By Matt Burlin

I wanted to let everyone know about some recent opportunities within the City of Portland Ecoroof Program:

New Round of the Ecoroof Incentive

The next round of ecoroof incentives is now open, and the deadline for applications is December 1, 2011.  Nearly all roofs in Portland are eligible to receive up to $5 / per square foot for an ecoroof.  This is the seventh round of funding the incentive, and since 2008 the program has funded close to 150 projects across the City.  If you have a roof that might be a good candidate, please submit an application or contact us to discuss.

You can also visit our website, where we have amassed technical resources to help you, project reports from past incentives, and our ecoroof blog to keep you updated.  Learn more and download an application at www.portlandonline.com/bes/ecoroofincentives.

2011 Ecoroof Seminars

The City of Portland is again offering FREE technical workshops for anyone interested in learning more about ecoroofs in Portland.  There will be two separate one-day seminars: one for Professionals on December 6th and one for Property Owners on December 10th. Learn more and register here.

Please forward these opportunities to anyone that might be interested.  If you have any questions or comments, please contact me.

Thanks,

Matt Burlin
Outreach Coordinator
Sustainable Stormwater Management
City of Portland Environmental Services
1120 SW 5th Avenue, Suite 1000
Portland, Oregon 97204
voice: 503-823-7863
fax: 503-823-5344
matt.burlin@portlandoregon.gov
www.portlandonline.com/bes/ecoroof

By Steven Peck

This week Green Roofs for Healthy Cities launched the web site and agenda for our 9th Annual CitiesAlive conference and it’s going to be a great way to finish off the year.

Our co-hosts are the City of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, two of the key players in the communities planning to spend $2 billion on living green infrastructure technologies to address their stormwater management challenges and revitalize their community.

This year’s theme is Restoring Urban Waters and will have designs, scientific research papers and policies all devoted to exploring how living architecture technologies such as green roofs and walls can play a major role in addressing stormwater challenges.

We’ll also get together and discuss emerging issues and opportunities such as growing media standards, integrated design practices, and the research needed to increase indoor greening.

The CitiesAlive: The 9th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference is November 30-Dec 2, 2011.  Save the date and don’t forget that the deadline for this year’s Awards of Excellence Submissions is July 6.

See you in Philly…   SWP

Steven W. Peck, GRP, HASLA, is Founder and President, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and Co-Founder, Green Infrastructure Foundation; visit www.greenroofs.org or call Steven at: 416.971.4494 (233).

Learn more at these links from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities:

Join the more than 400 accredited Green Roof Professionals (GRPs)!
Save the date: CitiesAlive: The 9th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference – November 30th to December 3rd, Philadelphia
Read the Health Issue of the Living Architecture Monitor magazine
Check out Online Proceedings from CitiesAlive 2010 (on sale until July 31st)
Join GRHC and build a business in green roofs and walls

By Matt Burlin

Portland is preparing for the deadline of the sixth round of the Ecoroof Incentive.  The City offers $5 per square foot of ecoroof (extensive green roofs) on all approved projects, and the next deadline is June 1, 2011.

Since 2008, the ecoroof incentive has been awarded to 125 projects for 8.3 acres.  In total there are close to 300 ecoroofs in Portland covering 14 acres, and 421 green roofs (extensive and intensive) totaling nearly 30 acres.  Here are a couple of Portland ecoroof incentive recipients:

On a smaller scale, the project above is a Portland State University Bike Shelter with a total of 1,120 ft² of ecoroof.

On a considerably larger scale, above you can see The Ramona – Affordable Housing in Northwest Portland with 31,000 ft².

The incentive round follows a successful month of March – designated ‘Ecoroof Month’ by Portland City Council.  One great outcome was the completion of ecoroof test plots designed for habitat and biodiversity, below:

The project evolved from discussions with Stephan Brenneisen during his visit in March, and the test plots were installed with the help of his colleague Raphael Schneider during April.

Finally, the Greenroof Information Think-tank, a network of businesses, organizations, and green roof professionals in the Pacific Northwest, has grown to 270 since 2009.  This past year, the group consulted with Gunderson Manufacturing in the design of a pilot habitat ecoroof on their industrial property in Northwest Portland, seen above.

~ Matt Burlin

Matt Burlin is the Outreach Coordinator for Sustainable Stormwater Management with the City of Portland Environmental Services (BES). Contact Matt at 503.823.7863 or his new email address: matt.burlin@portlandoregon.gov. Visit the City of Portland’s website for complete info. You can also stay up to date by liking their facebook page.

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 covering May 20 and May 13, 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 May 20th as well as for May 13th, 2011, on  GreenroofsTV since we took a week off.

- Project of the Week

-  Our project of the week is SeQuential’s Biofueling Retail Station built in 2006 in Eugene, Oregon.  This biofuel station is an example of realistic, feasible, and sustainable technologies demonstrating real world solutions that reduce energy usage and local water quality impacts.  These features include solar panels on the fuel pump canopies, passive solar design of the convenience store, and a vegetated roof that is part of a site-stormwater system including bioswales and a detention pond.  Habitats staff, who were also project managers, designed the fuel station site plan, landscape and stormwater features, and designed, installed and planted the vegetated roof, which contains over 4,800 individual plants in 5 inches of soil.

-  Last week we featured Aqua, the winner of our “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest.  Designed to comply with LEED certification, Aqua is a mixed-use residential skyscraper overlooking Harbor Park on the shores of Lake Michigan and is setting new heights for innovation and beauty among Chicago skyscrapers.  Each floor of the 82-story tower has an architectonic facade of curvaceous white concrete balconies, and the 80,000 sf intensive Greenroof-Roofscapes® System roof garden by Barrett Company caps Aqua’s three-story podium roof, providing a naturalistic, eco-friendly landscape.  And an International Leak Detection (ILD) system was installed to protect against membrane damage as well as other electric field leakage problems.

-  To learn more about SeQuential’s Biofueling Retail Station, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage, and for Aqua, go to the Projects Database landing page and under Keyword > Project ID # > simply type in “1136.”

-  “What’s New”

-  Joblinks:  Apex Green Roofs is looking for an Office Administrator/Manager in Boston area, MA.  You can go to greenroofs.com/joblinks.htm more information on this job and other Green Roof Job postings.

-  Advertiser Press Release:  Bel Air receives its first Green Roof donated by local green roof design firm Green Roof Service.

- Industry News

-  Green Roofs for Healthy Cities is pleased to announce that it is now accepting submissions for the 2011 Green Roof and Wall Design Awards of Excellence, presented at CitiesAlive: the 9th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference in Philadelphia, PA November 30th through December 3rd, 2011.

- Make sure to check out our latest Guest Blog post on the Sky Gardens Blog, “Rainwater Harvesting on Greenroofs?” by Steve Williams.

- And while at Sky Gardens, read Linda’s latest posts about the last two GPW’s for “SeQuential’s Biofueling Retail Station” and “Aqua;” “Dr. Karen Weber Receives NEWIEE Achievement Award;” and “Greenroofs.com’s ‘This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: May 6th, 2011.”

-  “Upcoming Events”

- -Today and tomorrow, May 21st: is Green Living Technologies International (GLTi) Certification Training in Detroit, MI.

- And on May 22nd: is GLTi Urban Farming & Edible Walls in Detroit, MI.

- May 21st-22nd: is Green Festival – A Joint project of Global exchange & Green America in Seattle, WA.

- May 23rd-29th: is the 3rd Annual High-Performance Building Week, in Washington, DC.

- May 23rd: is ARCSA’s 100-Level Workshop, Introduction to Rainwater Harvesting in Athens, GA.

- And May 24th-25th: is the 200-Level 2-Day ARCSA Rainwater Harvesting Accreditation Course in Athens, GA with the 300-Level 2-Day ARCSA 2-Day Design & Construction Workshop on May 26th-27th.

- May 24th-28th: is the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London.

- For more Upcoming Events visit our homepage.

-  “In the News”

-  Bobby Tanzilo of OnMilwaukee.com reports on “Central Library renews environment via green roof.”  Instead of going for a conventional roof last year when the library needed to replace its 25-year-old roof, a 30,000 sf greenroof was constructed and 132 solar electric panels were added to generate about 36,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year.  On the first floor, there is an area dedicated to the greenroof initiative and the library’s public services manager, Christine Arkenberg, says “everyone’s very enthused about it.”

- The Norman Transcript announces “University of Okla. receives EPA Award.”  The University of Oklahoma was among winners of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awards presented earlier this week at the state Capitol.  The university received the 2010 Performance and Innovation in the State Revolving Fund Creating Environmental Success in EPA Region 6, because of its experimental green roof project that reduces stormwater runoff and blocks solar radiation.

- The Clemson Newsroom releases “Clemson University institute to study ‘vertical farming’ feasibility in Charleston.”  Research elements of the proposed vertical are water and energy self-sufficiency by incorporating elements of alternative energy sources and gray water collection and reuse; greenroof and vertical garden technologies; sustainable production of high-quality organic foods within a reduced urban footprint; enhanced hydroponics; rooftop and vertical wetlands for water quality treatment; and community-based sustainable development education.

- Blair Kamin of the Chicago Tribune reflects on “A mayor who left his mark on Chicago’s cityscape.”   His (Mayor Richard Daley) record-setting 22 years in office led to an urban legacy and dramatic changes including mega-projects like Millennium Park, former commuter railroad tracks which now arguably houses the world’s largest greenroof.  In total, Chicago now boasts more than 7 million sf — more than any other city in America — of planted roofs.

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

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

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

-  This has been This Week in Review for May 20th and May 13th,  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.

By Steve Williams

I am responding to the January 31, 2010 Texas Water Development Board article “Effect of Roof Material on Water Quality for Rainwater Harvesting Systems” that has been resurfacing around the Internet lately.  I am glad the article has been covered so well, because it brings concerns to the quality of rainwater and stirs up questions about materials used in each system.  I feel the article from Texas Water Development Board is very good, and I saw a short presentation on it at the ARCSA (American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association) Conference 2010 in Austin, TX.  I also heard a presentation by Dr. Peter Coombes of the University of Newcastle in Australia who has been studying first flush and rainwater harvesting for 10 years.

Roof material is important when harvesting rainwater and many of the guides discuss this.  For example, wood, copper and treated asphalt are only good for irrigation purposes.  Slate, concrete, metal coated or painted, and most vinyl/rubberized are excellent for all uses.  Asphalt shingles are acceptable as long as they are not treated with a chemical.

However, gutters, sealers, pipes, components and the tank material are as important for potable water and other uses.  All of the materials in contact with the water should not contain material that could taint the water.  The design of the system is important as well, but the first flush cleans the environmental residue that lands on the roof and is washed off during the beginning rain.  A first flush water diverter is a simple downpipe attachment that collects the first “flush” of rainwater most likely to carry contaminants (and mosquito larvae for that matter) from the roof.  This is a very important step in removing contaminates that will spoil the water and reduce it uses.

Graphic Source: infonet-biovison.

Most contamination comes from the local environment such as construction sites, industry, agriculture, trees, birds… if properly diverted few organics or contaminates end up in the tank.  When the summer heat raises the water temperature in above ground tanks the water stays clean.  Underground tanks stay cooler removing the algae problem, but the water can still be tainted from contaminants.

As for collecting water from greenroofs, there are three reasons I suggest not to do it.  First, as the Texas study pointed out there can be organic material that could taint the water as well fertilizers or pesticides which may be used.  EPA has studied the water runoff as well in this study: Green Roofs for Stormwater Runoff Control, 2009 by Robert D. Berghage, David Beattie, Albert. R. Jarrett, Christine Thuring, and Farzaneh Razae, exerpt below:

Stormwater runoff samples were collected from green and flat asphalt roofs and analyzed for water quality parameters.  Twenty three samples were evaluated for pH, EC, color, turbidity, and nitrate.  A limited set of five samples was evaluated for additional nutrients, hardness, salts and metals.  This small sampling of green roof runoff indicated the runoff was similar to what might be expected as leaching from any other planted system in the landscape.

I believe in storing the water as cleanly as possible, eliminating health risk and expanding the amount of uses for the water including emergency uses.  Properly stored rainwater can be used as potable or easily treated when no other water is available.

Graphic Source: Green Roofs for Healthy Cities

Second, the amount of water that can be collected is significantly reduced, because of the storage capacity of the roof when the soil is dry.  Greenroofs are a best management practice in reducing and delaying stormwater runoff.

By using greenroofs as rainwater capture areas, the amount of water will be reduced, making the system cost less efficient and difficult to gauge water collection.

Retention and runoff from green roofs (percentage of average monthly precipitation) from Green Roofs for Stormwater Runoff Control.
(Note the higher retention in the summer months.)

Finally, there are new plumbing codes being written to guide designers and installers to put systems in correctly.  The IGCC code (International Green Construction Code from the International Code Council), seen below, does not allow for water to be collected by greenroofs for potable water use:

Lead, chromium or zinc based paints are not permitted on rainwater collection surfaces.  Flat roofing products shall be certified to NSF P151. Rainwater shall not be collected from vegetated roof systems.

As for collecting rainwater from greenroofs, if used for irrigation it would be fine, but it should be kept separate from other uses.  I feel it might be better to pipe it to a rain garden or other landscaping needs.

In conclusion, my goal is to collect potable quality rainwater and be able to use it for a variety of uses gardening, cleaning, drinking as well as emergency needs when municipal water is not available.  It makes sense to collect the most water from the cleanest sources for multiple uses and less maintenance.

Steve Williams

By Matt Burlin

The ecoroof industry in Portland, Oregon, has been making great strides.  Since 2008, the City of Portland has offered an incentive of $5 per square foot of ecoroof on approved projects.  Over 100 projects have been funded so far for over 8 acres in vegetated roof space, and the funding will be offered twice annually until 2013.  The City now boasts nearly 13 acres of ecoroofs (extensive green roofs) and close to 28 acres of green roofs (intensive and extensive combined).

 
The entire month of March will include ecoroof-themed events and presentations.  During the first week we welcome Dr. Stephan Brenneisen, green roof and biodiversity expert, who will participate in a design charrette and share a presentation on his work in Basel, Switzerland.

There will also be several ecoroof project tours throughout the month that are free and open to the public.  The calendar of events can be found on the City of Portland’s Ecoroof Portland website.

The high point of the month will be the third annual Ecoroof Portland event, which will take place on Friday, March 18, 2011 at the Oregon Convention Center.

The event brings together professionals from throughout the ecoroof industry as well as all business owners, homeowners, and developers with an interest in ecoroofs.  More than 60 local ecoroof designers, landscapers, contractors, architects, consultants, nurseries, suppliers, manufacturers, researchers, non-profits and community groups will be on hand at this free, public event to share their knowledge with Portland citizens about greening our local rooftops to protect our rivers and streams.

(To apply to be a vendor, visit www.portlandonline.com/bes/ecoroofpdx, email Jake at jake@socialenterprises.net or call 503.226.2377 for more information.)

We’re very excited about our keynote speakers for this event.  Wolfgang Ansel, Director of the International Green Roof Association (IGRA), and renowned green roof designer Paul Kephart, of Rana Creek Living Architecture, will headline this year’s program. (Last year we were lucky to have Greenroofs.com’s Linda Velazquez and Emory Knoll Farms’ Ed Snodgrass as our keynote speakers!).

Additional programming includes case studies of high profile ecoroof and green building projects, and live demonstrations with ACE Academy (Architecture, Construction, Engineering) students and faculty.

 ~ Matt Burlin

Matt Burlin is the Outreach Coordinator for Sustainable Stormwater Management with the City of Portland Environmental Services (BES).  Contact Matt at 503.823.7863 or his new email address: matt.burlin@portlandoregon.gov.  Visit the City of Portland’s website for complete info.  You can also stay up to date by liking our facebook page.

By Jeff Sorrill

New industry supported code is set to raise the bar for green roofs in the UK, thanks to European funding.  Green roofs have become more common features in our towns and cities over the last five years, but maximum environmental benefits have not always been realised, due to a lack of UK specific guidance.  In response to this, the Green Roof Organisation (GRO) has developed and launched a UK code, with LIFE+ funding, secured by Groundwork Sheffield.

Published on January 18 of this year, The GRO Green Roof Code provides clear and practical guidance on green roof best practice in the UK.  Funded by the European Commission LIFE+ fund and Groundwork Sheffield, The GRO Code is also financially supported by the Homes and Communities Agency, The Green Roof Centre, Livingroofs.org, and is facilitated by the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC).

GRO is an industry forum facilitated by the NRFC, and GRO also acts as the technical arm of Livingroofs.org, founded by Dusty Gedge.  Members include industry providers, government bodies, researchers and awareness raising organisations.  GRO’s remit is to establish guidelines for all parts of the green roof design, specification, installation and maintenance process.

Groundwork Sheffield is a federation of local trusts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland which help people and organisations make changes in order to create better neighbourhoods, build skills and job prospects and to live and work in a greener way.  Groundwork Sheffield gained €914,213 in funding from LIFE+ to develop the UK code of best practice.

The LIFE+ programme is the European Union’s funding instrument for the environment.  The general objective of LIFE is to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental policy and legislation by co-financing pilot or demonstration projects with European added value.  LIFE began in 1992 and since then, LIFE has co-financed some 3,104 projects across the EU, contributing approximately €2.2 billion to the protection of the environment.

NFRC’s Chief Executive, Ray Horwood CBE, says:

“A UK specific code of best practice is long overdue, and the launch of The GRO Green Roof Code is welcome news for everyone involved in the green roof industry. By adhering to best practice, the numerous benefits of green roofs can be maximised, and the long term sustainability of green roofs ensured. The GRO Green Roof Code will set the benchmark for the industry.”

As with other green roof guidance around the world, The GRO Green Roof Code has its foundations firmly set in the German FLL Guidelines.  However, only the most technical of data needs to be traced back to the FLL – Forschungsgesellschaft Landschaftsentwicklung Landschaftbau (Landscape Research, Development and Construction Society).  The GRO Code aims to provide the vast majority of the information required by most designers, specifiers, installers and maintenance providers.

Read more at our The Green Roof Centre’s Green Roof Code page here, and download The GRO Green Roof Code here (PDF).

~ Jeff Sorrill

Jeff is Centre Manager of The Green Roof Centre, in Sheffield, England.  Contact him at:  Tel: 01142 227131, J.Sorrill@sheffield.ac.uk  or visit The Green Roof Centre.

The Green Roof Centre is the National Centre of Excellence for green roofs.  Based in Sheffield, The Green Roof Centre was founded by the University of Sheffield, Groundwork Sheffield, and the four surrounding local authorities (Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield and Rotherham).  Our primary aim is to promote green roof development and implementation through research, education, demonstration, information and technology transfer.

The University of Sheffield is the leading research establishment in this field in the UK, with an unrivalled range of expertise in the green roof arena.  It has developed an international reputation for excellence in green roof studies.  The Green Roof Centre operates with partners nationally to demonstrate the potential of green roof uptake in the UK.

By Bill Cole

Green is the new black.  And for good reason.  Our planet, its resources and wildlife are all in jeopardy.  Americans have finally taken notice and are doing something about it.
 
Here at Cole Roofing we believe the push to “go green” isn’t just a trend.  It’s here to stay.  And we’re committed to providing our customers with sustainable roofing solutions that help our environment one roof at a time.
 
Non-profit organizations are the backbone of our country, committed to worthy causes, its employees working long hours, often doing without the latest and greatest technologies so funding can be directed towards the greater good.
 
We think it’s time to honor area non-profits, so we’ve launched an exciting contest http://www.greenroofgiveaway.com/ for one lucky non-profit to win a green roof—either a vegetated or solar integrated roof, both on the cutting-edge of sustainable roofing.  Along with the Green Roof Give Away we will have an online public vote to determine the charity most deserving and one with the most votes will be awarded a $5,000.00 donation from Cole Roofing.
 
Beyond honoring area non-profits, a mission of our green roof giveaway is to educate the public on today’s different green roofing solutions.  Many people are unaware of the environmentally friendly roofing options available today.  Average consumers may be confused or have misconceptions about vegetated, solar roofs and more.  We’d like to dispel myths and misinformation and give you the facts on green roofs.  After all, an educated consumer is a powerful consumer. 

 
On our contest site we have many educational blog posts that will provide all sorts of information.  Please don’t forget to check out the contest details and our blog posts at http://www.greenroofgiveaway.com/ or at www.facebook.com/coleroofing – click on the Green Roof tab for more info.  While you are there be sure to “like” us so you get updates on the contest!

The deadline of November 15th for entries is fast approaching so nominate your favorite non-profit for something truly valuable.  We can’t wait to see all the entries!

~ Bill Cole

William Robert Cole is Vice President, Cole Roofing Co., Inc. in Baltimore, MD. Contact  him at 410-242-0600 or billy@coleroofing.com, or visit www.coleroofing.com.

By Dave Hilary

Roofs are turning green all around the Washington DC area.  Every year since 2005, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC), a network of public and private organizations promoting the green roof industry, has performed ranked cities by total square footage of new green roof installations for their corporate members.  And every year, Washington DC has been on the list.  In 2006 DC had 301,751 square feet of green roofs, and by 2009 it was approaching two million square feet of green roofs.  What’s behind this dramatic rise? 
 
GRHC points out that municipalities appearing near the top of the list, as Washington DC does in all but 2007, usually have governments that encourage green roofs through policies and programs.  Those governmental efforts are also closely tied to improving water quality.

According to a report by the Casey Trees Endowment Fund and Limno-Tech, Inc., DC has to vastly better manage its sewer outflows since the Anacostia, Potomac and Rock Creek Rivers currently do not meet federal water quality standards.  (Publisher’s Note: On a related note, see our 2006 Guest Feature by Gregory Long, RLA.) By an account in the Washington Post, just half-an-inch of rain washes billions of gallons of raw sewage and runoff directly into the Anacostia, mostly because of an outdated storm water system.  The fix on the drawing boards is three underground storm water storage tunnels with an estimated cost of $1.9 billion when the project was first dreamed up, but now closer to $2 billion as the city continues trying to put the funds together.

And while the media coverage for commercial and government green roof projects is robust, the residential scene appears to be a sleeping giant.  A thesis by Harriet Zipp and Britt Zimmerman found that just by installing green roofs on DC’s many traditional, flat roof, row houses the area could reduce its storm water flows by more than 12 percent.

But water quality improvement is not the only environmental issue DC is trying to address with its green roof build out.  The area lost 64 percent of its heavy tree cover between 1970 and 2000, according to an American Forests, Urban Ecosystems Analysis.  Trees and plant life help to keep the urban environment cooler and also help to clean the air, something that could go a long way toward lowering the city’s high asthma rates.  The Children’s Environmental Health Network and the DC Department of Health, put the area’s asthma rates at 6.5 percent for children and 5 percent for adults in 2004.

The federal government with its large real estate footprint in DC has been keen on green roofs from all perspectives since a series of environmentally-focused executive orders.  From the early beginnings by the United States Department of Agriculture in 2006 on its 1,200 square foot departmental administration building greenroof (plus a brand new 3,700 square foot one on their Whitten Building, below), to the Department of Transportation’s 2007 building sporting a 68,000 square foot green roof, the federal government has been setting the example.

Responsible for the natural and indoor environments in the District of Columbia, the The District Department of the Environment (DDOE) is #2 in the USA for area of green roofs (1 million square feet of installed green roofs).  In 2008 DC’s mayor called for the city to come up with its own green roof demonstration project before the end of the year.  In response, the Reeves Center now supports a 4,000 square-foot green roof and One Judiciary Square has an 8,000 square-foot green roof.
 

Private organizations and corporations are also heavily investing in green roofs in DC.  Recently, the World Wildlife Fund replaced a decrepit 24-year-old roof with a green roof that is claimed to be the third largest in the city.  The organization received a $7 per-square-foot grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to fund a portion of the project.  And the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) retofitted their headquarters with a green roof in 2006.

Parking lots offer their fair share of runoff to the overburdened storm water system but in at least one case the parking lot has been replaced by a building with not only a green roof, but one that retains all the storm water from the site.  The Walter E. Washington Convention Center collects and uses that storm water to irrigate the green roof and its street level plantings.

In addition to government and private sector clients, DC is also home to a growing number of community organizations that work to educate citizens about the benefits of going green.  Chief among these in the green roof field is DC Greenworks, a non-profit that works with city residents and builders to promote sustainable building and urban agriculture.  DC Greenworks also helps job seekers train for and connect with green jobs around the area.   You can also check out some of their featured projects here.

So what is it about the Washington area that makes it such a haven for green roofs and other sustainable design projects?  The most important factors seem to be a committed local green building community on the supply side, and a critical environmental need (in this case the Anacostia River runoff water crisis) combined with a healthy dose of government incentives to help stimulate the demand side.  The federal government is certainly a major player on some projects, but by no means the only game in town.

Dave Hilary is a Washington DC-based green roof enthusiast who maintains Green Roof Plan, an informational resource on green roof design, construction and maintenance. 

By Susan Apollonio

The American Society of Landscape Architects will host the 2010 ASLA Annual Meeting and EXPO in Washington D.C., September 10-13.  More than 6,000 landscape architecture professionals from around the globe will gather at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.  The theme will be Earth Air Water Fire DESIGN.

With more than 400 exhibitors, the ASLA EXPO is the largest trade show within the $140 billion dollar a year landscape design industry.  Attendees will have the opportunity to explore hundreds of new products, services, technology applications, and design solutions — all under one roof.   Consistently rated by attendees as “the most valuable event” of the conference, the EXPO presents companies, looking to reach this industry, a number of marketing opportunities including advertising, exhibitor, and sponsorship packages.

A great value for busy professionals, the meeting will feature more than 134 education sessions, field sessions, and tours over four days.  Full registration offers attendees the opportunity to earn up to 21 professional development hours.  In addition to qualifying for credit under the Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System (LA CES™), a multitude of programs have been approved for AICP, AIA, and USGBC continuing education credit.

One of the many meeting highlights is the ASLA Awards Ceremony, held each year to honor the best in landscape architecture from around the world.  Newcomers to the field will be introduced to the top landscape architecture firms and designers and seasoned professionals will enjoy a glimpse into the future of the profession.

Join ASLA this month for this exciting event!

~ Susan Apollonio, Marketing Manager, American Society of Landscape Architects

To register aned learn more, please visit ASLA Annual Meeting & EXPO.