As you know if you’re keeping up with us here at the Sky Gardens Blog, Haven Kiers and I will be taking turns highlighting some important, unusual or just stunning greenroof and greenwall projects for our new bi-monthly reporting series, “Chic Sustainability Watch.”

For my inaugural turn, rather than focus on a specific typology of chic sustainability – like Haven did with her inaugural report a couple of weeks ago on Chickens and Urban Agriculture – I’m taking a more general approach and will report on a variety of cool projects that I’ve seen across online news channels and the blogosphere that have either just broken ground, are almost completed, or have been newly opened for business and enjoyment.

INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE

Here’s one stunner that would have fit into our 2010 Top 10 List in the # 1 position – Tower Oases as Skyrise Urban Ag:

Image via: Treehugger

Swedish-American company Plantagon has just broken ground on the International Centre of Excellence for Urban Agriculture, the first of a series of massive skyscraper greenhouses in Linkoping, Sweden.  The prototype building will be an urban farming living laboratory to test new growing technologies.  This demo-pant of Swedish green technology relies on a transportation helix system where trays of plants are grown, irrigated, and harvested from the top of the “Plantscraper” on down to the basement.  It’s great to see some of these visionary skyscrapers actually being built!

See Treehugger’s “Plantagon Breaks Ground On Their First Vertical Farm” by Lloyd Alter of February 14, 2012.  See the Press Release.

Image via: Treehugger

Construction has started on the new monumental Taipei Performing Arts Center, or TPAC, in Taiwan.  OMA, a Dutch firm, beat out 135 entries from 25 countries to design the flexible, 3-volume performing platform complex that will hold a total of 3,100 seats in its three theaters.

Image via: designboom; Image © OMA

The design invites people with and without tickets into the structure with the “outdoor public loop,” and you’ll also find living architecture here at various levels.  In the section of the “Super Theatre” seen below you can see a couple of rooftops greened and the outdoor courtyards and promenades over the massive underground garage.  The “Proscenium Playhouse” has similar features.

Image via: designboom; Image © OMA

See designboom’s “OMA: taipei performing arts center breaks ground” by andrea of February 17, 2012.

MIAMI SCIENCE MUSEUM

Downtown Miami will soon have another addition to its Museum Park – the Miami Science Museum (or MSM – not to be confused with the Miami Sound Machine!), designed by Grimshaw Architects.  Aside from some very cool exhibits such as a 600,000 gallon aquarium facility and a full dome 3-D planetarium, MSM will embrace sustainable elements and smart design including a constructed wetland, high performance ventilation and maximized site design to capture Miami breezes.

Image via: Inhabitat; Image ©Grimshaw Architects

Touted as a living building, the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science is a 250,000 square-foot complex that will have “a living core, vegetated roofs, and advanced systems that will allow it to physically and visibly change in response to weather, events, and the mood of the city.”

Image via: Inhabitat; Image ©Grimshaw Architects

See Inhabitat’s “Grimshaw Breaks Ground on the Miami Science Museum That Will Be Its Own Living Exhibit” by Bridgette Meinhold of February 27, 2012.

VIA VERDE

The affordable housing complex Via Verde by Jonathan Rose Companies and Dattner Architects in the South Bronx has been in the design world news for several years because of its social equity and sustainable design ethics.  In fact, we included it in our 2009 Top 10 List in the #3 position, Healthy, Efficient & Affordable Green Housing.

“You can literally walk into the courtyard and spiral your way up all of these green roofs, starting with an amphitheater, which will have summertime performances. Evergreen trees on the third floor roof, dwarfed fruit trees, the entire fifth floor roof is all gardening beds for residents to grow their own fruits and vegetables. Then there’s a fitness center on the seventh floor with an extensive green roof outside.” ~ Ari Goldstein, Senior Project Manager, Jonathan Rose Companies

The project is finally close to completion – the 71 co-op unit and 151 rental multi-family residence will be ready for occupancy by the end of March.  How awesome for Via Verde to be setting this new standard for affordable housing in New York City!

Image via: NY 1; click to see 2:00 video

See NY 1’s “New South Bronx Housing Complex Is Not ‘Green’ To Environmentally Friendly Ideas” by Jill Urban of February 26, 2012.

REFLECTIONS AT KEPPEL BAY

One amazing project that was just completed is Daniel Libeskind’s residential complex Reflections at Keppel Bay in tropical Singapore – Aramis and I saw this when we visited there in November, 2010 and it was quite a sight to behold with its signature curved towers!  If only it had finished a few months earlier, Haven and I would have included it in last year’s Top 10 List for 2011 in the #1 position – Skyscraping Sky Gardens on Roofs, Walls & Skybridges.

Image via: designboom

The 6-highrise tower, 2 million sf complex has 1,129 units, and you’ll find a roof garden at the top of each tower as well as in the interconnecting skybridges.

Image via: designboom

See designboom’s “daniel libeskind: reflections at keppel bay” by lauren of February 2, 2012.

VANDUSEN BOTANICAL GARDEN VISITOR CENTRE

Designed by Perkins+Will, the spectacular LEED Platinum VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre in Vancouver, B.C. has just opened to the public.  Inspired by the shape of a native orchid, the multi-petal shaped greenroof was designed by Cornelia Oberlander’s firm.  Haven and I had the pleasure of meeting Cornelia at the 2010 CitiesAlive Conference and learning a bit about this wonderful project.

In fact, we loved it so much we included it in our Top 10 List for 2011 in the #5 position, Green + Blue Roofs = Integrated Water Management.  Pending certification from the Living Building Challenge, the Visitor Centre expects to achieve net-zero energy on an annual basis through various ingenious systems.  I’ll definitely visit this one the next time I’m in beautiful Vancouver, B.C.!

See Inhabitat’s “Canada’s Gorgeous Green-Roofed VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre Opens to the Public!” by Diane Pham of February 12, 2012

Check back with us in a couple of weeks when it’ll be Haven’s turn to update you on our Chic Sustainability Watch: Trends, Projects & People!

Happy greening,

Linda V.

Today we have the pleasure to air Matthew Dillon’s “GreenRoofs in Australasia” from our inaugural 2011 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit on greenroofs.tv and our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube.

Matthew is a hoot of a straight-shootin’ Aussie – a great guy with a dry sense of humor and passion for promoting greenroofs within Australia and New Zealand with GreenRoofs Australasia (formerly Green Roofs Australia).  Supported by the City of Sydney, last November they presented the 5th National Greening Cities Conference, in Sydney, Australia.

“Green Roofs Australia is a not-for-profit membership organization with an elected committee that draws together the various governmental, organizational and business groups and individuals interested in being kept informed about green roof science, technology, practice, regulations and specifications.” ~ GreenRoofs Australasia

Although we had corresponded, Aramis and I finally met him in Mexico City in October, 2010, when we both spoke at the WGIN Mexico City World Green Roof Congress – El Congreso Mundial de Azoteas Verdes México 2010 (see Reflections of Fall 2010 Greenroof Conferences: Mexico City, Part 1).

Not only did Mathew present at our inaugural Virtual Summit, GreenRoofs Australasia supported our efforts and was represented in our Associates Pavilion at the Expo.

We had the extreme pleasure of seeing him again and meeting his beautiful girlfriend last December in Philadelphia as well.   Here are Aramis and Matt at the Closing Party from CitiesAlive in Philly:

Matthew Dillon hails from Newtown, Australia and since 1980 has expanded his architectural discipline to also encompass interior architecture, sustainable building design, landscape design, public sculpture and green infrastructure for the built form.  He is the current vice president of GreenRoofs Australasia and a member of World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN), being primarily focused on advocacy to promote the industry.

In his “GreenRoofs in Australasia” video (where he is joined briefly by his four-legged best friend), Matthew says, “As the impacts of climate change have now become a significant political issue and a major public concern in Australia there is a growing support for green infrastructure technology for the built form in urban planning.

Enjoy!  Visit greenroofs.tv to see “GreenRoofs in Australasia” or click below:

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

Episode #10: “The Vertical Garden – from Nature to Cities: An Interview with Patrick Blanc” by Patrick Blanc and me with an introduction by Caroline Menetre.
Episode #9: “Sloped and Complex Green Roofs” by Richard Hayden.
Episode #8: “The Portland Ecoroof Program: A Cross-section of the Green Roof Movement in Portland, Oregon” with Tom Liptan, Matt Burlin, Amy Chomowicz, Casey Cunningham, and Alice Meyers.
Episode #7: “Constructing Gardens in the Sky” by Terry McGlade.
Episode# 6: “Sky Meadows – Integrating People and Nature: Sustainable Green Roofs and Roof Gardens” by Dr. Nigel Dunnett.
Episode #5: “Greenroofs & Walls for Educational & Social Equity in the Bronx” Panel Session with New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Robert Bieder, Jon Beuttler, Jess Dannhauser, Javier Lopez and Steve Ritz.
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.
VS2011 Opening Address by Linda Velazquez (me!).

If you’re looking for an overview, make sure to see our 2011 Virtual Summit Highlights video (6:18) and our 2011 Virtual Summit Trailer (2:59).

Check back next week on GreenroofsTV for our 12th installment from the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011!

~ 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 February 3rd, 2012 with an overview from the beginning of the new year from our daughter, Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here.  Enjoy!

- Hello, I’m Anjuli Velázquez and after a short hiatus, welcome back to This Week in Review!  First of all, we here at Greenroofs.com wish all of you a very healthy and prosperous New Year, and hope you’re off to a great start in 2012!

This is not only a “This Week in Review” for February 3rd, 2012, but also pretty much a “This Month in Review for January 2012,” here on GreenroofsTV.

- Projects of the Week

-  Our project of the week is the Private Brussels Residence Vertical Garden & Greenroof built in 2006 in Brussels, Belgium. The architect of the private home is Philippe Samyn with Patrick Blanc as the botanist and designer of the Vertical Garden Wall. Construction took eight years with one year of fine-tuning the plant selection and as a result, the four-story house is covered completely in plants on three sides, plus the roof. It was Patrick Blanc’s first opportunity to design an entire house in vegetation, including the rooftop. Patrick had to carefully select the numerous plant species for the lush semi-circular facade form, keeping in mind sun patterns and micro climates. Water is collected from the rooftop edges and used for irrigation and is supplemented by a well; also, any runoff is recycled.

To learn more about the Private Brussels Residence Vertical Garden & Greenroof, designed by the internationally famously fascinating Patrick Blanc, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photo).

- Read about the following Projects of the Week that we’ve featured since my last “This Week in Review” – find them in  Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database using their profile ID # below each photo (or click on the photo):

- December 26 & 19, 2011: Tremco Incorporated Headquarters #1371

- January 2, 2012: Delft University of Technology Library #534

- January 9, 2012: Heritage Flight #1253

- January 16, 2012: Queens Botanical Garden Visitor and Administration Center #653

- January 23, 2012:  Arbroath Abbey Visitor Centre #79

What’s New

- Watch our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 8: Panel Presentation “The Portland Ecoroof Program: A Cross-section of the Green Roof Movement in Portland, Oregon” with Tom Liptan, Matt Burlin, Amy Chomowicz, Casey Cunningham, and Alice Meyers.  If you haven’t already, check out these first 7 episodes on our greenroofsTV page and on YouTube:

Episode 7: “Constructing Gardens in the Sky” by Terry McGlade

Episode 6: “Sky Meadows – Integrating People and Nature: Sustainable Green Roofs and Roof Gardens” by Dr. Nigel Dunnett

Episode #5: “Greenroofs & Walls for Educational & Social Equity in the Bronx” Panel Session with New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Robert Bieder, Jon Beuttler, Jess Dannhauser, Javier Lopez and Steve Ritz

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 Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design by Haven Kiers and Linda Velazquez

Episode #1: Opening Keynote Address  “A New Place” by Charlie Miller

- Don’t forget: the 2012 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ 12 Month Wall Calendar is still available for purchase – now at the discounted rate of $9.95, so order yours today!

- Advertiser Press Releases:

- Xero Flor Green Roof Products Receives Cradle to Cradle Certification for Environmental Stewardship.

- Green Living Technologies International – New Jersey Farm to School Network announces Winter Conference – It Takes a Village: Collaborations in Good Food and School Gardens.

- Sika Sarnafil announces that the United States Postal Service NY – the Largest Vegetated Green Roof in New York City – has won the 2011 RoofPoint™ Excellence in Design Awards.

- SKYLAND USA, LLC – rooflite® Announces Launch of New Spanish Website: www.techosvegetales.com.

- RUBBERMASTER/A & A Melters are approved by Material Manufacturers.

- Green Roof Technology introduces the ‘Sun-Root’ Living Roof System – Green Roofs embrace Renewable Solar Energy.

- GLTi Green Training Course Added at the State University New York (SUNY) Ulster.

- Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance Adhesive added to BioPreferred Program.

-  Joblinks Update

- LiveRoof is now hiring a Sales Specialist – Wisconsin in Spring Lake, Michigan, USA.

- Prides Corner Farms (a LiveRoof® Licensed Grower) is looking for a Green Roof Sales Specialist in the Metro NY area.

- Guest Feature

- Read Todd Skopic’s guest feature article, “All-Aboard the Greenroof Ship at the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters.”

- Industry News Update

-   This week, the NRDC released a new report on how local and state governments can stimulate potentially billions of dollars of private investment, to offset the costs of repairing our nation’s broken stormwater infrastructure. It’s worth a read for policymakers, investors, and anyone who receives a wastewater or stormwater bill from a local utility. The new report, “Financing Stormwater Retrofits in Philadelphia and Beyond,” uses the City of Brotherly Love as a test case to explore how innovative financing mechanisms, currently being used for energy efficiency retrofits, can be adapted to the stormwater management context.

- The Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES™) has announced the first three projects to be certified by the nation’s most comprehensive system for rating the sustainable design, construction and maintenance of built landscapes. The corporate headquarters of an international manufacturing company, a new university green space and a children’s playground in an urban park are the first to be recognized for their sustainable land practices from among 150-plus pilot projects that began the certification process in summer 2010.

- The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) is providing incentive funding to increase green roof coverage within its service area. The Regional Green Roof Initiative will provide up to $5 per square foot of an approved green roof project. The District’s interest in green roofs is to hold rainwater where it falls, thereby diminishing the risk of sewer overflows and improving the overall water quality in the region. In addition to managing stormwater, green roofs offer numerous additional environmental, economic, and social benefits.

- The District Department of the Environment (DDOE) is once again providing rebates, at $5 per square foot, for green roofs to qualified applicants for the third consecutive year. The Anacostia Watershed Society is administering the program for DDOE and believes this is a great opportunity to help people cover some costs of their proposed green roofs as well as an opportunity to reach out to those unfamiliar with this technology all in an effort to help restore the watershed.

- Sky Gardens Blog

- Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts: our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 episodes, “Stephen Ritz, South Bronx Educator/ Administrator at TEDx Manhattan ‘Changing the Way We Eat’ Tomorrow!,” “8 House Honored by the AIA,” and our GPWs.  Also read “Current Green Roof Trends in Germany (2011)” by Christine Thuring.

- “Upcoming Events”

- February 2nd-4th: is the 11th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in San Diego, CA.

- February 7th: is an EPA Green Infrastructure Forum in New York, NY.

- February 8th-9th: is BUILDEX Vancouver at the Vancouver Convention Center in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

- Also February 8th-9th: is Better Buildings By Design Conference 2012 in Burlington, VT.

- February 8th-10th: is ProGreen EXPO 2012 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO.

- And February 15th: is the Green Roofs for Healthy Cities class, Green Infrastructure: Policies, Performance and Projects, held at the Southface Institute Eco-Office in Atlanta, Georgia.

- “In the News”

-  Daniel Beekman of the New York Daily News, reports on “Classroom farm at Bronx public high school, Green Bronx Machine, shut down despite fresh successes.” He says that the “celebrated classroom farm that yielded fresh produce and great jobs for students at a South Bronx public high school has been quietly shut down.” For two years, Discovery High School special education teacher, Steve Ritz, used green walls to teach his students about science and technology and how to grow your own vegetables in an urban setting. Lesson plans he developed there are now being used at the college level at the State University of New York. Steve says he’s “disappointed… [and] the kids loved it,” also that the Green Bronx Machine “really took root because it cultivated minds and harvested hope.”

He created the Green Bronx Machine after meeting George Irwin, founder and CEO of Green Living Technologies, and they began growing vegetables while developing a curriculum. Students trained by Irwin even got summer jobs installing green roofs. This program has helped the Bronx students and every one of them who took part in the program has begun college or is on the track to getting there. Senator Gustavo Rivera said, “Steve is a guy who can get people energized about healthy eating…he has proven he can get students to care about school. I hope that continues.” We all hope it does and are confident that Steve will continue his work with the Green Bronx Machine and help even more students.  Check out their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/green.BX.machine.

- Lauren Lloyd of the LAist talks about “From Rooftop to Fork: Downtown LA Club Grows Its Own Greens.” She says, California’s largest urban farming operation, Farmscape, recently wrapped a first-of-its-kind project in Downtown LA. A large rooftop garden, designed to grow fresh organic greens sits on top of The Jonathan Club. The 200-square-foot custom organic garden will produce greens such as snap and snow peas, spinach, arugula, lettuces, a variety of herbs and much more in the winter growing season, as well as fruits like lemons, limes, oranges, and figs. Farmscape and the club are loving their new garden.

Farmscape CEO, Jesse DuBois, says “we’re excited to be able grown the freshest produce possible for The Jonathan Club’s new head chef,” and that “we hope that building this rooftop garden right in the middle of Los Angeles demonstrates that food cultivation can happen almost anywhere.” It can happen almost anywhere, and hopefully other urban restaurants and buildings will follow in their footsteps.

- 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 February 3rd, 2012 on  GreenroofsTV.  I’m Anjuli Velázquez and I’ll see 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.

Today we have the pleasure to air the panel presentation “The Portland Ecoroof Program: A Cross-section of the Green Roof Movement in Portland, Oregon” from our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit with Tom Liptan, Matt Burlin, Amy Chomowicz, Casey Cunningham, and Alice Meyers on greenroofs.tv and our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube.

All of you should know who Tom Liptan is, as he is one of the earliest champions of greenroofing here in the United States, in particular the Portland, Oregon area, where greenroofs are more commonly referred to as ecoroofs.  Tom is a landscape architect and the Ecoroof Technical Manager in the Sustainable Stormwater Division with the City of Portland, and his early experimentations with his own garage ecoroof (1996) spawned the greenroof movement in Portland.

Along with Charlie Miller and Katrin Scholz-Barth, I always credit Tom Liptan for my early encouragement and further study into greenroofs in the late 1990’s – the three of them were extremely gracious with their time and expertise with me when I was at UGA.

Matt, Amy, Casey, and Alice are wonderful people, too, all very dedicated and extremely enthusiastic about their work.  Everyone at the City of Portland, OR, Bureau of Environmental Services and the leadership of the City of Portland is to be commended for being such forward-thinking promoters of greenroof construction and incentives in the U.S.  Read more about this city program and the wonderful group of individuals below:

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.

Tom Liptan is a registered landscape architect (Oregon) and works as an environmental specialist with the City of Portland, OR, Bureau of Environmental Services.  He has researched and developed numerous vegetated approaches for rain/stormwater management and has designed, monitored and maintained many projects, including several ecoroofs.  His work has been recognized internationally and he has presented papers at conferences and Universities in the USA, Canada, England, New Zealand, Denmark and Sweden.  A book titled Rain Gardens by Dunnett and Clayton, 2007, has a dedication to his efforts.  He is co-author of the chapter “Stormwater Gardens” in Handbook of Water Sensitive Planning and Design, 2002, and a section in Green Roofs, Ecological Design and Construction, 2005.  His garage ecoroof, the first specifically built (1996) to test rain management in the USA, is included in the new book Small Green Roofs: Low-Tech Options for Greener Living, 2011.

Matt Burlin is the Outreach Coordinator for the Sustainable Stormwater Division and Portland Ecoroof Program with the City of Portland.

 

 

Amy Chomowicz is the Program Administrator for the Sustainable Stormwater Division and Portland Ecoroof Program with the City of Portland.  Amy has worked in the water quality and watershed restoration fields for 19 years and worked on her first ecoroof project in 1997.  Prior to that, Amy worked in energy conservation and renewable energy.

Casey Cunningham is a landscape architect with the City of Portland’s Sustainable Stormwater Division.  He designs green streets and other low-impact, vegetated systems that manage stormwater and improve urban wildlife habitat.  Casey monitors ecoroofs for their value to birds and insects, and enjoys sagebrush, communicating through music and blueberries on summer days.

Alice Meyers is an Environmental Specialist with the Sustainable Stormwater Division and coordinates the Incentive in the Portland Ecoroof Program with the City of Portland.

Enjoy! Visit greenroofs.tv to see “The Portland Ecoroof Program: A Cross-section of the Green Roof Movement in Portland, Oregon” or click below:

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

Episode #7: “Constructing Gardens in the Sky” by Terry McGlade.
Episode# 6: “Sky Meadows – Integrating People and Nature: Sustainable Green Roofs and Roof Gardens” by Dr. Nigel Dunnett.
Episode #5: “Greenroofs & Walls for Educational & Social Equity in the Bronx” Panel Session with New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Robert Bieder, Jon Beuttler, Jess Dannhauser, Javier Lopez and Steve Ritz.
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.
VS2011 Opening Address by Linda Velazquez (me!).

If you’re looking for an overview, make sure to see our 2011 Virtual Summit Highlights video (6:18) and our 2011 Virtual Summit Trailer (2:59).

Check back next week on GreenroofsTV for our 9th installment from the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011!

~ Linda V.

Greenroofs.com Project of the Week: 1/09/12
Heritage Flight
South Burlington, VT, USA
15,000 sf. Greenroof

Year: 2009
Owner: Heritage Aviation, Inc.
Location: South Burlington, VT, USA
Building Type: Aviation
Type: Extensive
System: Single Source Provider
Size: 15,000 sq. ft.
Slope: 1%
Access: Accessible, By Appointment

Project Description & Details

Heritage Aviation is an environmentally green LEED Gold aviation campus FBO in the Green Mountains of Vermont. This highly sustainable expansion project re-uses an existing empty hangar as the core for a new building. Careful consideration was given to reduce the impact of this project on the site and the surrounding community infrastructure.

Designed by landscape architect and greenroof designer, Jeff Hodgson, partner with H. Keith Wagner Partnership, the Heritage Flight LiveRoof® Standard System greenroof has multiple plant mixes in the design. Architects TruexCullins incorporated many ecologically responsible design elements including a parking lot made with pervious pavement and a 35,000-gallon tank that collects rainwater from the roof which is used for washing airplanes and site irrigation. Heritage Aviation is the first GA facility in the U.S. to have an FAA-approved community-scale wind turbine on site; it supplements solar panels.

Watch Heritage Aviation’s “Smarter, Greener Building” short video on YouTube.

Designers/Manufacturers of Record

Modular Greenroof System: LiveRoof® Standard System

Additional Info

Heritage Aviation, Inc. is the corporate entity that houses the three specialized business divisions at Burlington International Airport (BTV): Heritage Flight, Heritage Maintenance Services, and the new 24/7 FBO (fixed base operator).  Designed by hometown architects TruexCullins, the company says their new FBO is the perfect complement to their award-winning maintenance, avionics and charter divisions.

Along with TruexCullins Architecture and Interior Design, on June 30, 2011, Heritage Aviation received the 2011 Vermont Govenor’s Environmental Excellence in Resource Conservation Award.  It was also honored with the Efficiency Vermont’s 2010 Best of the Best Award in Commercial Building Design & Construction and the Burlington Business Association’s Hertzel N. Pasackow Architectural Excellence Award.

Heritage Aviation opened its environmentally green FBO at Burlington International Airport in the Green Mountains of Vermont on May 20, 2010.

“Heritage Aviation is committed to protecting the environment, the health and safety of our employees, and the community in which we conduct our business. It is our policy to seek improvements throughout our business operations to lessen our impact on the local and global environment by conserving energy, water, and other natural resources; reducing waste generation; recycling and purchasing recycled products; and reducing our use of toxic materials. We are committed to pollution prevention, continual improvement and meeting or exceeding all environmental regulatory requirements.” ~ Heritage Aviation

In fact, Heritage Aviation’s policy is to “give preference to suppliers whose products have environmental friendly attributes that reduce natural resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the product life cycle, maximize post consumer recycled content, minimize toxicity and packaging, or have any other environmentally preferable attributes, with comparable quality and price.”

They point out that even their building is recycled – originally constructed in 1954 as an Army National Guard hangar, the building was stripped to its steel and concrete skeleton and reborn as the present 80,000-square foot state-of-the-art facility.

The new facility offers comprehensive amenities including a roof-top observation deck, flight-planning room, conference room, lounge, gym, game room, movie theater, quiet rooms for the pilots, aircraft owners, and passengers to rest, heated hangar space, and U.S. Customs on site – tour the facilities here.

According to the website, some of the key energy-efficiency measures and environmental design aspects of the new FBO include:

- “One of the largest green roofs in New England. Rainwater that falls on the rooftop vegetation is then collected and re-used for aircraft cleaning and irrigation. The roof also keeps the building warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

- On-site renewable energy production, including solar panels and a 100-kW FAA-approved wind turbine, the first ever installed at an airport.

- A fleet of zero-emission electric ground vehicles, including four aircraft tug vehicles and an electric cherry picker.

- A parking lot constructed from pervious pavement, a porous substitute for traditional asphalt, that allows water to be absorbed into the ground rather than pouring into storm drains.

- Extensive use of skylights and daylighting in the hangar, plus all-white paint that allows natural light to reflect as much as possible, saving about 200 kilowatt hours for every day the facility is in use. It also makes for a more pleasant work environment for our crew.

- A lighting system that monitors the available natural light and responds accordingly to provide the optimum balance of natural and artificial light throughout the building.

- Solar-powered hot water.

- Locally sourced and eco-friendly construction materials.”

The large modular LiveRoof® greenroof was the crowning jewel of the stormwater management strategy. Yet there are also stormwater detention basins at Heritage Aviation, below, and the huge 87,117 sf pervious parking lot.

Landscape architect Jeff Hodgson, of H. Keith Wagner Partnership, says the remnants of the existing asphalt parking lot were removed and recycled, and replaced with a 47,486 square foot permeable concrete parking lot that filters rainwater, helps recharge the ground water,and reduces the amount of water entering the storm water system significantly.  Add that to the 35,000-gallon rainwater harvesting tank below it, and you’ve designed a great system!

“The vegetated roof retains the first 1″ of rainfall that falls on it, with the excess directed toward underground irrigation tanks.  When installed, this was the largest green roof in New England, and it remains today the largest in Vermont.” ~ TruexCullins Blog

Aside from the living roof, another very cool item is the community-scale wind turbine with a blade diameter of 21 meters.  After working closely with the FAA to ensure it posed no risk of interfering with aircraft guidance signals, they were able to include it – the first at a U.S. airport.

The upper roof of the main hangar is also eco-friendly, covered with a highly reflective white membrane that reduces solar heat gain.  In conjunction with the 10-panel 65.2 MBtu solar thermal domestic hot water system and adjacent 120-panel 25.2 kW solar photovoltaic array, Heritage Aviation expects its annual energy consumption from the grid to be in the region of 600,000 kilowatt-hours instead of the one million kWh it would have consumed without the wind and solar power-generating equipment.

The property is open to visiting with prior arrangements.  For example, last fall 2011, students from Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont included a visit here in one of their Environmental Studies seminars, above and below:

TruexCullins wrote an nice 5-part series on the project at their blog entitled “Heritage Flight Week” – start at Day 1.

“For 55 years, the National Guard used this hangar for aircraft maintenance.  Now that we’ve completely renovated it to green building standards, we’ll continue to use it for maintenance and FBO activities in support of the GA community.” ~ Christoper A. Hill, President of Heritage Aviation

Watch the very informative Heritage Aviation’s ’smarter, greener building’ video (3:42) narrated by Christoper A. Hill on YouTube below:

Kudos to Heritage Aviation and designers for promoting a sustainable model for the aviation industry.  By the way, the bold geometric waves of the sedum greenroof are best seen from above, which is not hard to do when you’re located at an airport!

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: 1/2/12
Delft University of Technology Library
Delft, The Netherlands
16,146 sf. Greenroof

Year: 2009
Owner: ING Vastgoed
Location: Delft, The Netherlands
Building Type: Educational
Type: Intensive
System: Single Source Provider
Size: 16,146 sq. ft.
Slope: 15%
Access: Accessible, Open to Public

Project Description & Details

Constructed in 1960s, Delft University originally built their intensive greenroof in 1997. Meant for recreation over the library, in 2009 the greenroof was renovated. The 15,000 m² library contains extensive underground book archives, reading rooms, the university publisher, offices, Trésor for historical books and exhibitions, study spaces, and a book binder and book shop. It won the National Steel Award 1998 and Corus Construction Award 2000. Enjoyed throughout the year, the greenroof is converted into a sledding hill in the winter.

Mecanoo Architecten designed the library as a sloped plane, extending the grass from the ground to the very edge of the roof: “With a grass-covered roof, high-performance glazed facades and subterranean storage for heating and cooling, the building reaches high standards of sustainability.” With the 2009 roof renovation, the existing leaking single ply roofing was removed and replaced by a fully adhered two layered roofing system on a cellular glass insulation. ZinCo Elastodrain gives protection for the roofing system; the lightweight 6 inch deep substrate and lawn complete the ZinCo green roof build-up.

The Delft University of Technology Library greenroof is featured in The 2012 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ 12 Month Wall Calendar in the month of September.

Designers/Manufacturers of Record

Founded in 1842, Delft University of Technology is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive technical university in the Netherlands.  With eight faculties and numerous research institutes, the “Technische Universiteit Delft” in Dutch or TU Delft for short, covers four focus areas: energy, mobility & infrastructures, health and environment.

Constructed in 1997, Delft-based Mecanoo Architects designed the striking and airy Delft University of Technology Library as a contrast (yet complement) to the Aula or General Assembly Hall, built in 1966 by architects Van Den Broek & Bakema, softening this imposing Brutalist structure that sits across the way.

The photo below by Francine Houben is taken from the perspective of the library greenroof flowing down towards the hulky Aula, demonstrating its relationship with the adjacent landscape:

The central library appears to rise out of the earth, covered with soft grass for all sorts of recreation and pierced by its iconic steel cone.

The cone is more than an architectural statement – it’s topped by a massive skylight that not only provides lighting to the interior but it also helps highlight the cone from the interior.  The building consists of five levels, four of which are contained in the conical volume.

A suspended gallery of books against cobalt blue walls runs right through all four levels.

And floor to ceiling glass panes allow daylighting to stream in throughout the multi-level space:

Who better than the architects than to describe the project?  Read on from Mecanoo:

“symbiosis

In designing a large new university library, various references come to the fore. Famous libraries, ranging from the old Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris (1875) by Henri Labrouste to the Stockholm Municipal Library (1927) by Erik Gunnar Asplund, have called for an advanced contemporary building. Today such a building must be a gateway to the digital highway but must also refer to important traditions, including access to knowledge and the rarefied atmosphere of study within a splendid environment. In the case of Delft, with a thousand workstations and facilities to accommodate three thousand students each day, the building must also be the heart of the university and provide a landmark within a campus the size of a small town. The design must also consider its relationship with the centrally placed auditorium, the brutalist building by Van den Broek and Bakema, great names in the history of the university and Dutch architecture. Through contrast, a symbiosis has been established – the towering concrete of the auditorium and the landscape in which the library is sited form a new unity.

pushpin

The large lawn roof is tilted up at one corner like a sheet of paper held by a single point. The hollow beneath houses the library. A cone, the symbol of technology, pierces the library and the landscape, affixing them like a pushpin. With a grass-covered roof, high-performance glazed facades and subterranean storage for heating and cooling, the building reaches high standards of sustainability. The entrance affords a glimpse of the sunken book stacks for rare and irreplaceable books. Inside the towering suspended bookcase for the less fragile books astonishes the visitor. The deep blue background gives the wall-to-wall racks the feel of a theatre set. The columns in the central hall are not only structural but also provide lighting and heating. The sloping metal ceiling continues without interruption across all spaces above a floor the colour of Saharan sand.

perspective

A library must provide an environment that enables concentration through silence, comfortable furniture and pleasant lighting. Daylight penetrates the building not only through the climate-control glazing in the facade but also through the cone that pierces to the heart of the building. The cone also gives form to a variety of study rooms. The space that adjoins the central hall contains long tables with three hundred workstations with partitions in a shifting perspective indebted to Labrouste.” ~ Mecanoo TU Delft profile

The TU Delft Library provides guided tours for groups of users and associates of the library in either Dutch or English which are arranged by appointment; to apply, contact customer service at Ask Your Library.  Their website says that groups of architects, and I would imagine other design professionals, can be given a guided tour by the architectural firm Mecanoo, focusing on the construction and design of this light, spacious, and unique building.

Now that the Delft University of Technology Library greenroof has been completely renovated with a ZinCo system, it can be enjoyed for decades to come.  Here’s a truly ecologically designed library that can be used throughout the seasons, both inside and out.  How many libraries can claim that?

See some outstanding (copyrighted) photos from Flickriver here and architectural drawings by Mecanoo on Ziba 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.

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.

Greenroofs.com Project of the Week: 12/05/11
The Ramona Apartments
Portland, OR, USA
31,600 sf. Greenroof

Year: 2011
Owner: Turtle Island Development, LLC
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Building Type: Multi-Use
Type: Extensive, Test/Research
System: Custom
Size: 31,600 sq. ft.
Slope: 2%
Access: Inaccessible, Private

Project Description & Details

The Ramona Apartments is a new mixed-use, LEED-Gold certified midrise apartment building consisting of six stories of wood-framed construction over a concrete podium.  It includes 138 affordable apartments and ground floor facilities leased by Portland Public Schools and the Zimmerman Community Center.

The Ramona’s roof holds both a 30kWh photovoltaic array and 64 solar hot water panels over the ecoroof, receiving the City of Portland’s Ecoroof Incentive which funded $5/sf.  Two different soil types were installed, each 3.5” deep, and 26 species of potted succulents and grasses were planted.  The City of Portland provided flumes at two of the roof drains and will monitor the amount of stormwater released to the storm system.  In the summer, the soil and plants are expected to keep the surface of the roof cooler and reduce the build-up of heat in the attic space and improve PV panel efficiency.  Low irrigation rates will be tested on different zones by the City because it’s anticipated that the solar arrays will provide enough shade for the plants to sustain themselves.

Designers/Manufacturers of Record

Landscape Architect: Viridian Environmental Design, LLC
Architect: Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects
Sustainable Design Consultant: Harper Houf Peterson Righellis, Inc.
Sustainable Design Consultant: AECOM
General Contractor: Walsh Construction Co.

Additional Info

The Ramona is 6 stories with 138 apartments and 14,444 square feet of ground floor community facilities.  Subject to income guidelines, the Ramona has affordable apartments that are large enough for families with children, a school and community center on the ground floor, and free underground parking for most apartments.

Apartments here are available to households earning up to 60 percent of the Median Family Income (MFI) for the Portland metropolitan area – income levels are published once per year by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

It’s centrally located close to shopping, parks, the Portland Streetcar, coffee shops, and bike trails in the Pearl District near downtown Portland, Oregon.  Because of its close proximity to schools, public transit and many other amenities, the Ramona has a Walk Score rating of 91 (out of 100).  And the apartment complex is focused on meeting the Architecture 2030 goals for reducing energy use.

“The Ramona’s carefully engineered envelope and mechanical systems are not only good for the planet, but they also translate into lower monthly utility bills and make a healthier living space for you and your family.  We believe you will be proud to live here.” ~ The Ramona Apartments Greenbuilding Features

Click on each to learn more about some of the green features of the Ramona:

• Insulation and air tightness
• Energy-efficient equipment and fixtures
• Air-quality and ventilation systems
• Renewable energy
• Water efficiency
• Stormwater strategies

Of course the large greenroof, or ecoroof as they’re more popularly known in Portland, falls under the stormwater strategies section, which also includes various landscaping, planters, and filtration systems to cleanse and reduce or slow down the runoff; and an infiltration swale half a block long on Quimby Street.  All in all, these strategies are expected to treat 100% of the property’s stormwater.

The Ramona’s roof is the largest continuous ecoroof in the City of Portland at 31,600 sf (The Meriwether has several ecoroofs that total 41,400 ft²).

It also holds both a 30kWh photovoltaic array, expected to generate enough energy to run the Ramona’s elevators and hallway lights, and 64 solar hot water panels over the ecoroof, which will supply approximately half of the building’s hot water.

Since the building is a wood-frame structure, weight was a big factor here, as evidenced by the shallow growing media depth of only 3.5”.  The custom designed ecoroof is a test or research greenroof monitored by Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services for the two types of soil mixes along with stormwater issues and more.

Here are some observations from the design and construction phase from the Ramona Apartments Ecoroof Final Report of April 18, 2011:

“We first installed an eco-roof about 10 years ago on Buckman Terrace Apartments. The level of knowledge in the field has changed dramatically since then. However, it still has a long way to go. In designing this roof, we encountered widely varying opinions among the city, the designers, the manufacturers, and the installers about the best products and methods to use. BES needs to continue its efforts to collect data, share results, and foster communication in the industry.” ~ Ramona Apartments Ecoroof Final Report

The greenroof’s total cost was $384,130 and under nine dollars per square foot, including structural modifications to accommodate it. Completed on April 1, 2011, the Ramona received the City of Portland’s Ecoroof Incentive, funding $5/sf of that amount (BES Grant Request of $157,985).

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: 11/28/11
Free Library of Philadelphia, Parkway Central
Philadelphia, PA, USA
5,000 sf. Greenroof

Year: 2008
Owner: Free Library of Philadelphia
Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA
Building Type: Library
Type: Semi-Intensive, Test/Research
System: Custom
Size: 5,000 sq. ft.
Slope: 1%
Access: Accessible, Open to Public

Project Description & Details

Consisting of 49 branches, three regional libraries, the Parkway Central Library, and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the Free Library of Philadelphia is one of the most widely-used educational and cultural institutions in the city with more than six million visits annually.

Part of Mayor Michael Nutter’s green initiatives and the first on a city-owned building, the four story Beaux-Arts Parkway Central Library’s green roof demonstration project is divided into two areas flanking the east and west sides of the central roof terrace above the main entrance. 100 cubic yards of rooflite® growing media support more than 5,400 plants. Sedums include Murale White Stonecrop, Blue Cadet Creeping Sedum, and Blue Spruce Stonecrop along with grasses such as Blue Grama, Feather Reed Grass, Blue Fescue, and Prairie Dropseed. The accessible green roof offers informative signage and a beautiful view of central Philadelphia from the terrace.

Designers/Manufacturers of Record

Architect: Moshe Safdie and Associates
Architect: Kelly Maiello
Landscape Architect: Lager Raabe Skafte Landscape Architects
Greenroof Consultant: Peter Philippi, Green Roof Service, LLC
Roofing Contractor: U.S. Roofing
Growing Media: rooflite® Extensive MC, Skyland USA
Planting Installation: Galbally Landscaping
Project Manager: Jim Pecora, Free Library of Philadelphia
Lead Project Coordinator: Fredda Lippes, City of Philadelphia
Moisture Retention Mat, Drainage Board, Root Barrier & Protection Fabric: Carlise

Additional Info

The City of Philadelphia is fast becoming a very green-oriented city due to Mayor Michael A. Nutter and the efforts of many.  The City is currently working on a $2 billion stormwater plan to rethink the way the city deals with rain.  And, their Stormwater Management Practices Design Guidelines include specifics on greenroofs.

“The 25-year plan, which has been hailed as a national model, envisions green roofs on office buildings, porous pavement on city streets and parking lots, and plants and trees with tubs of gravel below ground to hold water and stall runoff in a storm.” ~ Philly.com of June 2, 2011

See the most recent version of the Philadelphia Stormwater Management Guidance Manual (Version 2.0 revised 4/29/2011).

Specifically pertaining to greenroofs, the City offers up to $100,000 in business tax credits.  For more info, download the Business Privilege Tax Application for the Green Roof Tax Credit, Philadelphia Code § 19-2604(8).

The Free Library of Philadelphia, Parkway Central is located on Logan Circle at 19th and Vine Street in Philadelphia and the greenroof project was initiated by Fredda Lippes, RA, LEED AP, Dept. of Public Property and Mayor’s Office of Sustainability for The City of Philadelphia.  The Library’s greenroof was designed by Moshe Safdie and Associates, the Library’s nationally-renowned architect of the Parkway Central Library’s expansion project and numerous other high-visibility living roofs (such as the Vancouver Public Library).  Sustainability and green building practices are being incorporated into the new 180,000 square-foot addition, and the Library is seeking a silver LEED designation for the new building.

“I want to commend all of those involved in making this vision a reality.  This project is another example to cities across the country of what can happen when many different sectors – government, business and non-profits – work in partnership towards a common goal.” ~ Mayor Michael A. Nutter

Completed at a cost of $200,000, the greenroof is mostly an extensive design with some semi-intensive areas varying from a 6” to 12” soil depth range.  Located on the south side of the building and accessible off the 4th floor of the Skyline room, the Library greenroof terrace offers spectacular views of downtown.

Staging for the construction of the greenroof included closing of the streets by police.  Here you see the rooflite® supersacks of growing media being trucked in:

By the way, rooflite® says that it takes the crane operator to unload each sack in about 3 seconds!

Monitoring of the roof has included temperature recordings:

“The summer roof temperature prior to the green roof installation was recorded as 128 degrees on the ballasted areas to 170 degrees on the exposed black EPDM – the green roof surface would average approximately 30-40 degrees less than the ballasted area.” ~Delaware Valley Green Building Council

Informative signage was an important factor for The Free Library of Philadelphia to help educate the public on the many benefits of greenroofs:

“Every Great City Needs a Great Library!” ~ The Free Library of Philadelphia

Watch a short (1:51) construction video by The Free Library of Philadelphia 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.