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Greenroofs.com is an internet news media
organization:
the international greenroof industry’s resource and online information
portal.
Our Goal
is to inform, promote and inspire the earth
friendly technology of organic greenroof architecture
through the interchange of ideas, projects, news, video, travel,
research, organization and government updates, marketing opportunities
and exclusive features via our website. We recognize that each reader,
project, and perspective is unique.
Our Mission
is to facilitate information, and as “The Greenroof Industry Resource
Portal,” Greenroofs.com serves an important role as the information
database and clearinghouse for the greenroof movement worldwide.
Founded in 1999, the website continues to evolve to better reflect
the needs and desires of our ever growing readership while continuing
to provide an interactive platform of greenroof learning and varied
living architecture philosophies.
We launched our news magazine-type format in May, 2003,
and website-wide access is always
free and unencumbered! We love to push the limits and post
articles from guest contributors and occasional guest columns along
with commentary, book reviews, and exclusives from publisher Linda
Velazquez.
Our Readership
audience includes design and construction professionals, building
stakeholders, decision makers, environmental consultants, government
officials, students and homeowners interested in sustainable design
and environmentally friendly architecture.
Greenroofs.com
is the Exclusive Publisher of the following:
The Greenroof Directory
of Manufacturers, Suppliers, Professional Services, Organizations,
Students & Green Resources. Maximize your marketing
strategy in the emerging international greenroof industry and reach
our highly targeted greenroof market by listing your business with
us! Advertisers in The Greenroof Directory pay an annual fee
for a Directory Listing which links to categorized listings, and
their full page Color Brochure (Sponsor, Elite, and Premium Listings
only).
The Greenroof &
Greenwall Projects
Database. Our
goal is to compile a comprehensive body
of global greenroof & greenwall projects searchable by type, date of completion,
geographic location, designer, manufacturer, etc., all at no
charge. And, our goal is to be inclusive, not exclusive.
While an ambitious and time-consuming undertaking to be sure, with
all the stake-holders' input we can make this a success.
Submit Your Greenroof
& Greenwall Projects
by using the easy online form in English, Spanish, or German.
As
we all participate, everyone benefits from this potentially huge
and important reference database of greenroof Projects worldwide.
 greenroofs.tv
is a video channel devoted to greenroofs and greenwalls from
Greenroofs.com and across the globe.
greenroofs.tv
and Greenroofs.com are
encouraging a loose network of Greenroof "Videographers" to submit
their videos to us
to be included
on the
greenroofsTV channel on
YouTube. Showcase your own experience and increase
your exposure by sharing your interviews, tours, project visits,
etc., here, and send us feedback!
If you are interested in sending
us video, we ask that you
sign-up
for an account in YouTube -
it is very easy and free. After that all you have to do is
upload your videos and send us an email when you are done.
You can also watch our original
WebTV series
Sky Gardens - Greenroofs of the World™
hosted by Linda Velazquez
here.
Sky Gardens Blog
~ where cool green meets lofty blue. Greenroofs.com founder
and publisher/editor Linda Velazquez enters the blogosphere and
kicks off Sky Gardens ~ a blog about greenroofs, the living roofs
community, and awesome sustainable design in general from her and
all our contributing editors.
Visit
Sky Gardens for a look into our personal takes on the greenroof
world.
 The
2010 Greenroofs of the World™
- 12 Month Wall Calendar.
Our
new Greenroofs of the World™ 2010 Calendar
combines two of our most popular destinations on Greenroofs.com:
The Greenroof Projects Database and
Upcoming Events. It’s a great way to highlight fabulous projects
and our website Sponsors, our highest
level of advertising.
Greenroofs.com offers the following Exclusive Features:
The Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database
Peruse
the multi-searchable fields of the
international Greenroof
& Greenwall Projects Database.
Submit your greenroofs and
walls as case
studies and become a part of our international reference.
Guest Feature Articles
Read the submissions of
personal stories, opinions, and viewpoints on a range of subjects
pertaining to the greenroof industry (no "advertorials").
Contributing Editor Columns
Read these lively
occasional columns from experts in their fields: Ask Ed,
Green Roofs on the Curve
and Christine's Ramblings, The Green Roof Guy, Sustainable Roofing Technologies,
A View from the Sky Trenches, Chic Sustainability, The G.R.E.E.N.
Report, Green Walls, and The Green Roof Energy Series. Send us your questions, and read
about these wonderful people below.
Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof
& Greenwall Design
Greenroofs are fast becoming green staples of chic sustainability
in mainstream architecture and high performance building with a
hip environmental sheen that is attractive to young and old.
And we all know that greenroofs are vibrant and exciting alternatives
to the average unused, hot, and often downright ugly black tar or
concrete roofs that we see covering the world, but what and where
are the new and exciting projects on the boards? How about
the newest darling, greenwalls?
Enter the Greenroofs.com Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof
& Greenwall Design to showcase the important, newsworthy and
stimulating projects from around the world! Our Design Editor
Haven Kiers and Publisher/Editor Linda Velazquez inaugurated the
series in 2007 and continue this yearly endeavor.
Sky
Gardens
~
“Travels
in Landscape Architecture”
is the basis of the
Sky Gardens Blog
– Publisher Linda S. Velazquez’s former column with a view of her unique perspective of the world, highlighting
a different U.S. or international city active with greenroof projects
and people.
NewsLinks
NewsLinks is a huge database
of a variety
of greenroof articles,
with
Archives from 1996 - Present.
This section offers a glimpse into
what and how other online and print publications are talking about
living roofs and walls - from internet magazines to blogs to
radio shows to
organization press
releases. News is posted
as it comes across the newswire, listed by most recent date.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events is a huge database of
a variety of seminars,
workshops, conferences and other public events that address green
building, green living, and the greenroof concept, presented with
contact information for the respective organization, as well as
highlights of relevant Past Events,
where we have Archives of Upcoming Events from 2001 - Present.
Industry
Stay up to date with these sections for specific industry
related updates:
Industry News
Get your news from companies, organizations, governments and
universities.
Industry Support
Learn what governments are
offering incentives, grants, policies and programs designed
to promote green architecture and the public.
Research Links
Research Links informs you of current
greenroof sources and studies being conducted by universities, private
companies, and public or governmental affiliates.
JobLinks
Search for or post your job and internship openings/wanted here
for free!
Students
The Student Directory, Student
Feature Articles,
Projects & more
A place where students involved with greenroof pursuits can post
projects and papers, and make contacts with other students and companies.
Send Christine Thuring, our Student Editor, your comments
and suggestions.
Greenroofs 101
Greenroofs 101 is a sub-web
of its own and our most popular section. It is lengthy, holding
the nuts and bolts information about
the earth
friendly technology of organic greenroof architecture.
This is Linda's original website and independent study paper designed
to be a living research document. We update this section often as
new findings and ideas emerge. Read all about greenroofs here,
including: FAQ's; Concept; Advantages; Components; How To's;
Bibliography; Plant Lists; Applications; and
Issues.
The Greenroof Directory
Search
through six Category Sections to locate greenroof professionals
& materials in your area or around the globe, searchable by multiple
fields. Maximize your marketing strategy in the emerging international
Greenroof & Greenwall Industry and list your business with us.
The MarketPlace
Check it out for books and magazines
dealing with issues
of ecological and sustainable design. Do you have a product
or accessory related to extensive or intensive greenroofs, roof
gardens, sod or earth-sheltered homes? We are looking for
related high quality publications and merchandise from ecologically
friendly companies to join the growing Greenroofs.com MarketPlace.
Regarding advertising practices - in an attempt to stay consistent
with our environmentally friendly mission and goals, we will make
every effort to screen our advertisers carefully. But we also
believe in an open market and our readers' right to make an informed
decision and choose their own professionals and product suppliers.
About The Greenroofs.com
Principals:
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Linda S. Velazquez,
ASLA Associate, LEED™
AP,
GRP, is publisher and editor of Greenroofs.com and
is the author of its original content, and is also
the designer of The Greenroof Projects Database.
She has a Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture
degree from the University of Georgia (2000, cum
laude) and an Associate of Arts in Business
Administration (1982). She heads up
Sky Gardens
Blog
~
where cool green meets lofty blue. “Cool green?”
Cool green architecture, cool green people, cool green
environments, etc., you get the picture. “Lofty blue?”
As in sky high spaces, places, ideals, and ideas.
Linda
is a greenroof design consultant and principal of
Sky Gardens Design, and has presented on greenroofs
all over the world. Linda is also a mom of
three and has been an international flight attendant
since 1979 (Yes, she's still flying). When not
too busy writing, editing, and flying, she produces
and hosts the
Sky Gardens - Greenroofs of the World™
WebTV series
which features one spectacular greenroof and then
examines project and city stakeholders involved in
the design process.
She lives in Alpharetta,
Georgia with husband and partner Aramis, and the occasional
"children" who keep coming back every now and then.
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Aramis M.
Velazquez
is the CEO (Chief Everything Officer) of Greenroofs.com,
LLC. Aramis has an MBA from Keller Graduate
School of Management and a B.S.
in Industrial Engineering from Florida International
University, with a strong Engineering, Information
Technology & Accounting background.
Aramis handles all
the operations in Greenroofs.com, LLC, which includes
Sales & Marketing, Information Technology, Accounting,
Billing, Customer Service and whatever else Linda does
not want to do.
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Ari Velazquez
is the developer of
The Greenroof Directory,
the
developer and administrator of
The Greenroof Projects Database.
Ari
graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology
(Georgia Tech) with
a degree in Computational Media (video game design) in 2010.
He's the
youngest of Linda & Aramis' three kids.
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Anjuli Velazquez
is the Associate Producer of the
greenroofs.tv page,
greenroofsTV channel on YouTube as well as
the
Sky Gardens ~ Greenroofs of the World™ WebTV series.
Anjuli graduated in 2010 with a degree in
Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a
Minor in Women's Studies from the University of
Central Florida.
She wants to pursue her career in television and
film production. Anjuli is Linda and Aramis' middle
child.
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About our Student Intern: |
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Caroline
Menetre is the
student intern. Caroline just graduated with a
degree in Environmental Horticulture at North Metro
Tech in Atlanta with a specialization in Sustainable
Urban Horticulture. Previously, she was employed
for 20 years as art director with one of Northwest Florida's
most established and successful advertising agencies.
Keenly interested in greenroofs and greenwalls– and
combined with years of experience in advertising and
editorial publications–Caroline hopes to research and
further promote the greenroof industry while helping
Greenroofs.com grow
The Greenroof Projects Database,
and helped design our new blog,
Sky
Gardens ~ where cool green meets lofty
blue, among other projects.
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We are proud members
of the following associations:
American Society
of Landscape Architects
Associate Member
Georgia Chapter |
Green
Roofs
for Healthy Cities
Corporate Member |
U.S. Green Building Council
Atlanta Chapter
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Industry Collaborator |
Southface Energy Institute |
These are our
Guest Contributing Editors, in order of coming on board, who graciously
provide unique insights in their field of expertise without compensation
(affiliations are given for identification purposes only):
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Ed Snodgrass
is the Plant Editor.
He writes an occasional Q & A column entitled
"Ask Ed" where
he answers your plant and horticulture questions, and
also contributes an occasional Plant Feature,
which highlights a particularly interesting and useful
greenroof plant.
Ed is a Horticultural Consultant
and co-owns and operates
Emory Knoll Farms,
a perennial nursery specializing in green roof plants,
currently stocking over 100 varieties
and providing over 2 million sf of planted roofs.
Ed,
along with Lucie Snodgrass, co-authored
Green Roof
Plants, A Planting and Resource Guide, published
by Timber Press, 2006.
Located in Street,
Maryland, Ed lives as lightly on the Earth as he can
with his wife.
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Christine Thuring
is the Student Editor and
also writes "Christine's
Ramblings" as well as occasional Exclusive Features.
Christine has been focused on green roofs since 2001.
After interning with a green roof company in Germany,
she earned a MSc from Pennsylvania State University's
Centre for Green Roof Research (2005). She helped
organize the World Green Roof Congress in Basel (2005),
as well as the green roof presence at United Nations'
World Urban Forum III in Vancouver (2006). Christine
has served as researcher and teacher of green roof courses
at BCIT Centre for Architectural Ecology, and helped
develop Green Roofs for Healthy Cities' 401 accreditation
course. She has been the Student Editor at Greenroofs.com
since 2004. Sign up for her Student Forum Newsletter,
"Students
on Green Roofs" and her column "Green Roofs on the
Curve."
Christine is best defined by
Chlorophyllocity, through which her many interests
and activities are represented. From collaborative design
projects to applied research, translation, and study
tours (check out
Green Roof Safari), her mission is to facilitate
and support humanity's transition from the carbon to
the ecological age. A multi-lingual citizen of the world,
Christine currently lives in a Tyrolean alpine village
(northwest Austria). She flies carbon neutral, loves
bogs and spring wildflowers, and rides her bike everywhere.
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Kelly Luckett,
LEED AP, GRP, is “The
Green Roof Guy.” He fine-tuned his editorial
focus and inaugurated his new column of the same name
in April, 2008. Formerly “The
Roving Exhibitor,” he wrote about his experiences
at green building conferences as president of
Green Roof Blocks. As president he still is a frequent trade show exhibitor at
greenroof and green building conferences, workshops
& seminars - but Kelly also roves around the country
attending ASTM, GRHC and other roofing and greenroof
related organization meetings, and has become a central
figure here. Look
for this column about his experiences and impressions
within the greenroof industry as just a regular (green) roofing
guy from St. Louis, Missouri, where Kelly lives with
his wife, son and daughter. So read his column
to stay up to date within the greenroof industry!
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Ralph
Velasquez
is
the Sustainable Roofing
Technologies Editor. He changed his editorial
focus and inaugurated his new column "Sustainable
Roofing" in April, 2008. Previously, you
knew him as the ASTM Editor. He wrote a
quarterly "ASTM
Update" as a member of the American Society
for the Testing of Materials Green Roof Task Force (E.06.71.07),
part of the sub-committee for Sustainability (E.06.71),
which in turn is part of the committee for Performance
of Buildings (E.06).
Ralph is Director, Sustainable
Technologies Group with
Tremco Inc., heading up their new program for
sustainable roofing, waterproofing and building envelope
solutions, including green roofs, photovoltaics (incl.
BIPV), cool roofing and bio-based materials. Ralph
lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife.
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Patrick
Carey,
GRP, is the Architecture
Editor. He writes an occasional architectural
column entitled "A
View from the Sky Trenches," where he selects
and discusses pertinent greenroof industry topics.
Patrick has a degree in
architecture and lives in Seattle, Washington, principal
of
hadj design, a green roof design-build company.
Patrick is also director of the Northwest EcoBuilding
Guild's Green Roof Project. PKC is also a trainer
for the Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Green Roof 101,
201, 301, & 401 Courses.
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Haven
Kiers,
GRP, is the Design
Editor. She writes an occasional column entitled
"Chic
Sustainability," and co-writes and co-presents
the "Top
10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof Design" series.
She feels the "Greenroof challenge lies in finding the
right balance between idealistic principles and cutting
edge design." Haven
is a Mom and lives and works as a landscape architect
in California, with Mono County with her husband and
baby girl. Haven designs and presents nationally
about greenroofs, and is also a trainer for the Green
Roofs for Healthy Cities Green Roof 101, 201, & 401
Courses.
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Dr. Bill
Retzlaff
is
the G.R.E.E.N. Editor.
He writes a bi-annual column entitled "The
G.R.E.E.N. Research Report." Dr. Retzlaff
is the research coordinator of the St. Louis metropolitan
area research collaboration G.R.E.E.N. - Green Roof
Environmental Evaluation Network - between Southern
Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUe),
Green Roof Blocks, Jost Greenhouses, Midwest Trading
and Horticultural Supplies, Inc., Midwest Groundcovers,
JDR Enterprises, Emory Knoll Farms, Garick, The Gaia
Institute, and Greenroofs.com.
Bill Retzlaff, Ph.D. is
an Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Biological
Sciences, Environmental Sciences Program at SIUe,
and lives in the St. Louis, Missouri area with his wife.
email:
GREENEditor@greenroofs.com
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George
Irwin
is
the Green Wall Editor
and writes "The
Green Walls Column." George is President and
CEO of Green Living Technologies, LLC, a company that
manufactures and designs Green Living™ Walls & Green
Living™ Roofs in addition to other Green Living™ Accessories.
He is a former trainer for the GRHC Green Walls 101, the moderator for the
Greenroofs.com Green Walls Forum, & oversees additional
green wall research with various higher educational
facilities in the U.S.
George lives in Rochester, New York with his wife, son
and daughter. In his spare time he is still an
avid gardener he also enjoys travel and lecturing.
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Christopher Wark
has over 20 years of multidisciplinary engineering
experience providing support to manufacturers,
municipalities and national labs. His focus for the
past 8 years has been on the development and
promotion of sustainable solutions in architecture
and construction. Chris is currently a Senior Energy
Analyst for Viridian Energy & Environmental (www.viridianee.com)
as well as a designer of modular green roof and
container garden systems.
Chris will be writing a series entitled "Cooler Than
Cool Roofs: How Heat Doesn't Move Through a Green
Roof." He lives in Manhattan, NY with his wife.
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The opinions expressed
by our contributing editors may not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of Greenroofs.com, and are offered to our readers to simply present
individual views and experiences and
open a dialogue
of further discussion, debate and research. Enjoy, and if
you have a particular comment, please contact the author or send
us an email to:
comments@greenroofs.com.
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Publisher Acknowledgements – quoted from Linda S. Velazquez in
1999 while a fifth year undergraduate student at the University
of
Georgia – but still relevant today:
“Landscape
Architecture Magazine’s May 1998 article by J. William Thompson
spurred me on to conduct the original UGA research paper that eventually
turned into this website. I had seen greenroofs throughout
Europe, but not in the U.S., and wondered why we, as landscape architects,
weren’t yet interested in this fascinating, ecologically sound,
design possibility. I took Mr. Thompson’s advice to “seek out the
most up-to-date information available and to become a leader of
greenroof technology.” Research through an independent study
program made sense to me as most professors had only a vague idea
of what greenroofs were all about.
Charlie
Miller, P.E. of Roofscapes, Inc. has been very helpful in providing
me with so much of his greenroof stormwater research and information.
Tom
Liptan, ASLA, has shared his thoughts and personal experiences with
me and provided me with many of my initial leads.
Katrin
Scholz-Barth, environmental and civil engineer, has been very open
to assisting me with engineering tips and plant selection for my
Senior Project.
Dr.
Michael Krebs, Sales Manager and Walter Hussong, Civil Engineer
at Optima in Tornesch, Germany, were very hospitable during my visit
to their headquarters in March 1999. They provided me with
invaluable insight from the tour of the offices.
Kevin
Burke, AIA, of McDonough + Partners has assisted me greatly by providing
me with background information regarding their Gap Headquarters
project as well as manufacturer product information and comparison
studies.
Dr. Jeffrey C. Luvall of NASA’s Global Climate and
Hydrology
Center
at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama sent
me a ton of fascinating information on the urban heat island situation.
A special
thanks goes to a professor of landscape architecture at the University
of Georgia, Kwesi DeGraft-Hanson, for encouraging my interest in
greenroofs.” - LSV
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