"Eco" grass roofs are a terrible idea

Initially it might seem a nice idea to have grass growing on the roof of a building so it blends into nature better. But there are so many drawbacks. Aside from the hazard it poses to the people who may have to go up on the roof to prevent the grass and weeds growing out of control, you have the weight, invasive nature of some roots, difficulty in repairing it when it starts leaking and then there are the seagulls or other birds....

Being above the ground, safe from most predators, the roof is the perfect place for birds to nest and raise their offspring. In the case of seagulls that involves offspring that scream at high pitch almost continuously and their parents who often burst into loud rhythmic squawking during the night.

This was the first accommodation where I literally had to wear earplugs every single night to get sleep, but also slept intermittently because I was worried about sleeping in due to not hearing the alarm. So I would wake up regularly to check the time.

I'm not sure if it was the thick grass roof or not, but the heat was stifling all the time with no heaters on. That meant the windows had to be open to let fresh air in and try to cool the place. That also let all the sound of screaming birds in too.

I wonder if the architect who came up with this idea ever found out what a terrible idea it was. Let's just stick to a roof full of solar panels in the future if you want to be "eco".


Quick shout out to the super friendly and helpful staff at this particular accommodation. They were great.