A clubhouse rooted in nature

Designed for biodiversity

Sedum roofs are already known for their resilience, but at Krommerijn the choice was made to enrich the planting with herbs with the Sempergreen Biodiverse Roof. These flowering species add nectar and fragrance, inviting bees and butterflies from the surrounding area. For a golf course located in a nature reserve, this wasn’t just an aesthetic decision, it was a conscious step towards supporting local biodiversity. Visitors enjoying the clubhouse terrace can now watch pollinators at work, while golfers walking past see a roof that shifts with the seasons.

Blending into the landscape

The clubhouse is located in De Brakel nature reserve, an area known for its open fields, watercourses, and gently rolling landscape. To respect this setting, the architecture follows soft, flowing lines. The green roof reinforces that design, echoing the shapes of the terrain. Instead of standing out as a hard structure, the building merges into its environment, offering a sense of calm continuity between nature and architecture. The Sempergreen Biodiverse green roof system fits seamlessly onto the curved roof, showing that even unusual shapes are no obstacle.

Turn biodiversity loss into recovery

In the Netherlands, biodiversity has been declining at an alarming rate. Cities, towns and industrial zones have fragmented natural habitats, leaving insects and other species with fewer safe places to live and reproduce. A Sempergreen Biodiverse green roof helps to turn that tide. By combining a thick layer of substrate with vegetation mats grown from a wide mix of native plants, these roofs provide nectar-rich food sources, shelter, and breeding grounds for bees, butterflies and countless other insects. Drought plants offer pollen and nectar, while host plants allow butterflies to lay their eggs and complete their life cycle right on the roof.

Biodiverse roof as stepping stone

In this way, a Biodiverse green roof becomes more than just a piece of greenery: it acts as a stepping stone, connecting fragmented habitats across urban landscapes. And with the option of both standard and lightweight systems, biodiversity roofs can be installed on flat or sloping structures alike, even in places with limited load-bearing capacity. The result is a living, functional ecosystem overhead, enriching the building and the wider community at the same time, like here at Krommerijn Golfclub.

Benefits for people and nature

Beyond its biodiversity boost and visual beauty, the Biodiverse green roof improves air quality, buffers rainwater, and reduces heat stress; all key functions in today’s climate-adaptive design. For the golf club, it extends the lifespan of the underlying roofing and reduces maintenance. For visitors, it adds an atmosphere of relaxation, connecting them more deeply with the green character of the golf course. Together, these benefits make the clubhouse not just a functional building, but a showcase of how green infrastructure can serve both people and planet.