Greenroofs.comConnecting the Planet + Living Architecture

This year marks the 41st anniversary of Earth Day, and there are tons of events planned on and around April 22 to raise global awareness about the environment – I say let’s celebrate the entire month of April!

Last year our inaugural “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest was a lot of fun and a big success!  We had a great response with 30 contest entries (see the Top 10 here) and over 1,500 votes for our readers’ favorite greenroof.   We’re pleased to offer it again in celebration of Earth Day 2011:

What is it?

The Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest is a great way to create interest in beautiful living rooftop architecture and highlight some outstanding designs.  It’s designed to be quick, simple, and fun, and is basically is a popularity contest among our international readership. Any and all types of greenroofs are eligible, any place on Earth.

Submit a photo and your friends and colleagues vote for your favorite greenroof!  This year we’ll be using Facebook to post entries and track votes plus keeping everyone updated on our Greenroofs.com Facebook page.  The contest is open to everyone, not just the roof owner or the designers of record. And voting is open to everyone, too, as many times as you like – but only once per day – so tell your friends to vote for your submission!

Here’s an example for inspiration, although you can certainly vote for it, too:

When is it?

Photo Submission Dates: April 8 – 22, 2011
Voting Dates: Earth Day, April 8 – April 29, 2011
Announcement of Winner: April 30, 2011

What do I have to do to enter the contest?

First, you’ll have to be our Fan on Facebook.

Then read the Official Rules, and click on the “Submit an entry” tab and follow the directions: Post your photo – remember this is a photo contest and it should be gorgeous!  In the caption field, start with the Project Name and Location.  Tell us how this roof is a living example of loving the Earth to let everyone know why they should vote for this particular greenroof project photo.  Make sure to credit the photographer if it’s not yours (also make sure you have permission).  Then tell your friends!

The project doesn’t have to be listed in The Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database, but we’d love to have it included so people can read more about it.  (For example, see the Heinz 57 Center/Gimbels Building Restoration profile here.) Check to see if one already exists, and if not, you can use the online submittal form here, or just send us info and up to 11 photos and/or graphics to projects@greenroofs.com.

Requirements:

~ You can enter as often as you wish, but only one photo per project for the Contest (send more photos and project description for the blog post if you win or the Projects Database profile).
~ Entries must be color digital images, and less than 5 megabytes in size.
~ It has to be a real vegetated roof project, and no graphics or Photoshopping!
~ You must be the sole owner of the copyright of any image submitted.  Didn’t take the photo yourself? Make sure you check for any copyright issues – we’re not liable!  Send us written permission from the copyright holder if it’s not yours.
~ State the date photo was taken or at least the year.
~ Don’t break any laws or bones while taking the photos!
~ And, obviously, by submitting the photo you agree to its being published.

What do I get if “my” project wins?

The photo with the most votes will be announced as the winner.  The winner will have “their” project highlighted on Greenroofs.com as an upcoming Greenroof Project of the Week and we’ll feature you in a Sky Gardens interview so you can really tell us more about this living roof and why you love it so much.

And, as a humble token of our esteem, the winner will also receive $100.

Last year, although it didn’t win (ESRI Canada’s Garden in the Sky did), we featured the absolutely stunning Longdrive in Long Eddy, NY on the cover of our Greenroofs and Walls of the World™ Calendar – and once again, we’ll choose one of the “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Photo Contest photos for the 2012 Calendar cover – that’s some high profile free advertising!

Can I post the same project as last year?

Sure.

How do I vote?

It’s easy – just hit the Vote now button at the bottom of the page.  To vote for your favorites, click “Comment to vote.”  Your comment is your vote for that entry!

Get Going!

Start submitting, good luck, and start telling your friends now! Vote for your favorite on the Greenroofs.com Love the Earth, Plant a Roof! Voting Page on Facebook.  What better way to love the Earth than by celebrating ways to tread more lightly, like with living roofs?

Happy Greening for the Earth:  for the month of April, Earth Day, and every day!

~ Linda V.

You know by now that the winner of our inaugural “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest 2010 is ESRI Canada’s Garden in the Sky, and here we go, following up with our Top 10 List of the entries accumulating the highest number of votes overall.

We received 30 photos of international living roof projects representing seven countries, including the United States (18), Canada (6), UK (2), Japan (1), Singapore (1), Germany (1), and Sweden (1).

Without further ado, here are the top votes in descending order – click on hyperlinks to learn more about each project – if they don’t have one, that means we don’t have a profile yet in The Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database, but we will soon:

2010 “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest
Top 10 List

#1) ESRI Canada’s Garden in the Sky, Toronto, Ontario, Canada – 735 votes

Overlooking one of Toronto’s busiest highways, this 7,500-sq-ft portable garden reduces urban heat, noise and stormwater runoff. It provides lush meeting space for staff and visitors, as well as habitat for birds and butterflies. It helps create a greener, healthier environment. Photo by Margaret Mulligan.

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#2)  parc24, Vero Beach, Florida, USA – 190 votes

Parc24 is taking a stand, and directing Vero Beach into the future, where business can be smart by design and green by nature. Photo by Leah Campbell.

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#3)  Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada – 158 votes

This green roof is the pinnacle of what a green roof should be. It combines Art, Architecture, Design, and Ingenuity, without sacrificing its Ecological Benefits. Photo by Patrick Biller.

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#4)  Bellevue Towers, Bellevue, Washington, USA – 86 votes

At nearly an acre in size, the rooftop garden’s bold, modern geometry is informed by the curvilinear tower design, which includes 27,100 square feet of intensive roof garden planting area and 6,400 square feet of extensive ecoroof.  The intensive gardens between towers provide a valuable, usable outdoor spaces for the residents and a visual asset to the condominium units above and adjacent office buildings. This project is certified LEED Gold. Photo by Ben Johnson.

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#5)  Longdrive Residential green roof, Long Eddy, New York, USA – 85 votes

Located on 63 acres in upstate New York the house sits at the edge of the woods overlooking a meadow.  The planted roof on three levels blends into the natural landscape and encourages the wildlife to creep in close to the house. Photo by Steve Chrostowski.

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#6)  St. Louis Children’s Hospital Rooftop Garden,  St. Louis, Missouri, USA – 71 votes

Just outside St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s eighth floor, patients have a unique setting to enjoy time with nature, a private walk or quiet reflection. The 8,000-square-foot Olson Family Garden , an interactive rooftop oasis designed expressly for children and families who want a place for privacy, solace and healing, is another reason why St. Louis Children’s Hospital is a special place for kids. Photo by Tom Tyler.

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#7)  Trent University, Peterborough, ON Canada – 47 votes

Trent’s roof top garden sits on our Environmental Sciences Building providing learning and volunteer opportunities for students.  In this garden we grow vegetables and herbs that are served in our organic campus cafe, the Seasoned Spoon!  Photo by Leslie Menagh.

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#8)  College of Law, Saskatoon, Canada – 36 votes

This 650 m2 green roof is thriving in an extreme climate. Pasture sage, a plant indigenous to the region, grows above the Native Law Centre. In late summer, the sage is harvested in a traditional manner by faculty of the NLC to use for smudging in ceremonies throughout the following year. Photo by Goya Ngan.

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#9)  Greenroof Pavilion at Rock Mill Park, Alpharetta, Georgia, USA – 32 votes

The Greenroof Pavilion design honors the land and Cherokee heritage in this historically and environmentally sensitive Big Creek Watershed with The Greenroof Trial Gardens display; hands-on models and interpretive signage inform young and old alike. Photo by Caroline Menetre.

Note:  FYI – Although I designed this, I did not vote for it, nor any other project for that matter.  This entry was submitted by Caroline Menetre, our Student Intern, who has helped me with planting, plant trial record keeping, and weeding duties – I like how she didn’t even bother to come up with her own narrative, but felt comfortable just copying my own example above!

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#10)  Miami Science Museum, Miami, Florida, USA – 21 votes

The Museum’s four green roof assemblies, each with varied depths and irrigation schedules, include interpretive signs and rain/ temperature sensors. They provide information for visitors and data for the designers of the Museum’s new building. Photo by Chris Trigg.

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See all the photo submittals here.  In my eyes, everyone who entered a photo is a winner, and I know we all enjoyed seeing this wide assortment of greenroofs.  Next year I promise to start earlier so you can have more time to get your “people” to vote for your favorite project – but it was fun, although a bit fast and furious!

Happy greening ~ Linda V.

The Winner of Greenroofs.com’s “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest for 2010 is:

ESRI Canada’s Garden in the Sky in Toronto, Ontario, Canada!

“Overlooking one of Toronto’s busiest highways, this 7,500-sq-ft portable garden reduces urban heat, noise and stormwater runoff. It provides lush meeting space for staff and visitors, as well as habitat for birds and butterflies. It helps create a greener, healthier environment. Photo by Margaret Mulligan.”

In our first photo contest ever, we received 30 contest entries and over 1,500 votes for readers’ favorite greenroof!

ESRI Canada’s Garden in the Sky entry received an incredible 735 votes!  Talk about rallying your friends and family for support – quite a networking coop there!

Josephine Chan will receive her choice of a $100 gift card to either The Home Depot or Lowe’s for spring projects or just a good old fashioned check.  Of course, I don’t think people submitted their project for the chance at the whopping $100 prize, but more to share their pride of accomplishment – a gorgeous, earth-friendly, living roofing alternative that only does not harm the Earth, but who’s design can actually help heal the Earth and sooth some of our development problems.

And we all know that living roofs do just that – through living, breathing, plant material.

There were so many awesome, stunning projects!  I had many favorites myself, and it would have been extremely hard to choose one.  Once again, this was a subjective photo contest about which greenroof loves the Earth the best by the photo and the description submitted.  So, basically, it really boiled down to a popularity contest since voting was open to everyone, not judged by a panel conforming to any particular standards.  See all the photo submittals here.

The winner will have “their” project highlighted on Greenroofs.com as the upcoming Greenroof Project of the Week starting on Sunday, May 2, 2010 and we’ll feature the submitter in a Sky Gardens interview so you can learn more about this particular vegetated roof and why she feels it’s so special.

On Monday I’ll also post the Top 10 List of Greenroof Projects in order of most votes received – I’d like to eventually feature these projects, too, as our Greenroof Project of the Week along with all of the projects received, so you can look forward to gaining an appreciation of each one in the future.

So, for now, congratulations to Josephine Chan and ESRI Canada!  Check back here later next week for the GPW, or Greenroof Project of the Week, highlight with plenty of photos, project description and inspiration.

I hope you all enjoyed and celebrated Earth Day and Month in a special way – aren’t we fortunate to be involved in an industry that allows us to feel good every day about what we’re doing and promoting?  I’m sure Mother Earth appreciates organic greenroof architecture, too!

~ Linda V.

Wow, Greenroofs.com received 30 entries from around the world in our first greenroof contest ever – the “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest – and the enthusiasm has been enormous!  We wanted a way to honor Earth Day and hear what you, in our greenroof world, have done to lessen our footprint, so I came up with this idea to highlight your efforts.

Voting and submissions are now closed.  Thanks to everyone who submitted a project – each beautiful, unique and special in their own way.  And let’s admit it – any roof that has been greened is a huge step up from the traditional conventional roof – hot, barren, and certainly unproductive (OK, unless you have solar or a reflective roof)!

We’ll announce the winner on Friday, April 30, the last day of Earth Month.  And we’ll soon get to learn all about the winning roof from the person who submitted it – we already know the What (a greenroof!), but how about the Who, Where, When and Why of the project?  Stay tuned!

Check out the entries here and look for our announcement on Friday.

Happy greening,

~ Linda V.

Some of you may recall back a couple of years ago that Greenroofs.com was a semi-finalist in a competition from The Green on the Sundance Channel called “What’s the Big Idea?” Contest with our 60-second video “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!”  While we didn’t win, the tag line stuck with me – simple and direct.  April 22, 2010 marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and we are excited to honor Earth Day, really the entire Earth Month of April, with our first photo contest ever!

The “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Photo Contest is designed to be quick, simple, and fun.  Any and all types of greenroofs are eligible, any place on Earth.  Send us* your favorite shot of that special greenroof which graphically epitomizes its relationship to our planet – how it is a living example of loving the Earth.  We’ll be keeping everyone updated on Greenroofs.com with a special page for all the contest photos, and on Twitter.

Tell us how it is a living example in 285 characters or less for the write up on the Love the Earth, Plant a Roof! Voting Page next to your thumbnail photo to let people why they should vote for this particular project and you.  Include a photo source/credit, not part of the 285 count.

For the Greenroofs.com tweet, pare it down to the meat and bones in 120 characters for all to see (we need 20 characters for the link to your photo – so people can click and vote immediately!). Don’t follow us on Twitter yet?  Do so here.

Here’s an example for inspiration – this precious child is my own grandson, Nicky, at The Greenroof Pavilion and Trial Gardens of Rock Mill Park here in Alpharetta, Georgia, USA:

Example tweet @ 120 characters:

Vote Rock Mill Park! The design honors the land & Cherokee heritage with hands-on models & signage for young and old.

The contest is open to everyone, not just the roof owner or the designers of record.  And voting is open to everyone, too, as many times as you like, so tell your friends to vote for your submission!

Entries will be accepted today and voting will be open to everyone until Wednesday, April 28 at 5:00 p.m. EST – but, of course, you’ll increase your chances of receiving the most votes by entering early!  Enter now and rally your forces – don’t delay.

Vote as often as you wish by clicking on your selected photo.  Include your real name and contact info or it will be discarded.

The winner will be announced on the last day of Earth Month, Friday, April 30, 2010, in our Top 10 List for the “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Photo Contest.  The winner will have “their” project highlighted on Greenroofs.com as an upcoming Greenroof Project of the Week and we’ll feature you in a Sky Gardens interview so you can really tell us more about this living roof and why you love it so much.

And, as a humble token of our esteem, the winner will also receive your choice of a $100 gift card to either The Home Depot or Lowe’s for your spring projects or just a good old fashioned check!

Some requirements:

• ~ You can enter as often as you wish, but only one photo per project for the Contest (send more photos and project description for the blog post if you win, but send the contest photo clearly identified as such).
• ~ It has to be a real project, no Photoshopping!
• ~ Didn’t take the photo yourself?  Make sure you credit the source and check for any copyright issues – we’re not liable!
• ~ Don’t break any laws or bones while taking the photos!
• ~ Minimum size: 491 x 367
• ~ And, obviously, by submitting the photo you agree to its being published.

* Include your real name and contact information; a 120-character including spaces description for the tweet starting with “Vote (Name of Project)!…”; a 285-character including spaces (or less) description for the write up including Name of Project, City, State, and/or Country; any additional photos in case you win, but that can come later.

Submit away and good luck – start telling your friends now!  Vote for your favorite here on the Love the Earth, Plant a Roof! Voting Page.

Happy Greening for the Earth, ~ Linda V.

Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video.  Here is the transcript from April 27, 2012 from our daughter, Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here.  Enjoy!

– Hello, I’m Anjuli Velázquez and welcome to “This Week in Review” for April 27, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.

– Project of the Week

–  Our project of the week is  the Nathan Phillips Square Toronto City Hall Podium Green Roof built in 2009 in Toronto, Canada.  The public square surrounding Toronto City Hall was designed with the original architectural structure in mind.  The landscaped gardens, courtyards, terraces, furniture and walkways provide unique views of downtown from this urban oasis in the heart of the city.  This 3,400 square meter green roof is the largest in Toronto and the recipient of a 2011 Canadian Society of Landscaped Architects Regional Honour Award, a 2011 Design Exchange Award Silver Award for Landscape Architecture – Public, and the 2011 Green Roofs for Healthy Cities 2011 Award of Excellence in the Extensive Institutional Category.

The green roof consists of three formal conditions: a sedum mosaic, a paved courtyard that frames the curved chamber and a deck café that occupies the prow.  The perimeter garden is treated as a field in purple, pink, yellow/orange and green sedums.  This ground cover is planted in a pre-vegetated tray system with shade tolerant species concentrated in the shadows of the City Hall’s towers.  The Nathan Phillips Square green roof was constructed with the LiveRoof hybrid modular green roof system.  It contains a combination of 6 inch deep and 4 inch deep LiveRoof Standard Modules; and the project was grown at the LiveRoof Ontario nursery during the summer of 2009, and installation started on September 1st, 2009.

–  To learn more about the Nathan Phillips Square Toronto City Hall Podium Green Roof,  click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photos).

What’s New

–   Speaking of the Nathan Phillips Square Toronto City Hall Podium Green Roof, congratulations to our 2012 “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest winner, Patrick Biller!  Patrick submitted the Toronto City Hall entry and we featured that project as our Project of the Week this week, in honor of Earth Day and his submission.  He’ll also be receiving $100 for his entry.  Congrats!

–  The Greenroofs.com eNewsletter

– Look for our April 2012 eNewsletter in your inbox or our homepage.  If you’re not  subscribed, you can click on the mail icon by our social media links on our homepage, enter your e-mail address and you’ll get our monthly eNewsletter to let you know what’s been going on that month here at Greenroofs.com!

–  Contributing Editor

–   Read Ed Snodgrass’ “A Green Roof Day in New York“ (with The Martha Stewart Show) Blog post.

– Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Video

– Watch our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 20: “The Current Situation and Future of Green Roofs in China” by Wang Xianmin.

And find the rest of the videos in this series on our GreenroofsTV page and/or our greenroofsTV YouTube channel.

– Advertiser Press Releases:

– LiveRoof ® Hybrid Green Roof System Selected for Chattanooga City Council Project.

– Joblinks

–  Compost Supply is now hiring a Green Sales Hero in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

– Evergreen Environments is looking for a Green Roof Specialist in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.

– Industry News

–  Illinois EPA Interim Director John Kim announced the award of nearly $5 million in Green Infrastructure Grants designed to reduce the amount of pollution running into Illinois waterways from stormwater sources.  Applicants applied for grant awards in three categories: Combined Sewer Overflow Rehabilitation; Stormwater Retention and Infiltration; and Green Infrastructure Small Projects.  The $5 million in grants will result jobs for installation of green structures by construction workers and the trades, as well as to create work for professional engineers and public works staff designing Best Management Practices and developing and submitting permits, and construction oversight.

–  In their recent report, Banking on Green, American Rivers explained the many benefits of using green roofs and other techniques like rain gardens and green streets to save money, reduce energy use and flooding, and keep people healthy and water clean.  Now, working with Goodby Silverstein & Partners they’ve just released Get More Green – an interactive tool that lets you virtually “green” a roof in your own community to find out how much money you’ll save in heating and cooling costs as well as how much dirty water you’ll keep out of your local river!

– The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) has selected the top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment.

The projects will be honored at the AIA 2012 National Convention and Design Exposition in Washington, D.C. 2012 Top Ten Award Winners with Green Roofs include the Mercy Corps Global Headquarters in Portland, Oregon, the Kensington High School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the University of Minnesota Duluth – Bagley Classroom Building in Duluth, Minnesota.

–  Sky Gardens Blog

–  Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts: “Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 20: The Current Situation and Future of Green Roofs in China,” “Happy Earth Day! The Winner of the 2012 “˜Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!’ Earth Day Photo Contest is…,” and “Greenroofs.com’s “˜This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: April 20, 2012.”

– “Upcoming Events“

–  April 27th-28th: is Green Living Roofs, a Green Living Technologies International Professional Installer training module at the State University of New York (SUNY) Ulster, in New York, NY.

–  April 30th: is the 3rd Annual Massachusetts Sustainable Economy Conference, in Boston, MA.

–  April 30th-May 25th: is the WBK International Green Roof Course, ZHAW in Waedenswil (Campus Gruental) with excursions to various regions of Switzerland.

–  May 2nd: is the “Making Engineered Green Roof Systems Work For Any Application” Seminar by Architek, The VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre, in Vancouver, Canada.

–  May 2nd-3rd: is BuildingsNY/GreenBuildingsNY, in New York, NY.

–  And May 2nd-4th: is Living Future – Women Reshaping the World, in Portland, Oregon.

– “In the News“

– Kaid Benfield of the NRDC Switchboard Blog, talks about “Toronto’s leadership for green roofs.”  Since January 2010, Toronto has been paving the way for North American cities with their requirements of having green roofs on new commercial, institutional, and multifamily residential developments across the city; and next week, the requirements will include new industrial development as well.

Toronto’s municipal bylaw indicates that smaller residential and commercial buildings are exempt but the larger the building, the larger the green roof must be.  The largest buildings are required to have 60% of their available roof space to be vegetated.  For industrial buildings, the bylaw will require that 10% of available roof space be covered, unless the building uses cool roofing materials on 100% of the roof space and has stormwater retention to catch at least 50% of the annual rainfall.  Last fall, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities announced that Toronto’s green roof requirements had already resulted in more than 1.2 million square feet of new green space in the city.

– Lorena Galliot of the State of the Planet Blog, says “There’s no one-size-fits-all green roof, studies show.” Researchers are looking at how the types of vegetation used in greenroofs affects their functioning.  Sedum is a popular choice for green roofs because of their hardiness, shallow root systems and low maintenance requirements.  Two new studies are showing that grasses or taller shrubs may actually be more effective than sedums at reducing stormwater runoff.  It all depends on where in the world you are, there is no one-size-fits-all greenroof.

An author of the UK study, Nigel Dunnett, said that previous research on the efficiency of greenroofs had focused on their design and structural components, not on the types of plants used.  He also said, “There is a tendency in the green roof world to imply that all greenroofs are the same, and deliver benefits in the same way,” but that “vegetation choices can, to some extent, also influence green roof performance.”  Co-author of the Italian study, Sergio Andri, agreed and stressed that rooftop vegetation should reflect local growing conditions, and imitate natural ecosystems.  Local grasses can be an effective and a low-maintenance way of covering a greenroof.

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

– Send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com and share your greenroof or greenwall info with the world!

– Make sure to keep up with everything Greenroofs.com by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, being a member of our network on LinkedIn, and subscribing to our greenroofsTV channel on YouTube!

– This has been This Week in Review for April 27, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.  I’m Anjuli Velázquez 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.

Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video.  Here is the transcript from April 20th, 2012 from our daughter, Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here.  Enjoy!

– Hello, I’m Anjuli Velázquez and welcome to “This Week in Review” for April 20th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.

– Project of the Week

–  Our project of the week is the Library of Congress Packard Campus of National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, built in 2005 in Culpeper, Virginia.  This $120 million, former Cold War United States Federal Reserve bunker, facility is built into the side of Mount Pony in Culpeper, southwest of Washington, D.C., and was created through a partnership between Packard Humanities Institute, the United States Congress, the Library of Congress, and the Architect of the Capitol.  A state-of-the-art facility where the Library of Congress acquires, preserves and provides access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of films, television programs, radio broadcasts, and sound recordings, the Library of Congress Packard Campus is not only home to the largest library in the world but is also one of the largest greenroofs in the U.S.  The vegetated roof protects the film vaults which contain the nation’s heritage of film in their original nitrate form.

With plants provided by Emory Knoll Farms/Green Roof Plants, SmithGroup covered the center with a 228,000 square foot roof garden, while blending the design into the rural Virginia hillside; and the greenroof has the added benefit of helping to keep the temperatures inside the storage facility stable for up to two weeks in the event of a long-term power outage.  International Leak Detection performed the EFVM ® integrity test on the various roof slopes to ensure the membrane installation was watertight prior to the installation of the plantings.

– To learn more about the Library of Congress Packard Campus of National Audio-Visual Conservation Center,  click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photos).

What’s New

– There’s still time to enter the 2012 “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest! If you have a greenroof photo you want to submit, go to our Facebook page and upload it!  Make sure to tell your friends and family to vote for it daily until Earth Day, April 22nd!

– Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Video

– Watch our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 19: Panel Session “Green Roofs Without the Hype” with Patrick Carey, Dr. Robert Berghage, Charlie Miller, and Ed Snodgrass.

And find the rest of the videos in this series on our GreenroofsTV page and/or our greenroofsTV YouTube channel.

– Advertiser Press Releases:

–  Iowa State University Selects LiveRoof ® for Memorial Union Green Roof.

– Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance, Kee Safety Announce Cooperative Effort to Market Rooftop Fall Protection Equipment.

–  Sky Gardens Blog

–  Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts: “See Ed Snodgrass on the Martha Stewart Show on Friday, April 20, 2012!,” “Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 19: Green Roofs Without the Hype,” and “Greenroofs.com’s “˜This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: April 13, 2012.”

– “Upcoming Events“

–  Don’t forget going on now through Sunday, April 22nd is our “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest!  So make sure to like our Facebook page, if you haven’t already, upload your greenroof photo and then get your friends and family to vote for it!

–  April 21st-22nd: is Green Festival – A Joint project of Global exchange & Green America, in New York, NY.

– April 22, 2012 is the 42nd Anniversary of Earth Day.  Building on the major achievements of Earth Day 2011 and A Billion Acts of Green ®, Earth Day Network is working to reach even more people all over the world to promote environmental awareness.  Support Earth Day!

Your support enables Earth Day Network to power the environmental movement and ensure a healthy and sustainable planet for all of us.  Your contributions and purchases help mobilize communities, implement environmental education programs and support Earth Day events and actions around the world.

From greening schools in post-Katrina New Orleans to improving water and sanitation services in a refugee community in Ghana, EDN supports and coordinates thousands of Earth Day events worldwide each year.  Earth Day, April 22, is the largest secular holiday in the world, now celebrated by more than one billion people.

–  April 23rd-25th: is a Design-Build for Water/Wastewater Conference, in Phoenix, AZ.

–  April 26th-27th: is Green California Summit and Exposition, in Sacramento, CA.

–  And April 27th: is a Green Rooftop Co-Working & Philanthropy Event, in Sydney, Australia.

– “In the News“

–  Tom Oder of the Mother Nature Network, tells you “How to install a green roof.”  Installing a green roof can be an ambitious project for anyone who doesn’t really know what they’re doing.  It’s always good to get professional help but if you want to try a smaller version, like on your dog house or porch roof, and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, here’s a do-it-yourself guide.  In this article, you can read about what a green roof is, choosing the location, choosing the weight, using a flat or sloped roof and then, how to install it.  He also tells you what kind of soil to use, which plants are ideal, and talks about the many benefits of green roofs, like the aesthetically pleasing effect, reducing heating and cooling costs, and more.

Robin Andrews, of the Greenbuild division of Saul Nurseries and ItSaul Plants in Alpharetta, GA said, “In areas of the country where summers are hot and dry, fall installation of matted plants is recommended because plants acclimate and establish best when the climate is mild.”  So if you’re interested, you can find this article in our newslinks and read all about how to install your own green roof.

–  Kevin Haas of the Rockford Register Star, announces “Green roof will top it all off at Nicholas Conservatory in Rockford.”  He says, “the roof of the Nicholas Conservatory will go from gray to green this summer.”  This green roof will provide many benefits like, reducing the building’s energy costs, extending the life of the roof, managing stormwater, and providing habitat for birds and insects.

Hundreds of trays filled with a variety of heat- and drought-tolerant plants will be installed, for year-round vegetation, plant color, and beauty.  The new roof is one of several features that helped the conservatory earn its LEED-certification; they also have solar panels and a geothermal system.  Go to the full article to also watch a short video with Ruth Miller, facility manager at Nicholas Conservatory, where she talks about the new green roof.

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

– Send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com and share your greenroof or greenwall info with the world!

– Make sure to keep up with everything Greenroofs.com by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, being a member of our network on LinkedIn, and subscribing to our greenroofsTV channel on YouTube!

– This has been This Week in Review for April 20th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.  I’m Anjuli Velázquez 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.

Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video.  Here is the transcript from April 13, 2012 from our daughter, Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here.  Enjoy!

– Hello, I’m Anjuli Velázquez and welcome to “This Week in Review” for April 13th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.

– Project of the Week

–  Our project of the week is the  Green Wall Ferrara, built in 2009 in Ferrara, Italy. This project entailed converting a garden space in the courtyard of a private estate and there was little room for a traditional garden, which led the designers to plant on the walls.  The Optigreen Living Wall Garden system was installed and a beautiful vertical garden was created, resulting in a very soothing effect.

The core unit of the Optigreen Wall Garden system solution is a high-grade, substrate-filled aluminum cassette system which can be planted on site.  The horizontal suspension rails support the Wall Garden elements which are hooked into the rails. The irrigation system is fully automatic with a blending unit for fertilizer and herbicides. Three thousand plants with about 50 different species were planted into this 5 meter high, 120 meter squared private green wall.

–  To learn more about the Green Wall Ferrara,  click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photos).

What’s New

– Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Video

– Watch our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 18: “Combining Green Roofs with Photovoltaics“ by Roland Appl.

And find the rest of the videos in this series on our GreenroofsTV page and/or our greenroofsTV YouTube channel.

– Advertiser Press Releases:

– Sika Sarnafil Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Sarnafil Brand Roofing Membrane.

– Another Green Roof Boosts Stormwater Management at Loyola University Chicago by LiveRoof.

– Industry News

– Communities looking for the most cost-effective options for managing polluted runoff and protecting clean water should choose green infrastructure solutions, according to a report released this week by American Rivers, the Water Environment Federation, the American Society of Landscape Architects, and ECONorthwest.  The report, Banking on Green: How Green Infrastructure Save Municipalities Money and Provides Economic Benefits Community-wide, demonstrates that green infrastructure practices can offer more cost-effective solutions relative to traditional infrastructure approaches.

–  Sky Gardens Blog

– Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts: “Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 18: Combining Green Roofs with Photovoltaics,” and “Greenroofs.com’s “˜This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: April 6, 2012.”

– “Upcoming Events“

–  Don’t forget going on now through April 22nd is our “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest! So make sure to like our Facebook page, if you haven’t already, upload your greenroof photo and then get your friends and family to vote for it daily!

– April 14th-17th: is the American Planning Association (APA) National Planning Conference, in Los Angeles, CA.

– And April 17th: is the Green Roof Science Symposium, at Columbia University, in New York, NY.

– “In the News“

–  Matthew Camp of The Alestle, talks about “Unseen green grows on SIUE rooftops.”  He says several buildings at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are becoming a part of a greener tomorrow with the additions of rooftop gardens.  Civil engineering professor and acting environmental program coordinator, Susan Morgan, says there are currently three buildings on campus that have the gardens and there are several more planned for the future.  Biology professor Dr. Bill Retzlaff [one of our contributing editors] says the typical green roof may cost $11-50 per square foot, SIUE’s gardens are at the cheaper end, and “since 2004, more than 100 students have worked on the project.  SIUE is a leader in green roof research in the United States.  They are one of the five or six bigger institutions that conduct research on green roofs.”

Mechanical engineering professor Serdar Celik says they don’t use traditional soil for the roofs – they have been experimenting with different inorganic rocks and different varieties of sedum, and also that the students do experimental testing and theoretical analysis.  They take temperature readings, measurements of stormwater runoff weight, solar radiation, plant coverage, and more.  Celik also says that since we are aware of the global warming issue, the rooftop gardens are one of the solutions toward environmentally friendly sustainable design standards.

– Sandy Bauers of the Philadelphia Inquirer, reports on “Philadelphia embarks on green stormwater management.”  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gave the go-ahead to Philadelphia’s $2 billion plan to manage its stormwater with green methods like porous pavements, green roofs, and planting more trees.  EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said “the city has earned a place as a national and global leader on sustainable innovation and clean water protection.”  She joined Mayor Nutter and other officials at the Fairmount Water Works to sign the agreement for a 25-year plan that has been described as one of the most innovative and ambitious in the nation, it will transform how the city looks but more importantly how the city handles its stormwater.

Other cities like Syracuse, Cleveland and New York will be following in Philadelphia’s footsteps, and hopefully they’re the first of many cities around our country to enhance their cities and beautify their streets.  Later this month, a nonprofit water sustainability organization, the Clean Water America Alliance, will name Philadelphia one of the six national 2012 prize winners for its stormwater plan.

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

– Send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com and share your greenroof or greenwall info with the world!

– Make sure to keep up with everything Greenroofs.com by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, being a member of our network on LinkedIn, and subscribing to our greenroofsTV channel on YouTube!

– This has been This Week in Review for  April 13th, 2012  on GreenroofsTV.  I’m Anjuli Velázquez 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.

Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video.  Here is the transcript from April 6th, 2012 from our daughter, Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here.  Enjoy!

– Hello, I’m  Anjuli Velázquez  and welcome to “This Week in Review” for April 6th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.

– Project of the Week

–  Our project of the week is the Salmon Creek School & Environmental Center, built in 2009 in Freestone, California.  This LEED ® Platinum certified school is the first public school in California to receive this highest level of LEED ® certification.  The educational building is also a community and environmental education center that focuses itself on place-based learning and developing eco-literacy among its students and parents.  SYMBIOS eco-tecture worked with students, administrators, community and environmental groups to design and plan a living roof that would be educational and functional.  The cafeteria food comes from the organic garden; the walls are not only natural plaster but also clean the air; and natural light is strategically introduced to keep the kids perky and to help heat the building in the winter.

In the summer the green living roof keeps the school cool, in the winter keeps it warm and creates a habitat for wildlife all year long.  Biodiversity was emphasized in the planting scheme of the greenroof, which included 12 species of drought-tolerant succulents, three of which are native to California.  Salmon Creek that runs through the school’s property is currently undergoing a multi-year restoration project to restore the Coho Salmon populations and therefore a net zero stormwater discharge rate was mandated.  Other sustainable features of the building include passive solar design, daylight harvesting, a 30 kilowatt PV solar system, eco-plasters and floor finishes, reclaimed lumber and recycled content steel framing low-water use fixtures, and more.

– To learn more about the Salmon Creek School & Environmental Center,  click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photos).

What’s New

– Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Video

– Watch our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011  Episode 17: “Sustainability in Plant Production” by Lluis Recasens Pahí.

–  Contributing Editor

–  Also read Haven Kiers’ new “Chic Sustainability Watch: Trends, Projects & People – Disappearing Acts.”

– Advertiser Press Releases:

– Tecta America Expert Angie Durhman Named Opening Speaker for the NYC Green Roof Science Symposium.

– Industry News

–  Toronto is the first city in North America to have a bylaw to require and govern the construction of green roofs on new development.  It was adopted by Toronto City Council in May 2009, under the authority of Section 108 of the City of Toronto Act.  The Bylaw applies to new building permit applications for residential, commercial and institutional development made after January 31, 2010 and will apply to new industrial development as of April 30, 2012.

– New York City Planning Commission unanimously approves Zone Green proposal.  Zone Green is the most comprehensive effort of any city in the nation to sweep aside obstacles to green buildings and energy efficiency – eliminating barriers to green roofs to energy generation and to rooftop agriculture.  Zone Green will give homeowners and building owners new opportunities to make investments that save them energy, save them money, and improve our environment.

–  Forty-six ASTM International standards covering various aspects of building construction are cited in the 2012 International Green Construction Code.  Published by the International Code Council, the new model code addresses the construction and remodeling of residential as well as commercial structures.  The IgCC is expected to increase cost savings and job growth while enabling safe and sustainable building design and construction.  ASTM green construction standards such as E2399 on green roof systems, C1549 for solar reflectance and E2635 on water conservation in buildings are part of the 2012 code.

–  Sky Gardens Blog

– Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts: “Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 17: Sustainability in Plant Production,” “Enter the 2012 “˜Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!’ Earth Day Photo Contest Now!,” and “Greenroofs.com’s “˜This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: March 29, 2012.”

– “Upcoming Events“

– Speaking of our 2012 “˜Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!’ Earth Day Photo Contest, make sure you enter your favorite greenroof and then get friends and family to vote for it daily!  The winner gets $100 plus a lot of air time!  Going on now through April 22nd: Enter the 2012 “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest, on our Greenroofs.com Facebook page!

– “In the News“

–  Peter Raabe of the American Rivers Blog, has “A Vision Of Green Roofs In Durham, NC.”  He says “North Carolina has a stormwater problem.”  Many of its rivers are polluted due to stormwater runoff.  The state has put rules into effect to clean up its act and Durham is at the center, on one side, Jordan Lake and the other, Falls Lake reservoirs, and both have strict clean up requirements due to the poor land use practices around them.

Beyond stormwater runoff reductions, greenroofs could offer many benefits to Durham like reducing roofing maintenance, improving building energy efficiency, reducing urban heat island effect, improving habitat for wildlife, improving air quality and the potential creation of a green economy work force.  American Rivers has partnered with Downtown Durham, Inc. and they put on a forum for more than fifty city and business leaders that explored the potential of greenroof enhancements in Durham.  The forum created momentum within Durham and they are on their way to creating a more sustainable city.

– Texas A&M University talks about “Interdisciplinary green roof effort to engage wide variety of students.”  Next fall, 1,000 students from a variety of academic programs, including architecture, construction science, environmental geosciences, environmental studies, landscape architecture, horticulture and meteorology at Texas A&M, will begin working together on an interdisciplinary, three-year project to install and monitor a greenroof and living wall atop a campus building.  Assistant professor of landscape architecture and leader of this project,   Texas A&M University  , says this initiative is aimed at preparing students to become leaders in energy conservation and resource management.

In the project’s first year, students will have learning experiences beyond a traditional classroom setting, as they build, install and maintain all of the elements of the greenroof, including physical structures, standard meteorological and soil monitoring instrumentation, planning and plant maintenance, manual measurement and associated live and stored data processing and display.  This project is funded by a $100,000 Texas A&M reallocation grant for enhancing students’ preparation for the workplace and society through high-impact learning experiences.

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

– Send us your green articles, videos and images to editor@greenroofs.com and share your greenroof or greenwall info with the world!

– Make sure to keep up with everything Greenroofs.com by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, being a member of our network on LinkedIn, and subscribing to our greenroofsTV channel on YouTube!

– This has been This Week in Review for April 6th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.  I’m Anjuli Velázquez 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.

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.