Extensive green roof with biodiversity-type overseeding and green façade – Penny Otopeni

8 min read

In a rapidly expanding residential area, where people moved specifically to escape hot concrete and heavy air, the Penny building in Otopeni chose not to be “just another one.”

The building’s footprint was practically returned to nature through an extensive green roof, while the façade was clad in a living ivy wall which, in just a few years, grew healthy and uniform, reaching approximately 70% coverage.

From a technical perspective, the two systems work hand in hand: the roof reduces building overheating, while the green façade acts as a thermal and acoustic filter. In practice, the difference is felt especially during summer. Not by chance, Penny’s sustainability report highlights significant energy savings—air-conditioning systems were “retired” much earlier than expected. This is a clear example that a commercial building can exist within a green neighborhood without destroying it, and even strengthen it through increased biodiversity.

Extensive green roof with biodiversity-type overseeding at Penny Otopeni

Penny’s 2023 sustainability report highlights, among others, the following:

Supporting biodiversity is an important topic in the context of sustainability, and within our company we continuously strive to contribute to the protection of species and habitats in the areas where we operate. Through our landscape plantings, we aim to increase wildlife populations, including pollinating butterflies and insects, as well as squirrels, field mice, rabbits, and various bird species.

For new stores, we implement innovative solutions such as green roofs, which have a positive impact on biodiversity by attracting living organisms. We use native species or locally adapted non-native species to protect ecosystems from the risk of invasive species contamination.

Green Walls

Living green walls are a functional component of sustainable buildings, offering multiple benefits such as improved air quality, reduced energy costs, lower noise levels on-site and in surrounding areas, acting as a natural acoustic filter. These features, together with the ecological and sustainable image they convey, increase the value of the green walls installed at our two stores in:

Oradea – non-climbing plants

Otopeni – climbing plants rooted in the ground and grown directly on the store façade

Green Roofs

Extensive green roofs are lightweight and designed to require minimal maintenance. They are constructed in layers above the existing roof structure, with substrate depths ranging from 30 mm to 150 mm.

Key benefits of installing green roofs include: supporting biodiversity by providing favorable habitats for various types of fauna, including insects; thermal insulation for the building; reduction of the urban heat island effect in surrounding areas; and reduced stormwater runoff rates.

We intend to expand our green roof network across our locations; by the end of 2023, six Penny stores were equipped with such roofs:

four stores in Constanța County: Constanța, Agigea, Mangalia, Valu lui Traian, Kogălniceanu

one store in Otopeni, Ilfov County

In 2022, we tested a range of features that can be implemented at our sites to support the protection of biodiversity and local habitats:

Biodiversity kit: we developed a set designed to fulfill the functions of insect hotels, bat and bird boxes, and special bricks. This kit was installed at three of our locations, with plans to expand it to all Penny stores in Romania. These structures provide optimal nesting spaces for flying species.

Seagull nest: Constanța