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.

Today we have the pleasure to air Dr. Nigel Dunnett’s video presentation “Sky Meadows – Integrating People and Nature: Sustainable Green Roofs and Roof Gardens” from our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit on greenroofs.tv and our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube.

Aramis and I have known Nigel for a while now, probably about nine years or so – he is quite a gentle yet very enthusiastic and passionate soul when it comes to greenroofs and living walls!  We run into him all over the place at conferences worldwide: Nuertingen, Boston, Basel, London, Singapore… and with his years of study and knowledge, we were so happy he agreed to participate in our Virtual Summit!

Research on greenroofs has been under way by the Department of Landscape at the University of Sheffield investigating the range of plant material that is suitable for use on extensive and semi-extensive greenroofs in the UK climate since 2003.  Further trials investigate plant establishment methods, particularly the use of seed mixtures to establish meadow-like communities of both native and non-native grasses and flowering plants:

Nigel Dunnett, PhD is Director of the Green Roof Centre and Professor in Planting Design and Urban Horticulture at the University of Sheffield, UK.  With a background and experience in botany, ecology, horticulture and design, his teaching and research focuses on sustainable urban planting approaches to maximise benefit to people and wildlife.  He is lead author of Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls, 2nd edn 2008; Small Green Roofs: Low-Tech Options for Greener Living, 2011; and Rain Gardens, 2007. He convened the First and Second National Green Roof Conferences in the UK, and acts widely as a consultant on urban planting design matters.  He devised the vegetation strategy for the green roof on the Sharrow School, UK – the world’s first purpose-designed and government-designated green roof nature preserve, and is currently horticultural consultant to the London 2012 Olympic Park.

Dr. Nigel Dunnett’s “Sky Meadows – Integrating People and Nature: Sustainable Green Roofs and Roof Gardens” presentation proposes that green roofs represent a unique opportunity for inserting large areas of diverse, naturalistic, biodiversity-supporting, and beautiful vegetation into the heart of our urban areas: an opportunity that is virtually impossible to repeat in the same way on the ground.

Sustainable solutions now exist for all contexts: large and small, public, private, intensive through to extensive.  Drawing upon the dramatic potential of dryland vegetation around the world, and his own research and practice, the author looks again at the ethical and aesthetic considerations for creating green roofs that are exciting for people, beneficial for wildlife, and low in resource-use.

Enjoy! Visit greenroofs.tv to see “Sky Meadows – Integrating People and Nature: Sustainable Green Roofs and Roof Gardens” 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 #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 7th installment from the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011!

~ Linda V.

Happy New Year’s to everyone!  May it be filled with prosperity, health, and green visions and actions for your families, communities, and organizations!

Today we have the pleasure to air Ralph Velasquez’s keynote address “CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility – The Who, What, Where, When and How” from our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit on greenroofs.tv and our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube.

Ralph has been a long standing editorial contributor to Greenroofs.com as The Sustainable Roofing Technologies Editor (2005-2010) and prior to that as “The ASTM Editor.”  As Executive Director of Sustainability with Tremco Incorporated, he couldn’t commit further to a regular column, but agreed last year to remain a guest columnist with “Perspectives from the Green Boardroom,” and more importantly, a great friend of ours.

Tremco Incorporated is a leading supplier of sustainable roofing systems, including vegetative, cool roofing and more.  Ralph also had the vision to bring Tremco on board as our highest level of sponsorship for our inaugural 2011 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit – the Rare Earth Sponsor – for which we are extremely grateful.

Ralph Velasquez has been in the roofing business since 1978, with a focus on vegetative (green) roofs and sustainable focused building technologies over the last decade.  In 2006, Ralph established the Sustainable Technologies Group for the Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance Division, part of the RPM Building Solutions Group in Beachwood, OH.  This group is focused on sustainable, water, energy and carbon solutions in the built environment.  In 2010, Ralph was promoted to the newly created corporate position: Executive Director for Sustainability.  In this role he is responsible for implementing the corporate-wide vision and policies related to sustainability.  He is author of the article “Sustainable Roof Options and Guidelines for Existing Buildings” in the Urban Land Institute book Retrofitting Office Buildings to be Green and Energy Efficient, 2009.

In Ralph’s keynote address he gives the participant an overview on what is Corporate Social Responsibility, who should implement it, where is it appropriate, when should a company launch this approach and how could they go about getting started.  Three case studies are highlighted utilizing these fundamental journalistic principles, with a focus on lessons learned.  Whether the participant is a large corporation or a small business, this presentation will assist you in getting your hands around this rapidly growing aspect of a responsible 21st century business.

And the setting for his keynote video is none other than the newly renovated Tremo Incorporated Headquarters in Beachwood, Ohio, atop the 9,000 sf vegetative roof with living facades and a myriad of other sustainable features – highlighted, by the way, in our 2012 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ 12 Month Wall Calendar in the month of November:

Enjoy! Visit greenroofs.tv to see “CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility – The Who, What, Where, When and How” 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 #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 fifth installment from the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011!

~ Linda V.

Today we have the pleasure to air “CDA Leads the Way for Incorporating Green Roof Space in an Airport Environment” by Rosemarie Andolino from our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit on greenroofs.tv and our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube.

We all know that Chicago has led the way in North America in greenroof implementation for the past decade, including its airports.  I first corresponded with Rosemarie in 2005 after I wrote the paper “European Airport Greenroofs – A Potential Model for North America,” which looked at impacts of using a greenroof within airports as well as some of the potential barriers to greenroofs.  More recently, I had contacted the Chicago Department of Aviation about O’Hare and Midway International updates for a presentation I did at the Atlanta Aero Club last February – see: A Look (Again) at Airport Greenroofs.

We were thrilled when Commissioner Andolino accepted our invitation to speak at our inaugural Virtual Summit:

Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner (CDA) Rosemarie S. Andolino is responsible for the management and operation of one of the world’s largest and busiest airport systems, comprised of O’Hare and Midway International airports. She is also charged with implementing the O’Hare Modernization Program (OMP), which is reconfiguring O’Hare’s intersecting runways into a modern, parallel layout allowing for reduced delays and increased capacity well into the future.

Andolino’s leadership has brought the CDA to the forefront of airport sustainability. She led the creation of the groundbreaking OMP Sustainable Design Manual (SDM) and an updated and expanded version called the CDA Sustainable Airport Manual. The manual is internationally recognized as the definitive source for sustainable airport design, construction, planning, operations and maintenance, concessions, and tenant activities.

Both Andolino and the O’Hare Modernization Plan have been recognized for excellence in environmental stewardship by the U.S. Green Building Council, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, the United Nation’s Environmental Programme for Livable Communities, as well as several government agencies and industry publications.

Commissioner Rosemarie Andolino speaks about the Chicago Department of Aviation’s industry-leading sustainability initiatives, with a focus on the existing and future green roof projects at O’Hare and Midway International Airports.

Chicago’s airports currently feature 230,000 square feet (5.3 acres) of green roof coverage. That includes a new O’Hare FedEx cargo facility, which is the largest continuous green roof at an airport in the world.  Andolino will discuss the benefits and unique challenges of incorporating green roof space in an airport environment.

Rosemarie Andolino is joined here by Amy Malick, Deputy Commissioner of Sustainability Chicago Department of Aviation.

Enjoy!  Visit greenroofs.tv to see “CDA Leads the Way for Incorporating Green Roof Space in an Airport Environment” or click below:

If you saw Haven’s and my 2011 Top 10 presentation, you’ll remember seeing Rosemarie in a photo representing the Chicago Department of Aviation at O’Hare’s new Aeroponic Vegetable Garden as a representative project in the # 8 category: Interior Plantings: Indoor Building Integrated Greenery.  Here, twenty-six towers will supply the international airport’s restaurants with swiss chard, red habanero peppers, lettuce, green beans, and 42 other types of fresh herbs and vegetables.  Learn more about the Chicago Department of Aviation and all their great greening initiatives.

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 #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 fourth installment from the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011!

~ Linda V.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~ Linda V.

Pre-Registration opened yesterday, July 20, 2011 for the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 hosted by Greenroofs.com.  Held online across the globe on August 23 and 24 (and then on demand for the next 30 days), we have a great line-up of visionaries, movers, and shakers within our industry that we know you’ll enjoy, plus exhibitors from all over to show and discuss their latest projects, products, and services.

And we can’t offer something without some perks, now can we?  Pre-Register by August 10, 2011 and receive the 50% off Early Bird Registration rate of only $49 AND qualify to win an Apple iPad2! 

As I’ve said before, we’re really giving away two iPad2’s to registrants and attendees.  But increase your chances by pre-registering early and becoming eligible for the first drawing, announced on August 11, 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 Social Collaboration Network (SCN), including 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.

Visit the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 website here to see how it all works.

Virtual Means Business without Borders, so we hope to see you there!  

~ Linda V.