The John W. McCormack Post Office and Court House, a federal building of monumental civic presence located in the heart of downtown Boston, has been certified LEED Gold. With the restoration of the John W. McCormack Federal Building, the U.S. General Services Administration has transformed a twentieth century historic gem into a twenty-first century building that will serve American citizens for decades to come.
Nestled in Post Office Square in Boston, this fourth floor green roof on the John W McCormack Federal Building mimics the environment of a New England forest floor, as the rest of the building shades the lower roof for most of the day, creating an environment conducive to the growth of mosses, ferns, and asters, among other native species. As a first-of-its-kind native woodland green roof project, there was extremely limited data on the long term viability of these plant species in a rooftop environment and non-native soil.
As a result, a one year trial was conducted prior to full phase installation in order to determine feasibility for the site conditions and refine soil media amendments, ultimately creating a robust, reliable and unique plant mix.
Multiple depths of the GreenGrid Vegetated Roof System were used, including 2.5”, 4”, and 8” modules to accommodate structural and horticultural requirements while creating a more interesting and natural topography.