Blender Spotlight: VerdeActivo in Chile

VerdeActivo is a long-time rooflite blending partner located in Santiago, Chile. Founded in 2010, the company implements technologies for the construction of green roofs that allow sustainable urban development, with environmental, social and economic benefits. VerdeActivo became a rooflite blender in 2012 and built its first green roof with rooflite soil in 2013.

María de la Luz Barros, the CEO of VerdeActivo, is leading a team of landscape architects, green roof designers and installers in Chile. Green roofs are personal for her. As she explains, “I like to live in the city, and that’s why I want a better city to live in.”

That focus on improving cities’ quality of life captures the VerdeActivo approach to green roofs: “We encourage urban development focused on people and the environment to transform cities into green, healthy and welcoming areas in which to live.” With that goal in mind, VerdeActivo has been a Certified B Corporation since 2018. This designation shows it is leader in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy.

VerdeActivo operates throughout Chile with a focus between the Valparaiso and Bío Bío regions, where 74% of Chile’s population lives.

As María de la Luz Barros explains, “We see roofs as an opportunity to link the well-being of people, ecosystems and the city. Urbanization reduces green areas, waterproofs the city and creates heat islands, generating environmental and social problems, and aggravating the current climate crisis. We implement successful green roofs from day one and articulate urban farm projects on roofs that promote community relations, healthy eating and environmental education. We cannot stop the growth of cities, but we can change the way cities are designed, built and lived.”

Fortunately, the government of Chile, specifically the Minister de Vivienda (Ministry of Housing), is a key promoter of the green roof industry. In 2019, the government modified legal regulations to allow green roofs to be put on roofs. In 2020, it launched the first set of standards to design, build, and maintain green roofs. María de la Luz Barros was part of the committee that set the standards.

The company is also part of the Chile Green Building Council and CCI (Council of Industrialized Construction).

rooflite green roof soil allows VerdeActivo to create green roofs with excellent results. In fact, rooflite products are one of the key factors for the company’s success.

VerdeActivo offers four rooflite products in Chile: rooflite extensive, rooflite intensive, rooflite base, and rooflite drain. This combination of rooflite products allows Chilean green roof designers to design and build a variety of types of green roofs from extensive to intensive and agricultural.

Each rooflite product used by VerdeActivo is created with regionally appropriate blends that work work well in the region where VerdeActivo operates. The soil provides long-lasting results, letting plants and green roofs thrive for many years.

VerdeActivo is truly changing Chile with its innovative green roof designs and by offering high-quality rooflite soil to green roof designers. Find out more about VerdeActivo and rooflite soil offerings in Chile.

Sampling of VerdeActivo Projects

Vanguard Building