Today we have the pleasure to air Terry McGlade’s video presentation titled ”Constructing Gardens in the Sky” from our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit on greenroofs.tv and our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube.

Terry is a powerhouse of unending energy, creativity and expertise within the greenroofing industry.  We’ve known him for almost 10 years when he wrote me about the similarity of the names between my then column “Sky Gardens ~ Travels in Landscape Architecture” here on Greenroofs.com (which ran from 2003-2006) and his company Gardens in the Sky – a greenroof design/build, contractor, and installation expert.  He’s a great guy with a deadpan sense of humor whom we respect and enjoy:

Terry McGlade is one of Canada’s best known greenroof experts. Terry is a creative, dynamic forward thinking horticulturalist and landscape designer with 30 years of experience and has been designing and building gardens in the Toronto area since 1982.  He created his first roof garden in 1985, and installed his first green roof in 1999.  Terry is the founder and President of Gardens in the Sky which has built over 50 greenroofs and numerous roof gardens and received many awards.  Now part of Flynn Canada Ltd., Gardens in the Sky has the advantage of being part of Canada’s leading building envelope trade contractor.  They deliver outstanding green roofs & roof gardens for commercial, institutional, & industrial projects.  Terry has been involved in the design and execution of some of Canada’s largest and most complex green roofing projects in the commercial, institutional and residential market areas.

In “Constructing Gardens in the Sky” Terry says that each greenroof has its own design.  Sites that appear similar are not, given wind patterns, sun patterns, slope and drainage issues.

This presentation delves into case studies of three different greenroofs both from an installation perspective and a lessons learned perspective.  Biodiversity of each roof is discussed along with growth habits of the installed greenroofs.  Assumptions in the original design concepts are re-evaluated vis-à-vis the existent greenroof.

Enjoy! Visit greenroofs.tv to see “Constructing Gardens in the Sky” 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 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

Check back next week on GreenroofsTV for our 8th installment from the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011!

~ Linda V.

The City of Toronto has many great greening initiatives going for it, including their groundbreaking Green Roof Bylaw put into effect in May of 2009.  In fact, they were one of the first municipalities in North America – if not the first – to install a test/research greenroof in 2000:  The Toronto City Hall Green Roof Demonstration Project.  Now obsolete/defunct, we’ve kept the original profile up in The Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database for research and archive purposes (but it’s not included in the total project or sf/m2 numbers).

Why is it obsolete?  In 2009 the City of Toronto started the much larger Nathan Phillips Square Podium Green Roof, which encompasses the public square surrounding Toronto City Hall.  Completed in late May, the grand opening of the brand new 36,500 sf Nathan Phillips Square Podium Green Roof was held on May 29 and May 30, 2010 to coincide with Doors Open Toronto 2010, the yearly architectural open house of interesting and important buildings across the city.

Kees Govers of LiveRoof Ontario Inc. supplied the modular LiveRoof system, and shares some photos of the opening day celebration of the Nathan Phillips Square Podium Green Roof “in all its glory” from May 29:

Kees says that Greenroof Designer/Contractor Terry McGlade of Flynn Canada Ltd, Gardens in the Sky, considers this the best greenroof his company has ever installed! 

“I must say that this project is by far the most outstanding that our company has done to date- both from a beauty perspective and an end use.  And because we were the general contractor and the green roof installer we were able to have input on the quality of workmanship.” ~ Terry McGlade

From all accounts, similar sentiments were felt from the David Miller, Mayor of Toronto, Joe Pantalone, the Deputy Mayor, and their staff.  Green Roofs for Healthy Cities‘ Steven Peck was also on hand, seen below left with Kees in the middle and Terry McGlade, right:

“This project was more than 12 years in the making.  It’s not everyday a city gets a new park in the downtown.” ~ Steven Peck

According to the City of Toronto tally, 22,000 people visited the Nathan Phillips Square Podium Green Roof during Doors Open Toronto this year.  Aramis and I saw it under construction from our hotel room in late October of last year, when we attended the CitiesAlive! World Green Roof Congress, photo left from my blog post.

Read the in-depth coverage in the Daily Commercial News’ “Building Toronto city hall green roof posed host of challenges” by Saul Chernos of June 25, 2010; Globe and Mail’s “An oasis at the top of City Hall” by Lisa Rochon of May 31, 2010, and see more photos and learn more about this lovely municipal living roofspace in The Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database here.

Patrick Biller, Green Roof Maintenance & Installation with Flynn Canada, Gardens in the Sky, sent us the following two recent photos of the Nathan Phillips Square Podium Green Roof (when he was working on the project):

If you have any updated info and/or photos, please send them!

Happy Greening ~ Linda V.