As I told you about last week when I introduced the “Greenroofs & Walls for Educational & Social Equity in the Bronx” video from our inaugural Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit featuring New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Robert Bieder, Jon Beuttler, Jess Dannhauser, Javier Lopez and Steve Ritz, Steve has the honor of speaking tomorrow at TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat” at the Times Center in New York City.

I’m sure you’re all aware of the awesome speakers highlighted at the inspirational organization, TED!

“TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.” ~ TED

TEDx is an independently organized event and licensed by TED.  The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized:

“In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x=independently organized TED event.” ~ TEDx

In February of 2011, over 14,000 computers tuned in from locations all over the globe to watch the live simulcast of the first TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat.” Tomorrow, Saturday, January 21, 2012, the second TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat” will explore the issues, the impacts and the innovations happening as we shift to a more sustainable way of eating and farming and help to create connections and unite different areas of the food movement.

The cool thing about this is that although it is a live, local event held in Manhattan, anyone with access to a computer can watch the webcast live at www.livestream.com/tedx from 10:30am – 5:15pm EST tomorrow, Saturday January 21st.

There’s a world-class line-up of speakers that is sure to inspire you (for a complete list, see here), including:

Bronx teacher and administrator Stephen Ritz will be presenting the 245 slide BRONX based presentation entitled:  ”Green Bronx Machine:  Growing Our Way Into A New Economy will focus on NYC DOE school children and THE GLORY AND BOUNTY OF BRONX COUNTY!!!”

This award winning program was recently cited in the December 2011 Issue of Principal Leadership: National Association of Secondary School Principals as one of five national exemplars of service learning, and continues to move the most disenfranchised and marginalized students from the poorest Congressional District in America into living wage career opportunities while harvesting minds and cultivating hope across the Bronx and NYC.

Once again, read about some of Steve’s outstanding work in our Sky Gardens blog post of January, 2011 by Caroline Menetre.

This sounds like a great opportunity for people around the world to connect online with each other (sounds like the mission of our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit!) about the sustainable food movement, which we know of course includes the amazing applications for growing food on rooftops and walls!  While the talks revolve around the speakers in NYC,  I’m sure we’ll all take away a great deal of information that we can apply to our own communities.

Happy greening in NYC and around the world!

~ Linda V.

Today we have the pleasure to air our first of seven panel sessions from our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit on greenroofs.tv and our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube: ”Greenroofs & Walls for Educational & Social Equity in the Bronx” featuring New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Robert Bieder, Jon Beuttler, Jess Dannhauser, Javier Lopez and Steve Ritz.

We feel extremely honored to have had seven luminaries join us from New York City who are all passionate about where they all work, The Bronx.  This is a very important roundtable discussion to hear for those people interested in learning about the passion and commitment of the civic, education, and business leaders of The Bronx and her constituents – and it’s also a great venue to see their real life challenges and triumphs of promoting and implementing greening policies as well:

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.

“Greenroofs & Walls for Educational & Social Equity in the Bronx” Panel
		Robert Bieder Bronx, NY, USA. Robert Bieder is a third generation Bronx businessman who, with his family, owns and operates Westchester Square Plumbing Supply where this past December they had installed solar panels and reduced their electric costs by 60%. In addition, they are a leading distributor of water and fuel saving devices. Bob is also a member of the Bronx Coalition for Parks & Greenspaces, Chairman of the Bronx Merchants Coalition, and a member of Bronx Community Board 10. Bob is the Moderator for “Greenroofs & Walls for Educational & Social Equity in the Bronx.”
		Jon Beuttler New York, NY, USA. Jonathan Beuttler is a Project Manager in the Division of New Construction of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the largest municipal developer of affordable housing in the nation. Prior to joining HPD, Jonathan wrote successful grant proposals for urban farming start-ups and policy proposals supporting growth in the urban farming industry. Jonathan has worked at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the Fashion Center Business Improvement District and is a return Peace Corps volunteer.
		Jess Dannhauser New York, NY, USA. Jess Dannhauser is Graham Windham’s Senior Vice President for Program Performance and Planning. Jess came to Graham Windham from the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) where he had been serving as the Associate Commissioner for Performance Measurement, Monitoring and Improvement. As Associate Commissioner, he was in charge of ACS’s performance measurement and consultation system which aims to drive performance improvements in all of New York City’s non-profit child welfare agencies. He has extensive experience in New York City agencies as the former Chief of Staff for Commissioner John Mattingly and the Special Assistant to now Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs when she was Commissioner at the Department of Homeless Services. Jess received his Master’s of Social Work from the University of California, Berkeley and his BA in Psychology from Duke University.
		Ruben Diaz, Jr. Bronx, NY, USA. Elected Bronx Borough President in the Special Election on April 21st, 2009, Ruben Diaz Jr., previously served in the New York State Assembly since 1997, representing the 85th Assembly District. He demonstrated passion for constituent service, social advocacy and community empowerment balanced with support for sensible, green economic development and job creation programs. He sponsored and secured passage of important and innovative laws to address the consequences of the intolerable levels of asthma in the South Bronx, healthcare insurance fraud, and quality of life concerns. Throughout his seven terms in the State Legislature, Ruben Diaz Jr. was a champion for working families in the Bronx. A staunch defender of the environment, he is a leading voice against environmental racism and injustice. He graduated from Lehman College, City University of New York, with a Bachelors degree in political theory. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. was interviewed after the panel session for Greenroofs.com at the Bronx County Courthouse.
		Javier Lopez New York, NY, USA. Javier Lopez is the Director of the New York City Strategic Alliance for Health (SAfH). SAfH is a consortium of advocates, community activists, organizations and professionals with an interest in lessening the impact of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Northern Manhattan, North and Central Brooklyn, and the South Bronx. The goal of the consortium is to develop local obesity prevention policy, system, environmental changes that can be adopted citywide. Javier has a BA from the State University of New York at Albany and a Master’s of Public Administration from Baruch College where he was also named a member of the National Urban Fellow program. In 2007 he was named a member of Cornell University’s “Strength through Diversity” Young Professionals Leadership Program.
		Gustavo Rivera Bronx, NY, USA. New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico and graduated from the University of Puerto Rico. In 1998, Rivera came to New York to begin a doctoral program in political science at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He has lived in the Bronx for ten years. Gustavo Rivera was elected State Senator for New York Senate District 33 in November of 2010. The 33rd Senate District consists of the Northwest Bronx including Kingsbridge Heights, East Tremont, Crotona Park, Fordham, Bedford Park and parts of Riverdale. As a State Senator, Gustavo Rivera has been working to change the way business is done in the legislature and to ensure that the families of the 33rd Senate District have a voice in Albany. In addition to serving as a State Senator, Gustavo Rivera continues to serve as an adjunct professor at Pace University, where he teaches courses in political science. For the last ten years, Rivera has also served as a faculty member and mentor for “Somos el Futuro,” the annual Model State Senate program sponsored by CUNY, SUNY, the NY State Assembly, and the Puerto Rican Hispanic Task.
		Steve Ritz Bronx, NY, USA. Stephen Ritz is an acclaimed NYC DOE educator/administrator whose work in the Bronx continues to attract national attention and support. To date, he has grown more than 20,000 pounds of Bronx vegetables with his extended Bronx Family – the youngest certified workforce in America – who operate a profitable, in school, student Farmers Market and routinely install green walls and green roofs across NYC/NYS. Steve continually champions living wage opportunities along with stellar academic results for his students and his work has been recognized and celebrated by CNN, NBC, ABC, NY Academy of Medicine, US EPA, USS Intrepid, United Nations amongst others. Learn more about him and support his newest vision on Facebook and YouTube.

The “Greenroofs & Walls for Educational & Social Equity in the Bronx” video was filmed at the Bronx office of State Senator Gustavo Rivera in September, 2011. Enjoy!  Visit greenroofs.tv to see “Greenroofs & Walls for Educational & Social Equity in the Bronx” or click below:

Next week on January 21st, 2012, Bronx educator Steve Ritz will be presenting at the sold-out TEDxManhattan on this very subject.  See him at right, standing next to one of the GLT Mobile Edible Wall Units – full of fresh herbs and veggies -which he uses in his classrooms.  (See Caroline Menetre’s related “GLT in NYC: A Weekend of Training, Education, & Fun“ Sky Gardens Blog post of January 21, 2011.)

Congratulations, Steve!

Watch earlier videos on our exclusive Virtual Summit greenroofs.tv playlist, or see the following Virtual Summit videos now available on our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube:

Episode #4: Keynote Address “CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility – The Who, What, Where, When and How” by Ralph Velasquez
Episode #3: “CDA Leads the Way for Incorporating Green Roof Space in an Airport Environment” by Rosemarie Andolino
Episode #2: “2011 Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design” by Haven Kiers and me
Episode #1: Opening Keynote Address “A New Place” by Charlie Miller

Check back next week on GreenroofsTV for our x installment from the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011!

~ Linda V.

Greenroofs.com Project of the Week: 12/19 & 26/11
Tremco Incorporated Headquarters
Beachwood, OH, USA
9,000 sf. Greenroof

Year: 2010
Owner: Tremco, Inc.
Location: Beachwood, OH, USA
Building Type: Corporate
Type: Semi-Intensive
System: Single Source Provider
Size: 9,000 sq. ft.
Slope: 1%
Access: Accessible, Private

Project Description & Details

Tremco Incorporated is dedicated to the development of high-performance buildings characterized by energy efficiency, limited environmental impact and low operating costs. Last year (in 2010) they began a foundation-to-roof renovation of its 40-year-old-headquarters with the goal to transform the building into a showcase of sustainability that would achieve LEED Gold certification.

Tremco’s new 46,000 sf corporate headquarters incorporated numerous sustainable features into its renovation including four types of sustainable roofing systems. The vegetated roof features 46 species with almost 16,000 plants, designed with four different sections to create a variety of low-maintenance plant life and edibles; the new HQ also has a living façade trellis system on several walls on top of the roof. During the renovation, Tremco sent nothing to landfills. Almost 100 percent of everything removed was recycled, reused or burned for energy.

Designers/Manufacturers of Record

Waterproofing: Tremco, Inc.

Additional Info

Completely renovated from top to bottom at a cost of $5.5 million, the 40-year old Tremco Incorporated (an RPM Company) headquarters  is now a sustainable, high performance building that is energy efficient, has limited environmental impact and operates with the lowest possible life-cycle costs.

Made possible by their parent RPM Building Solutions Group companies and other partners, the objectives were to improve energy efficiency and conserve water; reduce operational costs; provide a safer, healthier facility; and protect the natural environment by reducing our carbon output, lowering the local heat island effect, and recycling and reusing material to keep it from being hauled to a landfill.  Their goal is to become one of the few LEED Gold certified facilities currently located in Ohio.

The wealth of internal expertise of the sister companies was obvious and the project was viewed as a showpiece of their innovative people, services, and products as well as of sustainable construction technology.

“It leverages what we do best: help building owners maintain what they have. That was the driving force behind the company’s coatings business. Since our company was founded, our goal has been to help owners extend the life of their roofs and, ultimately, their entire building. That’s the best form of sustainability, and it minimizes what goes to landfills. We wanted to demonstrate what we could do in a bigger and better way — and what better way to walk the talk than with our own headquarters.” ~ Deryl Kratzer, President of the Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance Division in Roofing Contractor, October 2011

Construction best practices that WTI, the general contractor on the project, and its subcontractors followed to increase the project’s sustainability included:

• Onsite sorting of materials
• Recycling of all non-hazardous material
• Chain-of-custody documentation for all off-site recycling
• Reusing materials as applicable
• Verifying that materials are certified for LEED credit

You can follow their blog, “Building Green on Green – The Tremco Headquarters Green Transformation” which chronicled the renovation of Tremco Incorporated’s headquarters and continues to report on sustainability concerns for the company.  For example, in October, 2010 Tremco HQ launched a commitment to being a zero landfill facility and as of the end of October, 2011, it had kept more than 190,000 pounds out of the landfill since November 2010.

According to the website, the Tremco HQ renovation’s most noteworthy sustainable features include:

• - Four types of sustainable roofing systems:
  • * Vegetated roof featuring local plants. Low impact lighting and a water capture system are integrated with the roof with a pathway of recycled materials. Signs describe the roof’s features and provide information about the plant palette.
  • * The ENERGY STAR® qualified Rock-It™ roof surfacing system, composed of white gravel set in white adhesive.
  • * A white, reflective, single ply system installed beneath a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system.
  • * A thin-film rooftop PV system is used to generate electricity for the building.  A second PV system on a white reflective roof will be installed on the South building.

• - A Dryvit Outsulation Plus® MD exterior wall system featuring Dryvit’s TerraNeo™ finish. The system provides an energy efficient, insulated façade and can be applied directly to the existing slate, eliminating the time and potential waste of removing the façade.
• - High-performance, double pane, tinted windows that exceed minimum energy standards.  Tremco sealants and gaskets are used, along with Tremco’s Proglaze® ETA (Engineered Transition Assembly) to ensure an airtight transition from window to wall.
• - New sidewalks, with decorative concrete from Increte Systems, are supported by gravel from one of the building’s existing roofs.
• - A 1.8kW rated wind turbine installed on the property helps generate electricity.
• - Numerous interior upgrades such as ADA-compliant restrooms, interior window treatments, elevator modernizations with eco-friendly technology and ADA compliance.
• - Mechanical/Engineering/Plumbing upgrades such as new control system that ensures an accurate operating schedule of HVAC and lighting as well as improved zone control; modifications to the central air handling system to enable variable flow, resulting in significant energy savings; and replacing the cooling tower with a variable speed model that also eliminates the need for water treatment.
• During renovation for the greenroof, they took it down to the deck and installed a system including a two-ply vapor retarder, insulation, a TPA (Tri-Polymer Alloy) adhered membrane, engineered growing media and plants, as well as Tremco’s own Bio-Tray Vegetated Roof Delivery System.

Interpretive signage identifies the plants and describes benefits and the system, among other issues:

Craig Nelson, vice president of construction operations for WTI, says that the R-value for the vegetative roof is above 100.

The 46 different kinds of plants on the roof also include edibles – herbs and fruits such as basil and blueberries that the company is using in its own cafeteria.

Walkways were made from slate recycled from the original mechanical room wall façades, and low-impact lighting was installed so the walkways could be used in the evening.

Tournesol Siteworks‘ FRP planters and VertiGreen trellis were employed for the living walls which support freestanding plantings within the roof garden as well as attached to building walls, providing areas to camouflage unattractive mechanical systems and feature beautiful plantings.

“This renovation gives us an exceptional opportunity to show our commitment to sustainability to our customers, staff, suppliers and others,” says Randy Korach, president of Tremco Inc. in BXMagazine.com, October 2011

In addition to an 84% reduction in natural gas usage, a 43% reduction in electricity, an Energy Star rating between 85 and 90, and far better use of water resources, the Tremco HQ has also become a teaching tool for customers.  The lobby display shows actual performance and an upper level classroom for AIA-approved courses contains a cross-section of the vegetative roof.  You can also recieve a CD-ROM that shows how the structure was transformed and explains the technologies involved.

See the Tremco Headquarters Sustainable Renovation video (5:28) below on Tremco’s YouTube Channel:

The greenroof is featured in the 2012 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ 12 Month Wall Calendar in the month of November and is the film location of Ralph Velasquez’s Keynote Address, “Corporate Social Responsibility – The Who, What, Where, When and How” from our inaugural Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011:

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.

Greenroofs.com Project of the Week: 12/12/11
Orchard Central Mall Greenwalls
Singapore
2,207 sf. of Greenwalls

Year: 2009
Owner: Far East Organization
Location: Singapore
Building Type: Commercial
Type: Green Façade
System: Single Source Provider
Size: 2,207 sq. ft.
Slope: 100%
Access: Accessible, Open to Public

Project Description & Details

Orchard Central Mall is Singapore’s tallest and first vertical pure-retail mall with 11 storeys above ground and two basement levels. Orchard Central boasts multiple outdoor viewing areas with a commanding view of Orchard Road, including three outdoor “green” balconies appealing to alfresco food & beverage outlets. The air-conditioned shopping street discovery walk and the rooftop garden are both accessible to the public 24 hours a day.

The Singapore Institute of Architects and National Parks Board award-winning project features three large living walls and balcony rail on the 11th floor and 2 lower green walls on the 12th floor roof terrace. Elmich Green Wall’s Vertical Greening Modules (VGM) provide the modular system comprising a geotextile bag filled with soil-less lightweight planting media, pre-planted in a nursery environment to allow for plant establishment. The VGMs are encased in metal support frames on-site and mounted onto anchoring pilasters; an automated drip irrigation and fertilization system was also installed. The planted walls complement and create the atmosphere for alfresco dining as well as serve to substantially cool the areas immediately adjacent to the walls.

Designers/Manufacturers of Record

Developer: Far East Organization

Additional Info

A city-state of high rise buildings, Singapore is becoming reknown for its ”skyrise greenery” and continuous efforts in making it a “City in a Garden.”

Here, and known throughout Southeast Asia, Orchard Road is the fashion, retail and entertainment hub with shopping centers (more than 40), dining and pubs galore.  Orchard Road got its name from the nutmeg, pepper and fruit orchards or the plantations that the road led to in the mid-1800s.  Commercial development of the area began in the twentieth century, with a surge in the 1970s (read more in Wikipedia).

Located at the heart of Orchard Road, the new high-end Orchard Central Mall replaced Specialists Shopping Centre and had a soft opening in July, 2009.  The mall boasts 160m frontage along this shopping belt of Singapore.

The 12-floor Orchard Central Mall features ‘cluster-concept’ shopping (8 clusters separated by categories) with a wide variety of specialty shops that are not available elsewhere.  Hard to imagine, but the mall is served by a total of 52 escalators (including 6 super escalators) and 12 glass elevators -6 express lifts move between 500 and 2,000 ft/min!  The super escalator at the front of the entrance, left below, enables shoppers to step off from the street and go straight up into the mall:

In the background of the photo above right you can see one of the flourishing greenwalls on the property.  Yet it also showcases a 24-hour public garden at the roof top, complete with tropical landscaping on the ground and various vertical greenery offerings.

In 2009, the Orchard Central Mall won 1st Prize in the Completed Projects category in the Skyrise Greenery Awards for outdoor green balconies and extensive greenery, inside and out.  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.

“As Orchard Road’s first new mall in four years Orchard Central brings a breath of fresh air with urban green verandas, a 140-metre Discovery Walk on the first storey, and the lusciously landscaped sky gardens on the 11th and 12th storeys.

An extensive green wall up to 13 metres high stretches from the 11th to 12th storeys to create a ‘green blanket’ that is highly visible from Orchard Road.

The biological pond on the 12th storey creates the atmosphere of a water garden and offers an unforgettable experience while dining in the sky gardens’ restaurants.” ~ Skyrise Greenery Awards 2009 Completed Projects 1st Prize

Adjacent to the restaurant, this sky garden is both beautiful and an inviting green space for patrons and visitors, although locals say there are not enough seats for relaxing.

“Amidst this blanketed green roof, art also thrives. At the foot of the vertical wall is Yayoi Kusama’s colourful Let’s Go to a Paradise of Glorious Tulips (2009), adorned with her trademark polka dots.  This sculpture acts as a stark contrast to the grey backdrop of the peaking buildings — a perspective that creates a heightened awareness of visitors’ location.” ~POSKOD.SG by Amanda Fay Tan

Elmich systems are found throughout the multiple levels – Elmich VGM units on the walls with VersiCell in planter boxes and Elmich Landscape Roof gor the greenroof system.

For irrigating the walls, an equal amount of water is injected to the root zone via a Netafim drip system and the greenroofs are irrigated using Netafim UniTechline AS.

Along with tons of other spots, I’m sorry we didn’t get to see the Orchard Central Mall greenroof and greenwalls when we visited Singapore in November, 2010 (when I spoke at the International Skyrise Greenery Conference) but it will be on our list the next time we do!

See the Orchard Central Mall Greenroofs project profile in the Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database here.

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.

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.

Greenroofs.com Project of the Week: 11/21/11
Cranberry Street Green Wall
Brooklyn, NY, USA
96 sf. Greenwall

Year: 2011
Owner: Private
Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA
Building Type: Single-Family Residential
Type: Living Wall
System: Single Source Provider
Size: 96 sq. ft.
Slope: 100%
Access: Accessible, Private

Project Description & Details

The Cranberry Street Green Wall project began two years ago on a quaint street in Brooklyn, when the client approached Town and Gardens to create and install gardens for her charming 1800s Brownstone. The client was in the midst of a complete renovation of her house, and decided to go forward and re-create the backyard space as well as the rooftop.

The backyard was transformed into a beautiful space which now boasts a gorgeous 96 square foot, 16’ x 6’ high green wall from Plant Connection. From the beginning, the client wanted a fresh start with the backyard, and her only request was that they preserve her Japanese Maple Tree. The green wall became a living focal point that changes with every season providing the clients with a multi-media spectacle that could be enjoyed from both inside and out.
 

Designers/Manufacturers of Record

Designer: Hanna Packer, Town and Gardens, Ltd.
Greenwall System: Plant Connection
Landscape Architect: Kris Horiuchi
Installation: Town and Gardens, Ltd.

Additional Info

Designed by Hanna Packer of Town and Gardens, Ltd. and Installed by Town and Gardens, Ltd., the Cranberry Street Green Wall used Plant Connection’s Exterior G-O2™ Green Wall system.

Yet it all started with a beloved Maple tree and a sketch:

Enjoy the before and after photos:

The project is the Grand Award Recipient of PLANET’s 2011 Annual Environmental Improvement Awards Program.

“The Environmental Improvement Awards Program reflects PLANET’s commitment to creating and preserving the beauty of our landscape. The program is designed to reward independent interiorscapers and landscape and lawn care professionals who execute superior projects. This program is an excellent way to market your company to current and potential clients.” ~ PLANET Professional Landcare Network

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.

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 December 2nd, 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 2nd on GreenroofsTV.

- Project of the Week

-  Our project of the week is the Free Library of Philadelphia Parkway Central built in 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Free Library is one of the most visited educational and cultural institutions in Philadelphia and consists of 49 branches, three regional libraries, the Parkway Central Library, and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.  On September 29, 2008, Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter cut a green ribbon and officially unveiled the Parkway Central Library’s new greenroof demonstration project atop the four story 1927 Beaux-Arts building. The green roof was made possible through generous support from H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest, PECO, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Quita W. Horan.

The 5,000 square foot greenroof is protected by an EPDM waterproofing membrane and includes 100 cubic yards of rooflite growing median and more than 5,400 plants. The Library’s greenroof demonstration represents the first greenroof on a city-owned building and is part of the Mayor’s initiative to make Philadelphia one of the greenest cities in the country. The accessible greenroof offers a beautiful view of central Philadelphia from the terrace. Green Roof Technology, formerly Green Roof Service, was also a consultant on the project.

To learn more about the Free Library of Philadelphia, Parkway Central greenroof, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage.

“What’s New”

-  Make sure to read our latest articles. Ralph Velasquez, our Guest Contributing Editor, asks, “Are those products you buy really Green? Or are you a victim of Greenwashing?” in his latest column, “The Six Sins of Greenwashing.” And Andrés Ibáñez Gutiérrez, Faculty of Architecture for the University of Hong Kong and Biotectonica S.A.S, Colombia, talks about “Pioneering Vegetated Architecture in Colombia: From Research to Regulations,” in his guest feature article.

Advertiser Press Releases:

- $2,000 is Available Toward School Garden Projects: Green Living Wall School Garden – Green Living Technologies Mobile Edible Wall Unit Qualifies.

Industry News Update

-  The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the General Services Administration (GSA) have joined forces to promote the Federal Green Challenge Initiative in New England federal facilities.

-  New York City’s Green Infrastructure Program will give out up to $4 million more in grants to build greenroofs, rain gardens, rainwater harvesting, right-of-way bioswales and other projects to reduce and manage stormwater.

-  Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts: “Hope to See You @ CitiesAlive 2011 in Philly This Week!” and our GPW.

- “Upcoming Events”

-  Going on now through Saturday, December 3rd: is Green Roofs for Healthy Cities’ CitiesAlive 2011 9th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference in Philadelphia, PA.

-  December 6th: is an Ecoroof Seminar for Professionals, City of Portland, BES, in Portland, OR.

And December 6th-8th: is the Ecobuild America Conference in Washington, DC.

- “In the News”

-  Denise Piper of the Whangarei Leader, talks about “Living roof concept `great branding.” She quotes Dusty Gedge, president of the European Federation of Green Roof Associations, about living roofs when he spoke to 40 people as one of four talks in New Zealand last week. He says “living roofs could be great branding for Northland,” and that “Hundertwasser [Austrian painter and architect who embraced the living roof concept] obviously loved this part of the world. Living roofs could add subtly to the tourist route.” The Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa are well known for their grass roofs. The Hundertwasser Art Centre proposed for Whangarei to have a living roof park, ramping up from the ground to the top of the building.

-  Will Parsons of Environmental Data Interactive, reports on “Green wall unveiled at Edgware Road Tube station.” The 200 square meter green wall was completed this week with a ceremony that saw the Mayor of London’s director of the environment, Kulveer Ranger, add the final piece into place. The project took only a month to complete and is part of the London Clean Air Fund, financed by the Department for Transport; and the 15 varieties of plants used in the wall will improve the air quality by trapping particulate matter coming from traffic emissions. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said of the green wall: “Delivering cleaner air for London is a top priority for me and this ingenious green wall traps harmful pollution on one of our busiest roads, helping to cleanse the air at this popular spot as well as helping to soften and beautify the local environment.”

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 2nd, 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.

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 18th, 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 18th on GreenroofsTV.

- Project of the Week

-  Our project of the week is the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Rooftop Healing Gardens built in 2010 in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. The 90,000 sf LEED-Gold certified facility has other sustainable building elements besides the “wellness” area rooftop garden, including an array of over 200 solar photovoltaic panels that provide the hospital with 45 kilowatts of power and a Connection to the Natural World, Places of Healing and Respite. “Martha’s Vineyard Hospital was able to meet this innovative credit by incorporating many Planetree patient-focused elements into the new facility that enhanced patient healing; including views, natural light, privacy, and access to healing gardens.” Weston Solutions’ Northeast GreenGrid team provided a plant mix including grasses, perennials, and sedums that are proven to be reliable in the Northeast climate and that bloom at various times during the season, creating an always welcoming space for hospital visitors, patients, and staff.

To learn more about the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Rooftop Healing Gardens, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage.

“What’s New”

-  Our new 2012 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ 12 Month Wall Calendar will be available soon for purchase, so check back and get a fun gift for you, your family, friends, staff and clients!

Industry News Update

-  The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) just released a new report, “Rooftops to Rivers II: Green Strategies for Controlling Stormwater and Combined Sewer Overflows.” It looks at 14 cities that are choosing to use green infrastructure as a cost-effective means to reduce the flooding and water pollution caused by both extreme and everyday storms.

-  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”

-  November 16th-23rd: Dusty Gedge will have Living Roofs Presentations & Workshops in various locations in New Zealand.

-  November 28th-December 9th: is a Conference of the Parties COP17 2011 Climate Summit in Durban, South Africa.

-  November 30th: is a Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Green Roof Professional Exam in Philadelphia, PA.

-  November 30th-December 1st: is the GOVGREEN Conference and Exposition in Washington, DC.

-  November 30th-December 3rd: is the CitiesAlive 2011 9th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference in Philadelphia, PA. Greenroofs.com will be there – will you?  Linda and Haven Kiers will be presenting their Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design on Friday, December 2, so don’t miss it!

-  And December 1st: is a Green Wall and Roof Forum by Green Living Technologies in Philadelphia, PA.

- “In the News”

-  Gail Johnson of Globe and Mail, talks about how it’s “Easy to be green when your roof saves you money” in Port Coquitlam, Canada. She says, “Thousands of hand-planted sedums and succulents cover the roofs of Walmart and Canadian Tire, anchor tenants at the Onni Group’s Fremont Village shopping centre.” The newly opened outlets abide by the Canadian bylaw that requires buildings of more than 5,000 square meters to use greenroof technology. Mayor Greg Moore realizes that there was some resistance from developers to the city’s new sustainability initiative but the shift to green roofs is a sign of things to come. Developers are now expressing interest in using environmentally sound technology in smaller structures as well. We know that greenroofs help reduce stormwater run off and help offset the urban heat-island effect which they can do through daily dew and evaporation cycles, allowing plants to cool cities during hot weather. Energy savings continue throughout the life of the building, which typically would be twice as long as a traditional roof.

-  Craig Welch of The Seattle Times, reports on “Vancouver, BC, works to be greenest of all.” Vancouver has announced its desire to become the greenest city in the world by 2020. Welch says, “The city is moving to reduce solid waste by 50 percent, cut residents’ carbon footprints by a third and dramatically increase public transit, walking and bike use. It is packing citizens in more densely, trying to encourage more locals to grow food and generally urging lighter living on the land.” One example of how the city is striving to be the greenest is in its drive to substantially cut the waste it sends to landfills. Canada is increasingly making industries take responsibility for disposal of the products they sell, which means that citizens can drop unwanted goods off at facilities paid for by their manufacturers. Vancouver has already achieved success as it continues to get attention from around the world for its efforts to be an eco-leader; and it is inspiring a new generation of innovators.

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 18th, 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.

As I promised at our presentation at CitiesAlive in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago, today we are airing Haven Kiers‘ and my “2011 Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design“ from our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit on greenroofs.tv and our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube.

“This is our fifth anniversary of the “Top 10 List” and an amazing amount of development has occurred over the past five years in the vegetative roofing industry.  Projects that were once scoffed at and considered impossible to get built are popping up all over the globe, and greenroofs are no longer considered fringe architecture, destined to be the first sacrifice to value engineering.

“To honor the new ubiquity of architectural greening, this year our Top 10 will focus on greenroofs at all different scales, from micro to macro.

“As “vegitecture” increasingly becomes a mainstay of both sustainable and cutting edge design, the list of greenroof and greenwall trends continues to expand.

This year we’re showcasing greening at both the micro and the macro scale, from small scale DIY greenroof projects to towering skyscrapers stacked with fruit and vegetable crops, parks, and energy facilities atop sky gardens, walls and bridges.” ~ Haven Kiers and Linda Velazquez

I have to say that Haven and I had a blast putting this together, and especially filming it together!  She flew to Atlanta last September just for the occasion, and I think you’ll really get a feel for our enthusiasm.

And, since we didn’t have any time restrictions like we normally do at all the conferences – where we have to speed through our project selections – here we took our time a bit more and, as a result, feature quite a few more projects that you would normally see.

Enjoy!  Visit greenroofs.tv to see the “2011 Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design” or click below.

We’ll be working over the next few weeks to add most of the projects here to the Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database so you can learn more about each.  We appreciate your feedback, and welcome your thoughts on the new and newsworthy projects for our 2012 Top 10 Hot List!  Feel free to contact Haven me directly at DesignEditor@greenroofs.com and me at Linda@greenroofs.com.

Didn’t get to see the Opening Keynote Address video by Charlie Miller yet which we featured last week?  No problem – watch it after the Top 10 on the exclusive Virtual Summit greenroofs.tv play list.  Check back next week on GreenroofsTV for our third installment from the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011!

~ Linda V.

We received a lot of positive feedback from attendees participating in our inaugural Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 this past September through October about the very high quality of the speakers we offered for such an affordable price…

…And conversely, a lot of speakers have asked us if their videos would be available afterwards for viewing by the general public – those who did not pay the $49 or $25 to attend.

We certainly do not want all of the Virtual Summit’s speakers’ efforts and great information to go to waste…and we feel that our readership would love to see the content!

So, Greenroofs.com’s plan is to show each of our 4 keynote speakers, 7 panel sessions, and 19 video presentations (plus my opening and closing remarks) in its entirety as we played it at the 2011 Virtual Summit – from everyone who grants us permission.

You can see my Opening Welcome and Overview now, along with the Virtual Summit Highlights Video and the Trailer on greenroofs.tv.  We’ll be showing our Opening Keynote Speaker Charlie Miller as the first featured video tomorrow, on Wednesday, December 7 followed by one or two videos a week thereafter which we’ll highlight on our Homepage.

Once played, each video will remain available to everyone on demand on the greenroofs.tv page and our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube.  We hope to show everyone what they missed at our inaugural Virtual Summit and create buzz for the 2012 Virtual Summit!

If you didn’t join us for 2011 we hope you will in 2012 – then you won’t have to wait months to see all of the great new keynote, panel, and presentation videos!

We hope you enjoy each of the 32 videos and use them in the future for your reference – we’re very proud of the wonderful collaborations from around the world.  Please share with your greenroof and greenwall colleagues.

Happy greening ~

Linda V.