Greenroofs.comConnecting the Planet + Living Architecture
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 March 23rd, 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 March 23rd, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.
– Our project of the week is the WaterShed House, built in 2011 in Washington, DC. This prototype solar house entry from the team at the University of Maryland won the U.S. Department of Energy 2011 Solar Decathlon – an award-winning program that challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. WaterShed is a solar-powered home inspired and guided by the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, interconnecting the house with its landscape to promote sustainability and ecosystem protection. Two rectangular modules form the house, and it is capped by a split-butterfly roof, which is well suited to capturing and using sunlight and rainwater.
Key features of the house include a greenroof to retain stormwater and reduce the volume and velocity of run-off, and constructed wetlands to filter stormwater and grey water for reuse. The south module of the WaterShed House has an extensive greenroof supplied by the LiveRoof ® Hybrid Green Roof System with LiveRoof Lite modules. LiveRoof modules feature the company’s Soil Elevator™ and Moisture Portal™, horticultural innovations that establish a greenroof as a cohesive ecosystem. The LiveRoof design unifies the entire installation into a naturally functioning biological system. Natural function maximizes plant health, long-term sustainability, rooftop aesthetics, roof membrane protection, and environmental benefits.
– Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Video
– Watch our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 15: “E = MC2 of Green Roofs: Ranking Energy Benefits by Mission, Climate and Construction” by Christopher Wark.
And find the rest of the videos in this series on our GreenroofsTV page and/or our greenroofsTV YouTube channel.
– Tremco Headquarters Renovation Receives Cleveland Engineering Society Award.
– Tecta America Corp. Announces Enhancement of Tecta Green Website.
– LiveRoof ® Launches Overburden Removal Warranty Program for its Green Roof System.
– Joblinks
– Sika Sarnafil USA is seeing an Inside Sales Representative in Canton, MA.
– The District of Columbia is a national leader in the total amount of Greenroofs constructed – second only to Chicago, IL in the total area of greenroofs per capita. The District’s Green Roof Rebate Program is the perfect way to fund your greenroof – and it’s now back in full swing. Anacostia Watershed Society is offering $5 per square foot on a first-come, first-served basis for qualified DC buildings of any size!
– Guest Blogger
– Read our guest blog post, “Greening the District with Green Roofs,” by Laura S. Washington, Green Roof Rebate Program Coordinator, of the Anacostia Watershed Society. And also our guest feature article, “Portland Builds Over 100,000 Square Feet of Greenroofs in 2011,” by Casey Cunningham, Landscape Architect with the City of Portland’s Sustainable Stormwater Division.
And over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts: “CitiesAlive Call for Papers Extended to March 29, 2012,” “Greenroofs.com’s “This Week in Review” on GreenroofsTV for March 16th, March 9th, and 2nd, 2012″ respectively, and “Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 15: E = MC ² of Green Roofs: Ranking Energy Benefits by Mission, Climate and Construction.”
– “Upcoming Events“
– March 23rd & 24th: is the Open House & Plant Sale, Good Earth Plants & GreenScaped Buildings, in San Diego, CA.
– March 23rd-25th: is the Better Living Show – Home, Garden & Lifestyle, in Portland, OR.
– March 29th-30th: is the 10th Annual New York State Green Building Conference, in Syracuse, NY.
– “In the News“
– Richard Lee, of the Danbury News Times, reports on “LaurelRock adds “˜green walls’ to its offerings.” Earlier this week, LaurelRock, a Wilton-based landscape design and installation business, hosted George Irwin, CEO of Green Living Technologies International [and one of our contributing editors], where he demonstrated how his company creates green walls. LaurelRock is the exclusive installer of GLTi’s patented panel technology in the company’s service area. LaurelRock President Burt DeMarche believes gardeners will be interested in GLTi’s “edible walls” concept, because they can produce fruits, vegetables, and herbs in an easier way for gardeners who want to grow their own food but don’t have the time or energy to do it the “old-fashioned way.”
At the Millstone Farm presentation, George stood by a 2×6 foot frame holding plants including moss, waffle leaf, palm, ferns and more; and he said, “this wall has light indoor plants which are relatively low maintenance. They provide an incredible opportunity to clean the air in the room” and that his “idea was to mimic Mother Nature. It provides an opportunity for roots to migrate from cell to cell.” Green Living Technologies International developed a program with the Innovation Charter School in Harlem, where students learn the technology, preparing them for work a companies like LaurelRock.
– Bill Marken, of Garden Design Magazine, talks about “Green Roofs.” He reflects on the evolution of greenroofs being just an “eco-fantasy” to becoming the current “eco-solution.” He says greenroofs have become natural fits for many public buildings, thanks to the environmental and financial benefits like energy efficiency, storm-water management, sound insulation, while also being habitats for birds, bees, butterflies, and other insects and animals that help our environment. Residential greenroofs will accomplish most of the same environmental goals but the financial benefits will take longer to realize. There are do-it-yourself kits nowadays but developing a sustainable green roof usually calls for someone who knows the structural demands, assembly systems, drainage, local conditions, plants, and maintenance.
To explore the possibilities of having a greenroof of your very own, author Ed Snodgrass, and contributing editor here at greenroofs.com, suggests starting out with a doghouse or a birdhouse. He says, “starting with a birdhouse is a good first step to getting your feet wet and understanding the limits – and opportunities – of growing plants in such a shallow root space.” And from there, there’s no place to go but up!
– 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 March 23rd, 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.
– A News Release from AHS.org says “The American Horticultural Society has announced the winners of its annual book awards.” Each year, the American Horticultural Society recognizes outstanding gardening books published in North America with its annual Book Award. One of those is “
Same smart energy savings are happening at the Lehigh Valley Health Network, which has ultraviolet lights to extend the life and efficiency of air handlers by preventing bacteria and mold from building up on heater coils. Greenroofs and solar arrays are the most visible ways buildings are saving on energy costs but high-efficiency motors and boilers are also hard working inside buildings to help promote savings. Lehigh Valley Healthcare has installed two 300,000 kilowatt solar arrays at its Cedar Crest and Muhlenberg campuses, with the help of local and state grants, and they’ve already seen savings. Several schools in the area have already had energy efficient replacements and more are scheduled.
One project highlighted, the Latin School of Chicago, has two green roofs, one atop the Middle School (5,500 sq. ft.) and the Upper School (1,200 sq. ft.) which have become virtual science and engineering laboratories. Using infrared thermometers, students have observed that the temperature on a traditional roof is often 30 degrees Fahrenheit higher than a green roof. Peter Brown, the school’s Director of Facilities and Operations. Says it’s a great opportunity for students to see how a greenroof can help reduce cooling costs.
