a similar green roof, you’ll be interested to know that it is estimated such roofs last up to twice as long as conventional ones, resulting in decreased maintenance and savings in replacement costs. They also deliver savings on energy heating and cooling costs, with experiments finding that green roofs can reduce heat gains by 95% and losses by 26% compared to a traditionally manufactured modern roof of a similar size. If that doesn’t persuade you, nothing will.

The green roof at 1 New York Street has also been designed with the aim of attracting the rare Black Redstart bird into the city centre, emulating a natural area of habitat and vegetation that will stimulate breeding. The number of pairing black redstarts has diminished dramatically over the years, as urban regeneration has encroached upon attractive breeding grounds and a number of local authorities have shown their commitment to bringing the birds back into inner city areas.

For further information about 1 New York Street, click here .