Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video.  Here is the transcript from December 16th and 9th, 2011 from our daughter, Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here.  Enjoy!

- Hello, I’m Anjuli Velazquez and welcome to This Week in Review for December 16th and 9th, 2011 on GreenroofsTV.

- Projects of the Week

-  Our project of the week is the Orchard Central Mall Greenwalls built in 2009 in Singapore. Orchard Central Mall is Singapore’s tallest and first vertical pure-retail mall, and has a 160m façade featuring a faceted membrane which functions as a massive media wall, adding visual vibrancy to Orchard Road. The rooftop gardens offer a great spot for dining alfresco, sipping coffee, or enjoying afternoon tea, and feature three large living walls, a balcony rail on the 11th floor, and two lower green walls on the 12th floor roof terrace.

Orchard Central Mall is a winner of the Singapore Institute of Architects and National Parks Board Skyrise Greenery Awards in 2009. The award aims to promote skyrise greenery in Singapore and to recognize the greening efforts in high rise developments by owners/developers, architects, landscape architects/designers, and landscape contract managers. VersiCell sub-soil drainage modules were used in the landscaped areas and planter boxes to facilitate efficient drainage of water and the Elmich Green Wall systems were installed on the 11th and 12th floors of the mall.

-  Our project of the week for last week was The Ramona Apartments, in Portland, OR.  The Ramona Apartments is a new mixed-use, midrise apartment building consisting of six stories of wood-framed construction over a concrete podium. In addition to the ecoroof, the building’s courtyard contains permeable surfaces, plants, gravel and sand that are designed to filter and retain stormwater. Together with the roof, these elements treat one hundred percent of the property’s stormwater. Additional benefits of the ecoroof are the mitigation of the urban heat island effect and providing an environment for native habitat.

-  To learn more about the Orchard Central Mall Greenwalls, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage and for The Ramona Apartments, type in Project ID #1384 in the Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database.

“What’s New”

- Our 2012 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ 12 Month Wall Calendar is now available for purchase! The Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ series combines two of our most popular destinations on Greenroofs.com: The Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database and Upcoming Events. It’s a great way to highlight fabulous projects and our website Sponsors, our highest level of advertising. Kudos to all the sustainable designers out there as well as the companies and organizations who back us up with ecologically friendly products and services. You can get the perfect holiday gift for your family, friends, staff and clients for only $12.95 which includes shipping within the U.S, and Canada, or a special discount for orders of 10 or more!

- Every week we’ll be uploading a video from our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 to our greenroofsTV page and YouTube channel. Last week we featured our Opening Keynote Address by Charlie Miller, P.E. of Roofmeadow: “A New Place.” And this week we’re highlighting the “2011 Top 10 Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design” by Linda Velazquez and Haven Kiers, so be sure to check them out and stay tuned for more!

Advertiser Press Releases:

-  New Green Building Product Announcement: Introducing LiveRoof® Maxx: the Eight-Inch Deep module for the LiveRoof® Hybrid Green Roof System.

-  Welcome to our new Greenroof Directory advertiser H. Keith Wagner Partnership out of Burlington VT!

Industry News Update

-  The City Planning Commission unveiled a proposal this week to amend New York City’s zoning code to make it easier for buildings to incorporate environmentally friendly additions such as solar panels, wind turbines and wall insulation. The package of rule changes, dubbed Zone Green, would permit solar panels, greenroofs, storm water detention systems, skylights and other green features on buildings, despite height restrictions, and would allow owners to install wind turbines up to 55 feet above rooftops on waterfront buildings and buildings taller than 100 feet.

-  Joblinks Update

Columbia-Green is looking for a Sales Manager based in the Midwest or East Coast, USA.

The Horticultural Society of New York (The Hort) is seeking a Greenroof Research Intern in New York, NY.

-  Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts: “Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 2: The Hot Top 10 List by Linda Velazquez and Haven Kiers,” “Order Your 2012 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Calendar Now!,” “Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 1: Charlie Miller,” and “See all the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Videos on greenroofs.tv!”

- “Upcoming Events”

-  The Water-Harvesting Certification Training program in Phoenix takes place from February 24th to March 4th, 2012 and applications are due December 30th, 2011.

- “In the News”

-  Matt Hickman of Mother Nature Network blogs about “Evergreen homes: Green Roof House.” In his monthly series of spotlighting green residential building projects from his home state of Washington, Hickman talks about the Green Roof House and says, “When building up to accommodate a growing family, the owners of the Green Roof House not only added a second floor to their Seattle bungalow but neighbor-pleasing elements like a green roof and living wall.”

This House was showcased as part of the 2011 Seattle Green Home Tour and includes numerous green amenities like a solar PV system, a living wall, a rainwater catchment system and a greenroof. Working with a growing family who could only build up and not out, the design-build firm Batt + Lear, went up to the roof to see exactly how a 2nd story would impact the neighbors’ view. Not wanting to make any additional living space unfortunate for the neighbors or clash with the existing architecture, they decided to build the 2nd floor addition on the front half of the home and install the beautiful greenroof on the back half. Now when the neighbors look out their windows, instead of black asphalt to look at, they’ll have a lush colorful landscape.

-  Robin L. Eschler of WomensRadio.com, talks about “Green Roofs and a 300 Year Old Business: An interview with Ed Snodgrass.” Traditional farming, raising corn, cattle, llamas, Christmas trees and now greenroof plants, Emory Knoll Farms has been around for over 300 years. Ed Snodgrass, current Emory Knolls Farm co-owner, international horticulturalist, author and avid conservationist, and contributing editor here at Greenroofs.com, is carrying on the success of the six-generations-family-owned business in northern Maryland.

Today the majority of Emory Knolls Farm is supporting indigenous trees, native meadow plants, native fauna and over ninety species of birds and the nursery is the only one in North America that is dedicated just to greenroof plants. Emory Knoll Farms is currently involved in over 800 projects and has incorporated as a B-Corporation, or Benefit Corporation, and actively uses the principles of the Natural Step process, a set of four principles developed in Sweden for sustainable manufacturing. You can learn more about Ed and Emory Knoll Farms at GreenRoofPlants.com.

To learn more about these stories and new ones posted daily, go to our In the News or newslinks section of our website.

-  Send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com and share your greenroof or green wall info with the world!

- Make sure to keep up with everything Greenroofs.com by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, being a member of our network on LinkedIn, and subscribing to our greenroofsTV channel on YouTube!

- This has been This Week in Review for December 16th and 9th, 2011 on GreenroofsTV.  I’m Anjuli Velazquez and I’ll see you in a couple weeks with our This Year in Review!

- Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us here at Greenroofs.com!

*This week’s episode is sponsored by The Greenroof Directory, brought to you by Greenroofs.com.*

Did we miss something?  We’d love to hear from you!

~ Linda V.

Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video.  Here’s the transcript from November 11th, 2011 from our daughter, Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here.  Enjoy!

- Hello, I’m Anjuli Velazquez and welcome to This Week in Review for November 11th on GreenroofsTV.

- Project of the Week

-  Our project of the week is the Master Builders Association Durban, Westville greenroof built in 2010 in Durban, South Africa. The Master Builders Centre was built in 1982 as a commercial building comprising about 3600 square meters of commercial space. Some of the finishes on the building were becoming old and unsightly, also the exhibition space had lost popularity, so it was time re-look at the utilization of this space and introduce new activities that would not only add beauty to the building, but also add energy savings. The greenroof is mainly comprised of indigenous plants, which require minimal water, are able to propagate themselves, and are less susceptible to pest outbreaks and harsh climates. Also, the green roof increases the vegetation on the property, promotes biodiversity and reduces the rate and volume of stormwater discharge. The roof podium area was planted with two separate systems designed by Green Roof Designs cc, one half using recyclable HDPE green roof modules and the other half using treated softwood timber boxes, which were constructed using both local timber source providers and workers from the area.

To learn more about the Master Builders Association Durban, Westville greenroof, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage.

“What’s New”

-  We’d like to welcome Kawasaki Greenhouses, a supplier of plants and pre-vegetated mats in East Moriches, New York as a new Greenroof Directory advertiser.

Advertiser Press Releases:

-  LiveRoof® Hybrid Green Roof System Takes Home a Readers’ Choice Award From Greenbuild.

-  American Hydrotech promotes Kevin Serena to Garden Roof Technical Sales Coordinator.

-  Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts: “Greenroofs.com’s ‘This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: November 4, 2011,” “This Week in Review” for October 28th, 2011 and our GPW.

- “Upcoming Events”

- We’d like to say Happy Veterans Day to those of you in the United States and Happy Remembrance Day to our Commonwealth and other friends from across the world!

-  This weekend, November 12th-13th: is Green Festival – A Joint project of Global exchange & Green America in San Francisco, CA.

- November 16th: is Vegetative Roofs – Making Buildings Come Alive Seminar, NCBE Construction Training Center, in Santa Rosa, CA. This educational seminar on vegetative building systems as an effective strategy towards meeting green building requirements is presented by Kevin S. Falkerson and Kerrie Lee Cole of SYMBIOS and our own Design Editor, Haven Kiers.

-  November 16th-18th: is Build Boston 2011, Seaport World Trade Center in Boston, MA.

-  And November 18th: is Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Integrated Water Management for Buildings and Sites in Toronto, Canada.

- “In the News”

-  Brian Cross of the Windsor Star, says “U of W building to impress.” The $112 million Centre for Engineering Innovation is pretty impressive already with its greenroof and living wall but Phase 2 will add 75 foot long wood beams in the ceiling of a four-story atrium. The first phase was completed in the summer and has faculty and students working in research labs. The second phase has three art lecture halls, innovative heating and cooling systems and a rooftop that will become “an academic oasis.” The 10,300 sq ft green roof will be used as a park where students and faculty could eat lunch or relax between classes, and also some students will be studying how much water the roof will divert from storm sewers. Mark Beaulieu, a principal from the architectural firm overseeing the project, says, “I think this will be the greatest learning tool on campus…the building itself is Construction 101, 102, and 103. Structural, mechanical, electrical, the pneumatics of a building, it’s all going to be there to see.”

-  Julia Flynn Siler of the Wall Street Journal, talks about “The Green Man Whose Gardens Defy Gravity.” Have you ever wanted to learn more about the personal side of Patrick Blanc, the Internationally-known French botanist and inventor of the vertical garden? Well, Siler has written an article all about him: from how he starts his day, “often with a glass of white wine or champagne,” to other daily activities like experimenting with plants and vertical systems in his home and drawing sketches about whatever project he is currently working on. Right now he is involved with a private San Francisco high school garden, which is his largest garden in the United States, using more than 4,500 plants. Drew School, in the lower Pacific Heights area, has only California native plants in its garden and small orange-red blossoms are starting to peep through the foliage. You can read more about this vertical garden, how “The Green Man” grew up with his love and inspiration of nature, and an exclusive Wall Street Video at the full article online.

Of course, if you attended our inaugural Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit, you had the opportunity to see a rare 30 minute interview with Patrick by Linda Velazquez.

To learn more about these stories and new ones posted daily, go to our In the News or newslinks section of our website.

-  Send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com and share your greenroof or green wall info with the world!

- Make sure to keep up with everything Greenroofs.com by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, being a member of our network on LinkedIn, and subscribing to our greenroofsTV channel on YouTube!

- This has been This Week in Review for November 11th, 2011 on GreenroofsTV.  I’m Anjuli Velazquez and I’ll see you next week!

*This week’s episode is sponsored by The Greenroof Directory, brought to you by Greenroofs.com.*

Did we miss something?  We’d love to hear from you!

~ Linda V.

Have you seen our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Highlights Video yet?  It’s fast paced and fun, see:

We put together snippets of 10-15 seconds of all of our speakers – well almost all.  We didn’t include the ones we had previously included in our Trailer Video -namely Xianmin Wang, Lluis Recasens Pahí, and João Manuel Linck Feijó - for time reasons.  But you can still see them in the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011Trailer Video below:

So, watch the video and get a glimpse of what you would see in our virtual environment.  You still have about a week to register, all the way up until October 28th.  You’ll have access to the expo pavilions and can visit all the exhibitor and associate booths plus see our amazing speakers!

You’ll find the speaker presentations in two places:  The Rare Earth Auditorium, sponsored by Tremco, and the On Demand Auditorium.

The Rare Earth Auditorium is where you’ll find all the presentations that were scheduled live, including our four illustrious Keynote Speakers – Andrew Grant, Charlie Miller, Ed Snodgrass, and Ralph Velasquez – most with the live Q & A Sessions that followed the original playing.  You can still read all the commentary, too.  Here you’ll find:

The On Demand Auditorium hold the presentations for the speakers who were not scheduled live – although in effect, once a presentation played once, they were all on demand.

These include:

We’re very proud of our inaugural Virtual Summit and know you’ll be very pleased, too.  See the Speakers page and Agenda to learn all about each presenter and their presentation or panel session descriptions.

You still can’t beat the price for over 30 individual and panel sessions - only $49 or $25 for students & faculty and government professionals!

Happy Greening,

Linda V.

Greenroofs.com’s Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 is less than a week away!  We’re coming into the homestretch with our Virtual Summit and we certainly hope you will join us!

Watch our short, fun, trailer here (under 3 minutes):

Last week I highlighted international professionals from Germany, Mexico, Canada, Chile, and the U.S., and here is the remaining line-up of wonderful, talented speakers at our inaugural online event, also from countries around the world:

Wolfgang Ansel, Germany: The Director of the International Green Roof Association (IGRA) will present  ”Green Roof Policies – An International Review of Current Practices and Future Trends.”

Caroline Menetre, USA:  The landscape designer, graphic designer, environmental horticulturist, and contributing editor on Greenroofs.com will introduce the “The Vertical Garden – from Nature to Cities – An Interview” with Patrick Blanc.

Matthew Dillon, Australia: The Vice President of GreenRoofs Australasia and member of World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) will present “GreenRoofs in Australasia.”

João Manuel Linck Feijó, Brazil: The principal of Ecotelhado, Director of ATVBrasil, and World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) board member will present  ”The Work of ATVBrasil.”

Lluis Recasens Pahí, Spain: The Professor of Horticulture at the Institut d´Horticultura i Jardineria de Reus will present “Sustainability in Plant Production.”

Dr. Clayton Rugh, USA: The botanist and biologist and Manager & Technical Director of Xero Flor America will present “One Decade of Ultralight Green Roof Proof-of-Concept on Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant.”

John Shepley, USA: The engineer, co-founder of Emory Knoll Farms, founding board member of the Baltimore Biodiesel Cooperative, chairman of the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance and contributing editor on Greenroofs.com will present “Sustainability at a Small Business: Emory Knoll Farms.“

Linda Velazquez, ASLA Associate, LEED AP, GRP, USA: The founder, publisher & editor of Greenroofs.com and principal of Sky Gardens Design will co-present the “2011 Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design” with Haven Kiers.

Remember, Government professionals and faculty/students have the special discounted rate of only $25 – that’s for both days plus the 30 days archived on-demand through October 28, 2011.  Other professionals are offered the $49 registration rate.

If you haven’t yet, register today!  Please help us spread the world – tell your colleagues, Twitter followers, Facebook fans, newsletter subscribers, and LinkedIn connections to register here.

I think there’s plenty of room in our relatively close-knit greenroof and wall community to explore new information technologies together and not feel threatened by competition – don’t you?  In fact, don’t you agree we should celebrate each other’s innovations?

This is the social media event of the year!  We need to support each other and continue to find ways to collaborate and share information.  We’re thrilled with the many features we have up our sleeves, and we hope you will be, too.

See you next week!

~ Linda V.

Our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 is less than two weeks away!

Last week I told you about our seven fantastic panel sessions who you’ll be watching followed by a live Question and Answer session, including:  ”Biodiversity and Green Roofs,” Greenroofs & Walls for Educational & Social Equity in the Bronx,” “The Portland Ecoroof Program: A Cross-section of the Green Roof Movement in Portland, Oregon,” “Vertical Agriculture: A Global Movement Starts Locally, from Walls & Roofs to Table,” “Wind. Water. Heat. Grow. Greenroofs.,” “Greenroofs: Wind & Fire,” and “Green Roofs Without the Hype.”

In addition to our four awesome Keynote Speakers whom we’ve already profiled - Andrew Grant, Charlie Miller, Ed Snodgrass and Ralph Velasquez – and other luminaries previously highlighted, here are more brilliant speakers you will enjoy hearing:

Roland Appl, Germany:  The Technical Director of ZinCo and President of the International Green Roof Association (IGRA) will present “Combining Green Roofs with Photovoltaics.”

Jörg Breuning, USA and Germany:  The principal of Green Roof Technology (Previously Green Roof Service) and co-founder of Green Roof Safari will present “Green Roof Technology Sails Around the World.”

Ignacio Espoz, Chile:  The founder of LatinGreen, Director of the World Green Roof infrastructure Network (WGIN), and Director of the Chilean Association of Green Infrastructure will present “Green Infrastructure in Chile and Innovative Living Walls for Environmental Restoration in Mining of the Atacama Desert.”

Tanya Müller Garcia, Mexico:  The founder of AMENA – Asociación Mexicana para la Naturación de Azoteas – (National Mexican Greenroof Association), Vice-President of WGIN, and Director of Urban Reforestation and Bikeways for the City of Mexico will present “Development of Greenroofs and Walls in Mexico and Latin America.”

Richard Hayden, RLA, ASLA, CLARB, USA:  The landscape architect and Garden Roof Department Manager at American Hydrotech, Inc. will present “Sloped and Complex Green Roofs.”

Haven Kiers, LEED AP, GRP, USA:  The founding partner of GreenSwell Design and Planning, trainer with Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, and contributing editor on Greenroofs.com will co-present the “2011 Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design” with Linda Velazquez.

Terry McGlade, Canada:  The horticulturalist, landscape designer, and founder and President of Gardens in the Sky will present “Constructing Gardens in the Sky.”

Chris Wark, MSME, LEED AP, USA:  The engineer, Senior Energy Analyst for Viridian Energy & Environmental, and contributing editor on Greenroofs.com will present “E = MC2 of Green Roofs: Ranking Energy Benefits by Mission, Climate and Construction.”

Imagine a world of green:
What are we doing to create organic architecture?

Next week I’ll highlight the rest of our stellar cast of greenroof and greenwall professionals and enthusiasts!

See the GGW Virtual Summit Speakers page and Agenda to learn all about each presenter and their presentations or the panel sessions.

You’ve got to admit that you can’t beat the super low registration fee of $99 for September 27 and 28 plus the 30 days archived on demand through October 28 to hear from all of these excellent speakers…

… but we want everyone to qualify for the even lower Associate Rate of only $49 (just type in the name of the non-profit/organization/constituency that you belong when prompted) or the Students/Faculty/Government Professionals Rate of only $25 (state the school/university or government).

And, you’ll be automatically entered for the chance at winning our second Apple iPad2 drawing, announced on September 30, 2011.

Pre-register or learn more by visiting:  virtual.greenroofs.com.

We hope you join us for this very interactive virtual experience – think film festival meets 2-day webinar and online expo extravaganza!

Brought to you by Greenroofs.com, we’d like to thank to our Virtual Summit Sponsors TREMCO (Rare Earth) and American Hydrotech (Emerald) and our Exhibitors, Associates, and Media Partners – make sure to visit them at the Expo Pavilions.

See you online on September 27 & 28, 2011!

~ Linda V.

Last week I told you about our Keynote Speakers for the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 - Andrew Grant, Charlie Miller, Ed Snodgrass and Ralph Velasquez –  awesome thinkers, designers, trend setters, eco-luminaries all of them!  And among others, we have French botanist and modern green wall pioneer Patrick Blanc, whom I’m interviewing this afternoon in Chicago…

See the GGW Virtual Summit Speakers page and Agenda to learn all about each presenter and their presentations or the panel sessions.

Speaking of our panel sessions, we have seven very distinct, innovative, and important collaborations that you are sure to enjoy and learn from personal experiences of movers and shakers in their respective fields from international non-profit, private and university level to U.S state, city, and borough level to professional association, private enterprise, and corporate experiences.

Click on the photos or titles to learn more about each scheduled time slot on the Agenda and each individual - they all have live Question & Answer sessions afterwards, so don’t miss them to pick their brains on how they are succeeding in greening our roofs and walls:

“Biodiversity and Greenroofs” above left to right: Christine Thuring (Moderator), Nathalie Baumann, Dusty Gedge, and Gary Grant discuss original research and unique experiences, from field work upwards to bigger picture perspectives, as well as corresponding experiences with legislation on urban nature conservation.

Christine is moderating the panel on “Biodiversity and Green Roofs” where she also speaks about her research on plant community development and ecological processes on extensive green roofs with time.  Nathalie speaks about “Green Roofs / Natural Roofs = Biodiverse Habitats and Ecological Compensation in Urban Space: 15 Years of Experience in Switzerland.”  Dusty speaks about “Designing and Working for Biodiversity on Green Roofs for Over 10 Years.”  And Gary speaks about “My First Biodiverse Green Roof in 1992, Considerations for Planning and Design and Some Thoughts on the Future.”

“Greenroofs & Walls for Educational & Social Equity in the Bronx” above left to right: Robert Bieder (Moderator), Jon Beuttler, Jess Dannhauser, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Javier Lopez, New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera, and Steve Ritz.  Fueled by a passionate and committed Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz Jr., it is common knowledge that the Bronx is leading NYC in embracing green technologies and the green economy. To wit, the policies and educational initiatives underway in and of the Bronx are making dramatic strides in the quality of life and opportunities for all residents with concentric benefits and ripples felt citywide, statewide and nationally.

This panel featuring: a State Senator, noted business leader, NYC project manager, health care manager, social service providers and a dedicated educator speaks to triple bottom line benefits, impacts and the uses of green roofs, green walls, and urban agriculture as highly replicable, critical components to creating and leveraging social equity and economic and educational opportunities in challenging times.

“The Portland Ecoroof Program: A Cross-section of the Green Roof Movement in Portland, Oregon” above left to right: Tom Liptan, Matt Burlin, Amy Chomowicz, Casey Cunningham, and Alice Meyers.  The Portland Ecoroof Program started in 1996 when a city employee constructed an experimental ecoroof on his garage.  From this small start, the program has grown and as of July 2011 there are over 420 green roofs of varying sizes, on all types of buildings, from multi-story apartment complexes and commercial buildings to humble sheds, kiosks, and garages.  These green roofs cover nearly 30 acres of Portland rooftops (extensive and intensive roofs).

The Portland Ecoroof Program consists of technical support, incentives, education, policies, and research.  The program is incentive-based rather than regulatory, and the city’s policies reflect this approach.  This presentation provides an overview of how these program elements work with the private sector and general public to sustain the green roof movement in Portland.

“Vertical Agriculture: A Global Movement Starts Locally, from Walls & Roofs to Table” above  left to right: George Irwin (Moderator), U.S. Congressman Tom Reed, and Tom Ferraro.  Urban agriculture is on the rise globally – up the walls and on rooftops.  Fresh, local crops benefit the entire community for many reasons.

U.S. Congressman Tom Reed from the 29th district of New York, Tom Ferraro, CEO of Foodlink – a national network of 200 food banks – and George Irwin, CEO of Green Living Technologies International (GLTi), provide interactive conversation and commentary concerning the impact of education, economics and opportunity around local food production with green walls and roofs.  Rochester-based GLTi started in New York City and has since grown nationally and internationally through education and collaborative hands-on projects with local youth, the underprivileged and disadvantaged in New York and Los Angeles and with business partnerships in Santiago, Dubai, and beyond to include their Food Factory and more.

“Wind. Water. Heat. Grow. Greenroofs.” above left to right: Dr. Bill Retzlaff, David Aponte, Kevin Songer, and Joe Webb.  Greenroofs are impacted by wind, water and heat on an unrelenting basis.  Through wind trials and real hurricane survival stories in Houston, TX, Jacksonville, FL, Edwardsville, IL, and Puerto Rico, we have met those challenges and will discuss various projects’ responses and successes to Hurricanes Ike and (any others?).  Drought, hot winds, and unseasonable 100° days can also quickly desiccate or kill greenroof plants.

Dr. Bill Retzlaff moderates discussing wind studies and plant trials for greenroofs at SIUE. Joe Webb talks about his project which endured 110 to 120 mph winds and 11” of rain in 24 hours and shares water mapping and Living Building Challenge Water requirements.  Kevin Songer talks about the Outdoor Turbine Hurricane Simulator at the University of Florida, water conservation through ‘nature-based irrigation design,’ and the importance of biodiversity.  David Aponte speaks to his experience of engineering and designing greenroofs with the correct growing media and plants in hurricane-prone, sub-tropical Puerto Rico.

“Greenroofs: Wind & Fire” Panel above  left to right: Kelly Luckett, Mike Ennis, and Jim Kirby.  No longer can the green roof be deleted from a project due to failure to comply with the fire code.  After three years in the making from members of Single Ply Roofing Industry in cooperation with Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC), we now have a green roof design guide for minimizing the risk of fire on green roofs.  The securing of a place in mainstream construction through the International Code Council (ICC) has resulted in a milestone for the North American green roof movement. Fire concerns are only half of the code story as the wind design guide is still progressing through the ANSI process – we must overcome both the wind and the fire obstacle.

Kelly Luckett, President of Green Roof Blocks, moderates and shares his experiences representing GRHC with the consensus based ANSI/SPRI VF-1 and RP-14 standards.  Jim Kirby, NRCA’s AED, Technical Communications, provides NRCA commentary about building codes, vegetative roofs and RP-14.  Mike Ennis, Technical Director for SPRI, speaks to SPRI’s leadership leadership in the development of fire and wind standards and experience in the building code arena.

And, because the panel sessions weren’t stirring enough, we’ve ended with the “Green Roofs Without the Hype” Panel above left to right: Patrick Carey, Dr. Robert Berghage, Charlie Miller, and Ed Snodgrass.  Here are four people with the knowledge to speak frankly about the current state of affairs in green roofing.  This panel focuses on the designation and evaluation of expertise, appropriate background and training, roadblocks to research and education, design origination and control, chain of custody issues, installation, and the residential market.

We hope you join us for this very interactive virtual experience – think film festival meets 2-day webinar and online expo extravaganza!

Pre-register or learn more by visiting:  virtual.greenroofs.com.  Don’t forget to pre-register by this Friday, September 9 for the discounted Early Bird rate of only $49 ($25 for students/faculty and government professionals).

Brought to you by Greenroofs.com, we’d like to thank to our Virtual Summit Sponsors TREMCO (Rare Earth) and American Hydrotech (Emerald) and our Exhibitors and Media Partners – make sure to visit them at the Expo Pavilions.

See you online on September 27 & 28, 2011!

~ Linda V.

The ever growing demand for sustainable design continues to grow across the world – especially with living architecture, and Greenroofs.com’s inaugural Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit held online on September 27 and 28, 2011 is truly a groundbreaking event you can’t miss!

Join us as we inform, share, and create a global social media experience for learning and networking via the power of the Internet.   It’s a community destination that will allow you to connect with everyone in our growing community!

Over 50 speakers from around the world are joining us in the Virtual Summit including architects, ecologists, landscape architects, engineers, educators, industry CEOs, product manufacturers and suppliers, botanists, non-profit directors, government officials and representatives from the state of New York, cities of Portland, OR; Chicago, IL; and the Bronx.

We’ve just released our very impressive international speaker line-up for the Virtual Summit 2011 – you can now see the Speakers page and Agenda to learn all about each presenter and their presentations or panel sessions.

Our Keynote Speakers are thinkers, designers, trend setters, eco-luminaries:

“Imagine a world of green:
What are we doing to create organic architecture?”

• Andrew Grant, Landscape Architect, Principal, Grant Associates, presenting: “Gardens by the Bay, Singapore“
  Charlie Miller, P.E., Principal, Roofmeadow, presenting “A New Place“
  Ed Snodgrass, Farmer, Author, Co-owner, Emory Knoll Farms/Green Roof Plants, presenting “Right Plant, Right Place“
  Ralph Velasquez, Executive Director of Sustainability, Tremco, presenting “CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility – The Who, What, Where, When and How“

Here are just a few more of the illustrious speakers we have in store for you:

Rosemarie S. Andolino, USA: The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) Commissioner will present “CDA Leads the Way for Incorporating Green Roof Space in an Airport Environment.”

Dr. Patrick Blanc, France: The renown botanist and creator of Le Mur Végétal will present “The Vertical Garden – from Nature to Cities” with an exclusive interview by Linda Velazquez.

Dr. Nigel Dunnett, UK: The Director of the Green Roof Centre and University of Sheffield Professor will present “Sky Meadows: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Diverse Green Roof Plantings.”

Paul Kephart, USA: The President of Rana Creek and ecological designer will present “Large-Scale Applications of Living Architecture.”

Xianmin Wang, China: The Deputy Chief of the Vertical Greening Academic Group of China Green Building Council; Vice Chairman of the International Rooftop Landscaping Association will present “The Current Situation and Future of Green Roofs in China.”

We’re treating our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 as a production, and now you can see the trailer – it’s fast, fun, and informative and gives you a glimpse of presentations to come.  Watch just a few highlights from our stellar cast of greenroof and greenwall professionals below:

Don’t forget to pre-register by September 9 for the discounted Early Bird rate of only $49 ($25 for students/faculty and government professionals) for access on both September 27 and 28 and 30 days archived on demand through October 28!  Plus, you’ll be automatically entered for the chance to win the first of two Apple iPad2s that we’re giving away.

One random winner will be chosen from the Early Bird Pre-Registrations and one from attendees who have been the most active using the Social Collaboration Network, including all your online chatting and visiting our very important sponsor and exhibitor booths at the Expo Pavilions!

Pre-register or learn more by visiting:  virtual.greenroofs.com

Brought to you by Greenroofs.com, we’d like to thank to our Virtual Summit Sponsors TREMCO and American Hydrotech and our Exhibitors and Media Partners:

See our Press Release here.  Join us for the sharing, networking and fun event of the year!

~ Linda V.

Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video.  Here’s the transcript from August 19, 2011 from our daughter, Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here.  Enjoy!

- Hello, I’m Anjuli Velazquez and welcome to This Week in Review for this week, August 19th, 2011 on GreenroofsTV.

- Project of the Week

-  Our project of the week is the NBC Experience Store living wall built in 2010 in New York, NY. The beautiful and lush indoor living wall at Rockefeller Center was developed to be a part of NBC’s “Green is Universal” week 2010. A secondary green initiative included a temporary window display to help educate the public on green farming with vertical living walls and show the portability of the Green Living Technologies International Mobile Edible Wall Unit, used as a teaching tool in classrooms and as part of the GLTi Food Factory. The GLTi certified installers responsible for the project were the youngest certified installers in the world, part of the Discovery High School team of interns on the degree track program getting paid to implement the skills they had learned in class. The living wall units are part of the GLTi curriculum used in the NYC Schools and will be part of the new Hunts Point High School for Sustainable Community Initiatives in the Bronx, making the program the first of its kind providing a degree track with green technologies as the focal point. The unit is bell to bell instruction and can be used to grow everything from food to long-lived perennials.

-  To learn more about the NBC Experience Store living wall, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage.

“What’s New”

- Industry News

-  On Wednesday, New York City Mayor Bloomberg signed into law a bill to exempt rooftop greenhouses from being counted toward a buildings’ height and floor area measurements.  The greenhouses will join structures like roof tanks, air-conditioning equipment and chimneys as apparatus that are not factored into buildings’ official totals, easing limitations on the construction of such structures.  As for greenroofs, new legislation will allow 4 inch depth systems to be submitted to the Department of Buildings without the need for construction plans or permits.

-  The U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) under the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) department has recently updated the “New and Underutilized Technology: Green Roof” webpage to include information which outlines key development considerations for greenroofs within the federal sector.

-  Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts: “Boston GreenFest 2011 is Open!” where you’ll find lots of fun and learning activities for the whole family, plus learn about greenroofs and walls with The Green Wall Editor, George Irwin of Green Living Technologies International, who will complete an 800 sf greenroof on site, “Greenroofs.com’s ‘This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: August 12th, 2011” and our GPW.

- “Upcoming Events”

-  Now through August 20^th is Boston GreenFest 2011 in Boston, Massachusetts.

-  August 21st-25th: is StormCon – The North American Surface Water Quality Conference in Anaheim, California.

-  August 24th-26th: is the 6th Annual Georgia Environmental Conference in Savannah, Georgia.

-  August 25th-27th: is the Farwest Show in Portland, Oregon.

-  And August 26th: is a Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) – Advanced Green Roof Maintenance course in Toronto, Canada.

-  Check out our homepage for more Upcoming Events!

- “In the News”

-  Caitlin Moran of Patch.com says “‘Rainwater Tour’ Gives Residents Ideas for Better Stormwater Management.” Earlier this week, about 15 residents of Redmond, Washington gathered at Grass Lawn Park for a “Rain Water Community Tour.” Hosted by the City of Redmond, Sustainable Redmond and People for Puget Sound, the walking tour highlighted some of the park’s modern stormwater management features, including a green roof, rain garden and permeable ground surfaces. The environmental features help filter out stormwater pollution before water hits local streams, rivers and the Puget Sound. Maddie Foutch, an intern at People for Puget Sound who helped coordinate the rainwater tour, says that stormwater is the cause of one-third of the pollution in Puget Sound. And Peter Holte, the City of Redmond’s stewardship coordinator said “rain gardens, green roofs and the added use of pervious surfaces also helps slow stormwater flow into the streams, which in turn mitigates stream bank erosion and flooding.”

-  Patricia Culligan of LiveScience.com asks “How Does Your Rooftop Grow?” She says “green roofs, such as those on the Columbia University campus, are rapidly gaining popular attention in the United States, recently becoming a high-profile component of sustainable building construction.” To better understand the benefits of urban green roofs and how they work, a team of Columbia University researchers including Patricia Culligan, Stuart Gaffin and Wade McGillis, are coordinating extensive green roofs throughout New York City, in a partnership with the university’s Office of Environmental Stewardship and the Earth Institute’s Urban Design Lab. The researchers are measuring roof runoff, plant evapo-transpiration, carbon dioxide flux, temperature of the growing medium, moisture gradients, local particle counts, and roof albedo for roofs across the city and the results will provide great information for people of the greenroof industry.

- To learn more about these stories and new ones posted daily, go to our In the News or newslinks section of our website.

- Have something you think we should know about and post on our website? You can send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com.

- Stay up-to-date with what’s going on at Greenroofs.com by subscribing to our greenroofsTV channel on YouTube, following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook and being a member of our network on LinkedIn.

- This has been This Week in Review for August 19th, 2011 on GreenroofsTV.  I’m Anjuli Velazquez and I’ll see you next week!

*This week’s episode is sponsored by The Greenroof Directory, brought to you by Greenroofs.com.*

Did we miss something? We’d love to hear from you!

~ Linda V.

Greenroofs.com Project of the Week: 8/15/11
NBC Experience Store
New York, NY, USA
135 sf. Greenwall

Year: 2010
Owner: NBC
Location: New York, NY, USA
Building Type: Commercial
Type: Living Wall
System: Single Source Provider
Size: 135 sq.ft.
Slope: 100%
Access: Accessible, Open to Public

Project Description & Details

The NBC Experience Store at Rockefeller Center project was developed as a piece for NBC’s “Green is Universal” week 2010, resulting in a beautiful and lush indoor wall in the heart of New York City. A secondary green initiative included a temporary window display to educate the public on green farming with vertical living walls as well as to show the portability of the Mobile Edible Wall Unit (MEWU), used as a teaching tool in classrooms and as part of the Green Living Technologies International Food Factory.

The project received a lot of attention upon the introduction of the installation team – they were not only from the Bronx, they were also GLTi’s youngest certified installers in the world. As part of the GLTi educational curriculum, this Discovery High School team of interns is part of the degree track program getting paid to implement the skills they learned in the classroom. The interior greenwall utilizes the patented 24″x24″x4″ Green Living Wall Panels consisting of low light indoor plants. The grow lights use only 7W of electricity and the bulbs last over 50,000 hours, making the lighting unit a great low cost option.

Designers/Manufacturers of Record

Greenwall System: Green Living Technologies International (GLTi)
Plant Grower: Parker Plantscapes
Installation: Discovery High School Students
Discovery High School Teacher/Administrator: Steve Ritz

Additional Info

NBC’s Green is Universal program and Green Living Technologies International partnered to bring the beautiful green walls to the NBC Experience Store in 30 Rockefeller Plaza for Green Week 2010.   You couldn’t have asked for greater exposure for public awareness – the NBC Experience Store at 30 Rock is located on the corner of 49th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue and is across from the TODAY show studio.

After speaking with George Irwin of GLTi and Discovery High School, NBC hoped to “communicate green and the environment right here in the store.” And they certainly did just that - NBC’s Experience Store “Window Farm” below was a temporary display during ”Green is Universal” week 2010 which ran from November 14-21.  The full length display windows had four individual MEWUs and were full of vegetable and herb plants all week long and all the produce was donated to four NYC schools for healthy lunches!

The permanent greenwall below is located up on the second floor and is visible from the first floor product display area of the NBC Experience Store.

I had the opportunity to see this lovely flowering greenwall last January, when Caroline Menetre, above, and I attended a GLT Certified Training in New York of about 100 people, including 30 students of whom several were from Discovery High School in the Bronx – the same team who had installed this greenwall – they were there to help the new student class (read her January 21, 2011 blog post GLT in NYC: A Weekend of Training, Education, & Fun).

George Irwin, CEO of GLTi and a former teacher himself, has been tirelessly promoting vertical living technologies to students across New York and has been working with educator Steve Ritz of Discovery High School and others to educate youth on the multiple benefits of sustainable crop production on greenroofs and greenwalls.

Led by George and classroom teacher Steve Ritz of Discovery High School, the student team installed the 135 sf modular greenwall on November 13, 2010 in just a few hours.

This was done by the GLTi certified trainer graduating class from the Spring of 2010 (in collaboration with Janice Goodman and Cityscape), and these young people had already installed a greenroof over the summer in the Hamptons!

“We are providing opportunities and changing lives.”~ George Irwin

Here are some South Bronx figures, according to Ritz:  25% are unemployed; 40% are living in poverty; and the median income is $20,000.  Part Bronx activist and part youth advocate, teacher/administrator Steve Ritz’s students maintain a community garden and grow food in their classroom.

Steve has been central to encouraging healthier eating habits as part of incorporating the GLTi Mobile Edible Wall Units or MEWU into his curriculum plus actually empowering these students with the promise of green collar jobs.  The students actually run a profitable, community-based farmer’s market – in his class he and the kids have grown enough food to feed 450+ people!

“The Bronx is poised and ready to export our talent and diversity to lead the green revolution in ways that help us heal ourselves in a fully sustainable manner.” ~ Steve Ritz

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. is a great supporter of the efforts of Discovery High School, the proposed Hunts Point High School for Sustainable Community Initiatives - the career technical school focused on urban agriculture and “green” technology and jobs slated to open in 2012 – and the overall green technology potential in the Bronx.

“Ritz wrote the proposal for the new school, which would operate in partnership with the Pratt Institute, Green Living Technologies, Mothers on the Move, the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education and The Point Community Development Corp.” ~ The Hunts Point Express

Speaking of George Irwin, Steve Ritz, and Ruben Diaz, Jr., make sure you see them at the upcoming Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 on September 27 and 28 where they are all sharing their experiences with New York greenroofs and greenwalls!

On Tuesday, September 27, watch Steve Ritz and Ruben Diaz, Jr. in the panel session “Greenroofs & Walls for Educational & Social Equity in the Bronx.” Moderated by Bronx businessman, Robert Bieder of Westchester Square Plumbing Supply and joined by fellow panelists Jon Beuttler, Project Manager in the Division of New Construction of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development; Jess Dannhauser,  Graham Windham’s Senior Vice President for Program Performance and Planning; Javier Lopez, Director of the New York City Strategic Alliance for Health, and New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera, they will discuss the policies and educational initiatives underway in and of the Bronx that are making dramatic strides in the quality of life and opportunities for all residents with concentric benefits and ripples felt citywide, statewide and nationally.

And on Wednesday, September 28 see George Irwin as he leads the “Vertical Agriculture: A Global Movement Starts Locally, from Wall to Table“ panel session along with Tom Ferraro, Executive Director of Foodlink, and U.S. Congressman Tom Reed.  This team will provide interactive conversation and commentary concerning the benefits of urban crops and the impact of education, economics and opportunity around local food production with green walls and roofs.

The NBC Experience Store Greenwall is a great example of a successful public/private partnership/relationship, and that “Green is Universal!”

Watch students and teachers from the Bronx’s Discovery School install the wall, and talk about the impact the program has had on their education below:

Did we miss something? We’d love to hear from you! Click here to see more information about this project in The International Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database. See how you can submit yours here.

Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!

~ Linda V.

Boston GreenFest 2011 just opened at Boston City Hall at 5:00 pm!

Organized by Dr. Karen Weber and The Foundation for a Green Future, Inc., it’s the region’s largest environmental and multicultural festival.   Boston GreenFest celebrates the many ways we can create a better world by greening our lives and our communities.

Boston GreenFest 2011 HOURS:

Thursday, August 18: 5 pm – 9:30 pm:  Performers & Food - Bill McKibben will be your EcoMC!
Friday, August 19: noon – 9:30 pm:  Exhibitors/Food/Vendors/Performers
Saturday, August 20: 11 am – 8 pm:  Exhibitors/Food/Vendors/Performers

The EcoParty continues every night at the Hard Rock Café presented by Afrodesiacity!

The website says to stop by the EcoKids area for Radio Disney, TryOutToys and FIRST Lego Robots and that MassBike will run a Valet Bike Parking Service all day Friday & Saturday at the City Hall steps.

2011 HIGHLIGHTS:

- Native American Drum Ceremony
– Green Fireworks and Light Show
– Transportation Tomorrow Today!
– Over 200 Exhibitors
– 200 Live Performances
– GreenSouleStage
– Great Escape with Alexanderia!
– NOCHE LATINA
– EcoSalsa Fashion Show
– Jambalaya and Samba Dancers
– YMAA Kung Fu Demonstration
– NESA Gymnastic Presentation
– Tap Off with Boston Tap Company
– Green Entrepreneur Small Biz Forum
– EcoCafé, EcoGallery, EcoBazaar
– GreenFilmFest
– EcoFashion Pop-Up Shop
– One Gallon ChallengeTM
– EcoTimeTrail
– BPS EcoPhoto Contest
– EcoPoetry with Seitu
– Boston GreenFest Quilt
– Fun for Kids!

“The Foundation for a Green Future, Inc. is dedicated to ensuring a green future for our planet and is proud to host this event.  We must teach, support and model sustainable ways to live for ourselves and our children. Green roofs are an important part of the solution.  This festival will go beyond our roofs.  It will get to the core of  GREEN SOLUTIONS for our entire Boston Community.”

These are the EcoThemes for 2011:

• Green Roofs, Green Cities• EcoDesign and Green Buildings• Sustainable Business & Investing• College Impact• Communications• Our Food & Farms• Water• Energy• GreenTech,CleanTech• Our Community• Green Homes• Green Lifestyles• Transportation• Walk & Bike• Health & Wellness• Healthy Minds & Spirit• Fitness & Recreation• EcoFashion & Shows• International Perspectives• Green Perspectives• EcoKids

Speaking of “EcoThemes,” don’t miss one of our contributing editors, George Irwin – The Green Wall Editor –  of Green Living Technologies International (GLTi), who will be speaking about greenroofs and walls.  His lecture is part of an interactive hands on demonstration of an authentic 800 sf greenroof installed on the Boston City Hall plaza as part of the weekend display.

The set up is part of an AIA lecture series by GLTi and they are offering AIA credit hours at no cost to attendees.  Visit the GLTi booth to learn all about vegetative roofs and living walls, and to pick up a free copy of Greenroofs.com’s Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ 2011 Calendar (limited number)!

If you live in the Boston area, you’ll find lots of music, fun, and learning activities here for the whole family, and get to participate in a really clean and green environment.  Visit Boston GreenFest 2011 for more info.

~ Linda V.