We put together snippets of 10-15 seconds of all of our speakers – well almost all. We didn’t include the ones we had previously included in our Trailer Video -namely Xianmin Wang, Lluis Recasens Pahí, and João Manuel Linck Feijó - for time reasons. But you can still see them in the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011Trailer Video below:
So, watch the video and get a glimpse of what you would see in our virtual environment. You still have about a week to register, all the way up until October 28th. You’ll have access to the expo pavilions and can visit all the exhibitor and associate booths plus see our amazing speakers!
You’ll find the speaker presentations in two places: The Rare Earth Auditorium, sponsored by Tremco, and the On Demand Auditorium.
The Rare Earth Auditorium is where you’ll find all the presentations that were scheduled live, including our four illustrious Keynote Speakers – Andrew Grant, Charlie Miller, Ed Snodgrass, and Ralph Velasquez – most with the live Q & A Sessions that followed the original playing. You can still read all the commentary, too. Here you’ll find:
The On Demand Auditorium hold the presentations for the speakers who were not scheduled live – although in effect, once a presentation played once, they were all on demand.
These include:
We’re very proud of our inaugural Virtual Summit and know you’ll be very pleased, too. See the Speakers page and Agenda to learn all about each presenter and their presentation or panel session descriptions.
You still can’t beat the price for over 30 individual and panel sessions - only $49 or $25 for students & faculty and government professionals!
Greenroofs.com Project of the Week: 10/3/11 Harvard Graduate Student Housing at 29 Garden Street Cambridge, MA, USA 10,000 sf. Greenroof
Year:2004 Owner: The President and Fellows of Harvard College Location: Cambridge, MA, USA Building Type: Educational Type: Extensive System: Single Source Provider Size: 10,000 sq. ft. Slope: 1.5% Access: Accessible, Private
Project Description & Details
The Harvard Graduate Student Housing at 29 Garden Street is a great example of adaptive reuse – the former police station was transformed into a new six-story residence hall containing 75 apartments. Because all of the building’s units looked out onto this roof, Jonathan Levi Architects proposed to capture this space aesthetically and identified the unattractive blacktopped roof over the existing one-story parking garage for change.
Landscape architects Richard Burck Associates introduced shade tree plantings and new sidewalks within the mix of succulents, sedums and delospermas found in the Garden Roof Assembly from American Hydrotech. Now, the award-winning second-floor garden courtyard provides a beautiful outdoor amenity space for residents and has made this housing building one of the most popular places to live on campus.
Designers/Manufacturers of Record
Greenroofing System:American Hydrotech Plant Supplier:Green Roof Plants/Emory Knoll Farms Plant Installation: Valley Crest Architect: Jonathan Levi Architects Associate Architect: Bergmeyer Associates Landscape Architect: Richard Burck Associates General Contractor: Bond Brothers Hydrotech Applicators: Chapman Waterproofing and Foye & Letendre Landscaping Environmental Engineer: Pine and Swallow Associates, Inc. Structural Engineer: Weidlinger Associates Inc.
Motivating factors for the refurbishment of the Harvard Graduate neo-Georgian residences were both economic and political, according to Susan Keller, vice president of residential real estate at Harvard.
“Because of the tight and expensive housing market, and because of municipal pressure on the university to house more students, the number of affordable apartments close to campus.” ~ Architectural Record, December 2004
In a concerted effort to ameliorate unattractive views and create a usable greenspace for the student housing residents, Jonathan Levi Architects and landscape architects Richard Burck Associates decided upon a greenroof as their answer to cover an unused and decidedly ugly garage roof in close proximity and full view of the common areas.
Jonathan Levi also happens to be Adjunct Professor, Department of Architecture at Harvard and his company designed the 29 Garden St. Graduate Housing Complex to provide 143 beds for students from a wide array of graduate programs. The project’s 75 residential units include studio, double-studio, two bedroom and faculty three bedroom unit types.
Other components of the community complex include a residential food servery/ convenience store, a dining commons/multi-function room seating 45-80, an informal lounge, a garage with parking for 62 cars, a laundry facility, a campus police substation, double-height communal spaces, and their new 10,000 square foot rooftop garden terrace.
“We became interested in the idea of a ‘graduate house’—something akin to the undergraduate houses, a place that would spur a sense of community. Residents would be drawn from different schools and programs, we saw it also as fitting in with the academic trend toward greater mixing of disciplines,” said Jonathan Levi in Architectural Record, December 2004.
Entrances to faculty apartments are joined by a balcony that extends the entire length of the building and each of the three bedroom, third-floor faculty apartments is accessed via stairs leading from the courtyard garden.
The newly created exterior passageway and grand stair lead from Garden Street to the courtyard garden one level above.
“The adaptive reuse of a former police station and parking garage transformed 29 Garden Street into a new residence hall for Harvard University graduate students, faculty, and employees. At the street level, we were charged with improving a 5,000 square foot pedestrian environment with shade tree plantings and renovated sidewalks. The program also called for the creation of a second floor level 10,600 sf garden courtyard on the unadorned roof of the existing parking garage. This space would not only be an outdoor amenity for the residents, but also provide access to Garden Street, the parking garage below and a row of third-floor units above. Programmatically, it needed to accommodate sitting, studying, and socializing for individuals or small groups.” ~ Project Narrative from Richard Burck Associates, Inc.
This site plan of 29 Garden Street residence hall above shows the spatial relationship of the garden courtyard to the architecture. The drawing is cut through the third-story level apartments to emphasize the connections between the second-story garden courtyard and Garden Street, the hallways and specific units.
“Our intention was to create a garden with a varied and changing two-dimensional composition given the considerable constraint of a limited soil loading capacity. We created a patterned ground plane comprised of two cohorts of extensive vegetation, alternating in bands of greens and reds for most of the growing season. A wide variety of sedum species were carefully chosen for their hardiness in extensive planting systems as well as their ability to create year round interest. Paths of wood decking and concrete unit pavers cut through the vegetation beds and allow for areas of strolling and seating along the way. Intensive planters support Arnold Promise Witch hazels and Junipers for screening purposes where the garage structure can accommodate the added load needed for the three-foot soil depth.” ~ Project Narrative from Richard Burck Associates, Inc.
The landscape architects said that their main challenge was not to exceed the 65 lbs/cf dead load throughout the majority of the space. As a result, the depth of the extensive planter beds could not exceed 6-8” and accommodate the layers of waterproofing and drainage as well as the proper cultural requirements of the sedums.
“What a great way to expose students to contemporary issues and solutions. It’s so simple, yet nicely detailed, and shows a lot of restraint.” ~ ASLA 2007 Professional Awards Jury Comments
Our vision of producing and sharing the virtual experience to our industry with our inaugural Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 was successful, and we couldn’t have done it without the great support of many people, in particular our main patron, Rare Earth Sponsor TREMCO, along with Emerald Sponsor American Hydrotech.
We are so proud to have put together the most amazing community of talented international speakers that you could have asked for – all leaders in their fields. See the Speakers page and read all about them and their presentations.
Speaking of our Sponsors, Exhibitors, and Speakers, I’d like to stress that although the 2 live days have passed, the end of the Virtual Summit is on October 28 – if you missed out on September 27 & 28, you can still register until October 28!
You can’t beat the price of only $49 – or $25 for students/faculty/government professionals - to access all 32 of our great panel sessions, interviews, presentations, and live Q & A commentary plus see the latest from manufacturer/supplier and organization/government exhibitors.
Visit all of our truly unique and innovative areas within the virtual environment: the Rare Earth and On Demand Auditoriums, the Tremco Meeting Room, the Sky Terrace Networking Lounge, the Media Lounge, and the International, North American & Associates Pavilions at the Expo – did you know you can still chat with your fellow online attendees either in a public or private via video, audio, or text while logged in?
We’re putting together an awesome Highlights Video of our wonderful participants to give you a taste of what you are missing – look for it soon! We hope to see you still in Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011! Register here.
Watch our short, fun, trailer here (under 3 minutes):
Last week I highlighted international professionals from Germany, Mexico, Canada, Chile, and the U.S., and here is the remaining line-up of wonderful, talented speakers at our inaugural online event, also from countries around the world:
Matthew Dillon, Australia: The Vice President of GreenRoofs Australasia and member of World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) will present “GreenRoofs in Australasia.”
João Manuel Linck Feijó, Brazil: The principal of Ecotelhado, Director of ATVBrasil, and World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) board member will present ”The Work of ATVBrasil.”
John Shepley, USA: The engineer, co-founder of Emory Knoll Farms, founding board member of the Baltimore Biodiesel Cooperative, chairman of the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance and contributing editor on Greenroofs.com will present “Sustainability at a Small Business: Emory Knoll Farms.“
If you haven’t yet, register today! Please help us spread the world – tell your colleagues, Twitter followers, Facebook fans, newsletter subscribers, and LinkedIn connections to register here.
I think there’s plenty of room in our relatively close-knit greenroof and wall community to explore new information technologies together and not feel threatened by competition – don’t you? In fact, don’t you agree we should celebrate each other’s innovations?
This is the social media event of the year! We need to support each other and continue to find ways to collaborate and share information. We’re thrilled with the many features we have up our sleeves, and we hope you will be, too.
Roland Appl, Germany: The Technical Director of ZinCo and President of the International Green Roof Association (IGRA) will present “Combining Green Roofs with Photovoltaics.”
Jörg Breuning, USA and Germany: The principal of Green Roof Technology (Previously Green Roof Service) and co-founder of Green Roof Safari will present “Green Roof Technology Sails Around the World.”
Tanya Müller Garcia, Mexico: The founder of AMENA – Asociación Mexicana para la Naturación de Azoteas – (National Mexican Greenroof Association), Vice-President of WGIN, and Director of Urban Reforestation and Bikeways for the City of Mexico will present “Development of Greenroofs and Walls in Mexico and Latin America.”
Richard Hayden, RLA, ASLA, CLARB, USA: The landscape architect and Garden Roof Department Manager at American Hydrotech, Inc. will present “Sloped and Complex Green Roofs.”
Haven Kiers, LEED AP, GRP, USA: The founding partner of GreenSwell Design and Planning, trainer with Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, and contributing editor on Greenroofs.com will co-present the “2011 Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design” with Linda Velazquez.
Terry McGlade, Canada: The horticulturalist, landscape designer, and founder and President of Gardens in the Sky will present “Constructing Gardens in the Sky.”
Imagine a world of green: What are we doing to create organic architecture?
Next week I’ll highlight the rest of our stellar cast of greenroof and greenwall professionals and enthusiasts!
See the GGW Virtual Summit Speakers page and Agenda to learn all about each presenter and their presentations or the panel sessions.
You’ve got to admit that you can’t beat the super low registration fee of $99 for September 27 and 28 plus the 30 days archived on demand through October 28 to hear from all of these excellent speakers…
… but we want everyone to qualify for the even lower Associate Rate of only $49 (just type in the name of the non-profit/organization/constituency that you belong when prompted) or the Students/Faculty/Government Professionals Rate of only $25 (state the school/university or government).
And, you’ll be automatically entered for the chance at winning our second Apple iPad2 drawing, announced on September 30, 2011.
We hope you join us for this very interactive virtual experience – think film festival meets 2-day webinar and online expo extravaganza!
Brought to you by Greenroofs.com, we’d like to thank to our Virtual Summit Sponsors TREMCO (Rare Earth) and American Hydrotech (Emerald) and our Exhibitors, Associates, and Media Partners – make sure to visit them at the Expo Pavilions.
Just a quick post to remind you to pre-register for the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 by midnight tonight EDT to qualify for the half-off price of only $49 ($25 for students/faculty and government professionals).
PEOPLE: Creative thinkers, innovators, and trailblazers sharing project-focused organic “vegitecture”
PROJECTS: International icons of sustainability: early successes + current & visionary profiles of excellence in design
DESIGN: Proven standards of diverse green technologies + dynamic and cutting edge designs for greening the planet with building integrated greenery: bioclimatic, biodiversity, biomimicry & chic sustainability
This gives you full access to all the presentations, panel sessions, Expo Pavilion booths, Sponsor Meeting Rooms, Networking Lounge, Media Lounge and all your Social Collaboration Network (SCN) online video, audio, and text chatting on both September 27 and 28 and 30 days archived on demand through October 28!
As I’ve said before, we’re really giving away two iPad2’s to registrants and attendees. But increase your chances by pre-registering now and to become eligible for the first drawing, announced tomorrow, September 9, 2011 at noon.
One random winner will be chosen from the Early Bird Registrations and one from attendees who have been the most active using the (SCN) during the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 on September 27 & 28. This includes all your online chatting and visiting our very important sponsor and exhibitor booths at the Expo Pavilions! Swipe your Virtual Badge at each exhibitor booth you visit to increase your chances. See the official Rules & Regulations here.
Watch our quick Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Trailer below for highlights of Speakers, the Agenda and more:
Visit the Virtual Summit website here to see how it all works.
See the GGW Virtual Summit Speakers page and Agenda to learn all about each presenter and their presentations or the panel sessions.
Speaking of our panel sessions, we have seven very distinct, innovative,and important collaborations that you are sure to enjoy and learn from personal experiences of movers and shakers in their respective fields from international non-profit, private and university level to U.S state, city, and borough level to professional association, private enterprise, and corporate experiences.
Click on the photos or titles to learn more about each scheduled time slot on the Agenda and each individual - they all have live Question & Answer sessions afterwards, so don’t miss them to pick their brains on how they are succeeding in greening our roofs and walls:
Christine is moderating the panel on “Biodiversity and Green Roofs” where she also speaks about her research on plant community development and ecological processes on extensive green roofs with time. Nathalie speaks about “Green Roofs / Natural Roofs = Biodiverse Habitats and Ecological Compensation in Urban Space: 15 Years of Experience in Switzerland.” Dusty speaks about “Designing and Working for Biodiversity on Green Roofs for Over 10 Years.” And Gary speaks about “My First Biodiverse Green Roof in 1992, Considerations for Planning and Design and Some Thoughts on the Future.”
This panel featuring: a State Senator, noted business leader, NYC project manager, health care manager, social service providers and a dedicated educator speaks to triple bottom line benefits, impacts and the uses of green roofs, green walls, and urban agriculture as highly replicable, critical components to creating and leveraging social equity and economic and educational opportunities in challenging times.
“The Portland Ecoroof Program: A Cross-section of the Green Roof Movement in Portland, Oregon” above left to right: Tom Liptan, Matt Burlin, Amy Chomowicz, Casey Cunningham, and Alice Meyers. The Portland Ecoroof Program started in 1996 when a city employee constructed an experimental ecoroof on his garage. From this small start, the program has grown and as of July 2011 there are over 420 green roofs of varying sizes, on all types of buildings, from multi-story apartment complexes and commercial buildings to humble sheds, kiosks, and garages. These green roofs cover nearly 30 acres of Portland rooftops (extensive and intensive roofs).
The Portland Ecoroof Program consists of technical support, incentives, education, policies, and research. The program is incentive-based rather than regulatory, and the city’s policies reflect this approach. This presentation provides an overview of how these program elements work with the private sector and general public to sustain the green roof movement in Portland.
U.S. Congressman Tom Reed from the 29th district of New York, Tom Ferraro, CEO of Foodlink – a national network of 200 food banks – and George Irwin, CEO of Green Living Technologies International (GLTi), provide interactive conversation and commentary concerning the impact of education, economics and opportunity around local food production with green walls and roofs. Rochester-based GLTi started in New York City and has since grown nationally and internationally through education and collaborative hands-on projects with local youth, the underprivileged and disadvantaged in New York and Los Angeles and with business partnerships in Santiago, Dubai, and beyond to include their Food Factory and more.
“Wind. Water. Heat. Grow. Greenroofs.” above left to right: Dr. Bill Retzlaff, David Aponte, Kevin Songer, and Joe Webb. Greenroofs are impacted by wind, water and heat on an unrelenting basis. Through wind trials and real hurricane survival stories in Houston, TX, Jacksonville, FL, Edwardsville, IL, and Puerto Rico, we have met those challenges and will discuss various projects’ responses and successes to Hurricanes Ike and (any others?). Drought, hot winds, and unseasonable 100° days can also quickly desiccate or kill greenroof plants.
Dr. Bill Retzlaff moderates discussing wind studies and plant trials for greenroofs at SIUE. Joe Webb talks about his project which endured 110 to 120 mph winds and 11” of rain in 24 hours and shares water mapping and Living Building Challenge Water requirements. Kevin Songer talks about the Outdoor Turbine Hurricane Simulator at the University of Florida, water conservation through ‘nature-based irrigation design,’ and the importance of biodiversity. David Aponte speaks to his experience of engineering and designing greenroofs with the correct growing media and plants in hurricane-prone, sub-tropical Puerto Rico.
“Greenroofs: Wind & Fire” Panel above left to right: Kelly Luckett, Mike Ennis, and Jim Kirby. No longer can the green roof be deleted from a project due to failure to comply with the fire code. After three years in the making from members of Single Ply Roofing Industry in cooperation with Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC), we now have a green roof design guide for minimizing the risk of fire on green roofs. The securing of a place in mainstream construction through the International Code Council (ICC) has resulted in a milestone for the North American green roof movement. Fire concerns are only half of the code story as the wind design guide is still progressing through the ANSI process – we must overcome both the wind and the fire obstacle.
Kelly Luckett, President of Green Roof Blocks, moderates and shares his experiences representing GRHC with the consensus based ANSI/SPRI VF-1 and RP-14 standards. Jim Kirby, NRCA’s AED, Technical Communications, provides NRCA commentary about building codes, vegetative roofs and RP-14. Mike Ennis, Technical Director for SPRI, speaks to SPRI’s leadership leadership in the development of fire and wind standards and experience in the building code arena.
And, because the panel sessions weren’t stirring enough, we’ve ended with the “Green Roofs Without the Hype” Panel above left to right: Patrick Carey, Dr. Robert Berghage, Charlie Miller, and Ed Snodgrass. Here are four people with the knowledge to speak frankly about the current state of affairs in green roofing. This panel focuses on the designation and evaluation of expertise, appropriate background and training, roadblocks to research and education, design origination and control, chain of custody issues, installation, and the residential market.
We hope you join us for this very interactive virtual experience – think film festival meets 2-day webinar and online expo extravaganza!
Pre-register or learn more by visiting: virtual.greenroofs.com. Don’t forget to pre-register by this Friday, September 9 for the discounted Early Bird rate of only $49 ($25for students/faculty and government professionals).
Brought to you by Greenroofs.com, we’d like to thank to our Virtual Summit SponsorsTREMCO (Rare Earth) and American Hydrotech (Emerald) and our Exhibitors and Media Partners – make sure to visit them at the Expo Pavilions.
The ever growing demand for sustainable design continues to grow across the world – especially with living architecture, and Greenroofs.com’s inaugural Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit held online on September 27 and 28, 2011 is truly a groundbreaking event you can’t miss!
Join us as we inform, share, and create a global social media experience for learning and networking via the power of the Internet. It’s a community destination that will allow you to connect with everyone in our growing community!
Over 50 speakers from around the world are joining us in the Virtual Summit including architects, ecologists, landscape architects, engineers, educators, industry CEOs, product manufacturers and suppliers, botanists, non-profit directors, government officials and representatives from the state of New York, cities of Portland, OR; Chicago, IL; and the Bronx.
We’ve just released our very impressive international speaker line-up for the Virtual Summit 2011 – you can now see the Speakers page and Agenda to learn all about each presenter and their presentations or panel sessions.
Our Keynote Speakers are thinkers, designers, trend setters, eco-luminaries:
“Imagine a world of green: What are we doing to create organic architecture?”
Dr. Patrick Blanc, France: The renown botanist and creator of Le Mur Végétal will present “The Vertical Garden – from Nature to Cities” with an exclusive interview by Linda Velazquez.
Xianmin Wang, China: The Deputy Chief of the Vertical Greening Academic Group of China Green Building Council; Vice Chairman of the International Rooftop Landscaping Association will present “The Current Situation and Future of Green Roofs in China.”
We’re treating our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 as a production, and now you can see the trailer – it’s fast, fun, and informative and gives you a glimpse of presentations to come. Watch just a few highlights from our stellar cast of greenroof and greenwall professionals below:
Don’t forget to pre-register by September 9 for the discounted Early Bird rate of only $49 ($25 for students/faculty and government professionals) for access on both September 27 and 28 and 30 days archived on demand through October 28! Plus, you’ll be automatically entered for the chance to win the first of two Apple iPad2s that we’re giving away.
One random winner will be chosen from the Early Bird Pre-Registrations and one from attendees who have been the most active using the Social Collaboration Network, including all your online chatting and visiting our very important sponsor and exhibitor booths at the Expo Pavilions!
Brought to you by Greenroofs.com, we’d like to thank to our Virtual Summit Sponsors TREMCO and American Hydrotech and our Exhibitors and Media Partners:
See our Press Release here. Join us for the sharing, networking and fun event of the year!
Greenroofs.com Project of the Week: 8/15/11 NBC Experience Store New York, NY, USA 135 sf. Greenwall
Year: 2010 Owner: NBC Location: New York, NY, USA Building Type: Commercial Type: Living Wall System: Single Source Provider Size: 135 sq.ft. Slope: 100% Access: Accessible, Open to Public
Project Description & Details
The NBC Experience Store at Rockefeller Center project was developed as a piece for NBC’s “Green is Universal” week 2010, resulting in a beautiful and lush indoor wall in the heart of New York City. A secondary green initiative included a temporary window display to educate the public on green farming with vertical living walls as well as to show the portability of the Mobile Edible Wall Unit (MEWU), used as a teaching tool in classrooms and as part of the Green Living Technologies International Food Factory.
The project received a lot of attention upon the introduction of the installation team – they were not only from the Bronx, they were also GLTi’s youngest certified installers in the world. As part of the GLTi educational curriculum, this Discovery High School team of interns is part of the degree track program getting paid to implement the skills they learned in the classroom. The interior greenwall utilizes the patented 24″x24″x4″ Green Living Wall Panels consisting of low light indoor plants. The grow lights use only 7W of electricity and the bulbs last over 50,000 hours, making the lighting unit a great low cost option.
Designers/Manufacturers of Record
Greenwall System: Green Living Technologies International (GLTi) Plant Grower: Parker Plantscapes Installation: Discovery High School Students Discovery High School Teacher/Administrator: Steve Ritz
Additional Info
NBC’s Green is Universal program and Green Living Technologies International partnered to bring the beautiful green walls to the NBC Experience Store in 30 Rockefeller Plaza for Green Week 2010. You couldn’t have asked for greater exposure for public awareness – the NBC Experience Store at 30 Rock is located on the corner of 49th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue and is across from the TODAY show studio.
After speaking with George Irwin of GLTi and Discovery High School, NBC hoped to “communicate green and the environment right here in the store.” And they certainly did just that - NBC’s Experience Store “Window Farm” below was a temporary display during ”Green is Universal” week 2010 which ran from November 14-21. The full length display windows had four individual MEWUs and were full of vegetable and herb plants all week long and all the produce was donated to four NYC schools for healthy lunches!
The permanent greenwall below is located up on the second floor and is visible from the first floor product display area of the NBC Experience Store.
I had the opportunity to see this lovely flowering greenwall last January, when Caroline Menetre, above, and I attended a GLT Certified Training in New York of about 100 people, including 30 students of whom several were from Discovery High School in the Bronx – the same team who had installed this greenwall – they were there to help the new student class (read her January 21, 2011 blog post GLT in NYC: A Weekend of Training, Education, & Fun).
George Irwin, CEO of GLTi and a former teacher himself, has been tirelessly promoting vertical living technologies to students across New York and has been working with educator Steve Ritz of Discovery High School and others to educate youth on the multiple benefits of sustainable crop production on greenroofs and greenwalls.
Led by George and classroom teacher Steve Ritz of Discovery High School, the student team installed the 135 sf modular greenwall on November 13, 2010 in just a few hours.
This was done by the GLTi certified trainer graduating class from the Spring of 2010 (in collaboration with Janice Goodman and Cityscape), and these young people had already installed a greenroof over the summer in the Hamptons!
“We are providing opportunities and changing lives.”~ George Irwin
Here are some South Bronx figures, according to Ritz: 25% are unemployed; 40% are living in poverty; and the median income is $20,000. Part Bronx activist and part youth advocate, teacher/administrator Steve Ritz’s students maintain a community garden and grow food in their classroom.
Steve has been central to encouraging healthier eating habits as part of incorporating the GLTi Mobile Edible Wall Units or MEWU into his curriculum plus actually empowering these students with the promise of green collar jobs. The students actually run a profitable, community-based farmer’s market – in his class he and the kids have grown enough food to feed 450+ people!
“The Bronx is poised and ready to export our talent and diversity to lead the green revolution in ways that help us heal ourselves in a fully sustainable manner.” ~ Steve Ritz
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. is a great supporter of the efforts of Discovery High School, the proposed Hunts Point High School for Sustainable Community Initiatives - the career technical school focused on urban agriculture and “green” technology and jobs slated to open in 2012 – and the overall green technology potential in the Bronx.
“Ritz wrote the proposal for the new school, which would operate in partnership with the Pratt Institute, Green Living Technologies, Mothers on the Move, the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education and The Point Community Development Corp.” ~ The Hunts Point Express
And on Wednesday, September 28 see George Irwin as he leads the “Vertical Agriculture: A Global Movement Starts Locally, from Wall to Table“ panel session along with Tom Ferraro, Executive Director of Foodlink, and U.S. Congressman Tom Reed. This team will provide interactive conversation and commentary concerning the benefits of urban crops and the impact of education, economics and opportunity around local food production with green walls and roofs.
The NBC Experience Store Greenwall is a great example of a successful public/private partnership/relationship, and that “Green is Universal!”
Watch students and teachers from the Bronx’s Discovery School install the wall, and talk about the impact the program has had on their education below:
Greenroofs.com Project of the Week: 8/8/11 BCIT Green Roof Research Facility Vancouver, B.C., Canada 1,065 sf. Greenroof
Year: 2003 Owner:Centre for the Advancement of Green Roof Technology Location: Vancouver, B.C., Canada Building Type: Educational Type: Extensive, Test/Research System: Custom Size: 1,065 sq.ft. Slope: 2% Access: Accessible, By Appointment
Project Description & Details
In response to a 2002 stakeholder workshop held in Vancouver, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) designed a dedicated Green Roof Research Facility with the support from a consortium of regional government, organizations, industry associations, and material suppliers. Commissioned in 2003, phase 1 (2002-2007) quantified green roof performance for stormwater mitigation, membrane durability and thermal efficiency in the climate of coastal BC. Phase 2 phase (2007-2010) expanded research themes to embrace acoustics, living walls, biodiversity, and materials research.
The Green Roof Research Facility has three independent roof surfaces – one reference roof and two green roofs – each with their own weather poles to measure climatic parameters. The green roof on the east side (GR1) has 75mm (3″) growing medium, while GR2 on the west side has 150 mm (6″). The reference roof is in the middle. In addition to researching stormwater source control and thermal performance of green roofs, the Centre also conducts product performance testing, serves for demonstration, and offers research-based education and training across disciplines. The Centre was built with the help of over 200 students from BCITs polytechnic stream, including the Architectural and Building Engineering Technology program, Carpentry, Structural Drafting, Steel Fabrication, Electrical, Electronics, Sheet Metal, Plumbing, Millwork and Finishing.
Designers/Manufacturers of Record
Architect: Randy Knill Architects Greenroof Designers/Consultants: Maureen Connelly and Students, BCIT Department of Architectural and Building Engineering General Contractor: BCIT Facilities Management Engineer: for structural, electrical, and mechanical systems, Earth Tech Consulting Engineers Landscape Architect: Cornelia Hahn Oberlander Roofing Subtrade: Roofing Contractors Association of British Columbia and industry partners
Additional Info
Located within the School of Construction and the Environment at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, the BCIT Centre for Architectural Ecology (Previously known as theBCIT Centre for Advancement of Green Roof Technology or CAGRT) is evaluating the function and performance of extensive greenroofs and living walls in the rainforest climate of coastal B.C with their Green Roof Research Facility (GRRF). Through collaborations with industry, government and academic partners, their vision is to help advance the widespread adoption of these technologies in this region.
“The mission of the BCIT Centre for Architectural Ecology – Collaborations in Green Roofs and Living Walls is to conduct world-class, innovative research on green roof and living wall systems and to provide research-based education across disciplines, to students and practitioners.”
The BCIT Centre for Architectural Ecology conducts applied research that uses more than 500 channels of live data on green roofs and five weather stations in Vancouver and Victoria. This research is used by architects, industry partners, policy-makers and professional builders.
As Canada’s premier polytechnic institution, the British Columbia Institute of Technology supports the advancement of the greenroof industry in western Canada through leading edge curriculum programming developed by the Centre for Architectural Ecology in the School of Construction and the Environment. They are committed to improving public awareness of greenroof and greenwall systems through education and demonstration, both locally and globally.
The Centre integrates its research and technology transfer through its diploma and degree programs, as well as academic collaborations, and professional development for the design and architecture communities. They have many courses in both greenroofs and living walls, see their courses page for the current schedule.
The team includes many fantastic people, but Maureen Connelly, B.Sc., B.E.D.S., M.Arch., MAIBC is the Director and BCIT Project Manager, as well as Faculty, and has been the leading force behind the the Centre for Architectural Ecology and a true greenroof champion.
“Combining a science background with a professional affiliation as an architect, Maureen Connelly developed the vision, oversaw the construction and instrumentation, and continues to direct the strategic research planning process at the Centre. Maureen’s initial research focused on the architectural and planning impact of green roofs, which led to the Phase 1 research program.” ~ BCIT
If you want to see their early research, make sure you look at the Phase 1 document above, it’s full of detailed information with numerous research graphics and photos of the site including construction, plants, and people.
The BCIT GRRF features two green roof sections separated by parapets and a non-green reference roof (REF). Both green roof systems include a root barrier, non-reservoir drainage board and independent filter cloth, and the same growing medium composition consisting of 1⁄3 white pumice, 1⁄3 sand and 1⁄3 organic compost.
Green Roof 1 (GR-1) contained 75 mm of growing medium planted with sedum species while Green Roof 2 (GR-2) contained 150 mm of growing medium planted with a mix of fescues and grasses. The roof sections were fully instrumented to measure stormwater runoff characteristics and energy efficiency. Compare the roof from initially planted below in 2003 and then two years later in 2005:
The roof was monitored and performance data were collected for one full year (January 1 to December 31, 2005). The plants were fully established during this period. Also see the November 2006 Technical Series 06-106 “West Coast Green Roof Performance at BCIT’s Green Roof Research Facility” from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, which is a condensed version of the BCIT Phase 1 research program report.
“The first year of observation showed that, in the temperate climate of Vancouver, a green roof system with appropriate plant species in 75 mm of growing medium can provide a similar level of stormwater mitigation and thermal benefits as a green roof system with 150 mm of growing medium. The preliminary findings suggested that buildings in Vancouver could benefit from lighter weight extensive green roof systems to realize the goals of stormwater retention and reduction of thermal extremes. A second phase of study will look at stormwater.” ~ West Coast Green Roof Performance at BCIT’s Green Roof Research Facility
The BCIT Green Roof Research Facility weather pole is shown above, including solar radiation sensor, relative humidity and temperature transmitter, and thermocouples followed by the cross-section of their roofing system showing principal components and location of various sensors.
The BCIT Technology Centre designed and built the tipping bucket flow measurement system:
Below are two photos of the individual Roofing Evaluation Modules (REMs) at ground level at different times of the year and from different perspectives: one from the ground and one as seen from the roof of the adjacent Research Facility.
From 2006-2008, Christine Thuring, our Student Editor, was an adjunct researcher at BCIT’s Centre for the Advancement of Green Roof Research and involved in the research there (and is available for collaboration on special projects) – see her in the flowering summer shot below, pointing up:
In late July 2008, the BCIT Centre for Advancement of Green Roof Technology began a 2-year research project in partnership with Quad-Lock Building Systems, Ltd. The goal of this research was to provide objective data on the performance of various green roof structures. Utilizing Quad-Lock’s Insulating Concrete Forms and Quad-Deck products, this Roofing Evaluation Module (REM) was the first all-concrete test structure at BCIT’s CAGRT. This new REM was placed alongside wood frame REM structures that incorporate both green and conventional roofs.
Phase 3 commenced in 2007, figures not included here in this profile, and include various sites at BCIT’s Burnaby Campus which encompassed: instrumenting the 1,700 M2 (18,000 sf) extensive greenroof on the Electronic Arts (EA) Motion Capture Studio to monitor and evaluate stormwater runoff and membrane temperatures; calibrating and monitoring the 135 M2 (1,450 sf) White Rock Operations Building extensive green roof for its effectiveness as a stormwater source control tool; and the Elevated Research Platform (ERP), below.
This 1,300 M2 (14,000 sf) structure at BCIT Burnaby campus covers the carpentry students’ working area and hosts a replicated experiment trialing native Alpine plants in various substrate treatments. Read more about all of Phase 3 here.
Watch Maureen on another Burnaby roof about to get greened in the short 1:27 “Snow and Safety Vests” Green Roofs at BCIT video from March 2009 below from YouTube. She talks about getting ready to place the growing media and the monitoring of ambient weather data:
The BCIT Centre for Architectural Ecology has a long history of researching greenroofs and greenwalls with a deep commitment to the Vancouver, B.C. area and last year, along with Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, it co-hosted the eighth annual Cities Alive 2010 Conference. Maureen led the expert panel session “Taking Green Roofs and Walls to the Next Level in British Columbia – A Pathway to the Future!”
Maureen and BCIT are truly pioneers in greenroof technology, and if you have a chance to visit them and their Green Roof Research Facility, you’ll certainly enjoy it! The BCIT Centre for Architectural Ecology offers Green Roof Tours which will commence again next month in September, so check their website later for details.
“Rooftops are the untapped real estate opportunity of the 21st century. Green roofs provide tremendous benefits to the building owner, the local community, and the global community.” ~ Maureen Connelly, BCIT CAE GRRF Director and Faculty
Year: 
Jonathan Levi also happens to be 
Roland Appl, Germany: The Technical Director of ZinCo and President of the International Green Roof Association (IGRA) will present “
Jörg Breuning, USA and Germany: The principal of Green Roof Technology (Previously Green Roof Service) and co-founder of Green Roof Safari will present “
Tanya Müller Garcia, Mexico: The founder of AMENA – Asociación Mexicana para la Naturación de Azoteas – (National Mexican Greenroof Association), Vice-President of WGIN, and Director of Urban Reforestation and Bikeways for the City of Mexico will present “
Haven Kiers, LEED AP, GRP, USA: The founding partner of GreenSwell Design and Planning, trainer with Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, and contributing editor on Greenroofs.com will co-present the “
Terry McGlade, Canada: The horticulturalist, landscape designer, and founder and President of Gardens in the Sky will present “
Chris Wark, MSME, LEED AP, USA: The engineer, Senior Energy Analyst for Viridian Energy & Environmental, and contributing editor on Greenroofs.com will present “
Rosemarie S. Andolino, USA: The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) Commissioner will present “
Dr. Patrick Blanc, France: The renown botanist and creator of Le Mur Végétal will present “
Dr. Nigel Dunnett, UK: The Director of the Green Roof Centre and University of Sheffield Professor will present “
Paul Kephart, USA: The President of Rana Creek and ecological designer will present “
Xianmin Wang, China: The Deputy Chief of the Vertical Greening Academic Group of China Green Building Council; Vice Chairman of the International Rooftop Landscaping Association will present “
Year: 2010
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Designers/Manufacturers of Record
Located within the 
The Centre integrates its research and technology transfer through its diploma and degree programs, as well as academic collaborations, and professional development for the design and architecture communities. They have many courses in both greenroofs and living walls, see their 
