U.S. EPA Region 8 HQ, Denver Office

Project Name: U.S. EPA Region 8 HQ, Denver Office Year: 2006 Owner: Opus Northwest LLC Location: Denver, CO, USA Building Type: Municipal/Government Type: Extensive, Test/Research System: Single Source Provider Size: 19396 sq.ft. Slope: 1% Access: Accessible, Private Submitted by: GreenGrid Designers/Manufacturers of Record: Modular Greenroof System: GreenGrid Principle Investigator: James E. Klett, Ph.D., Colorado State University Green Roof Research Graduate Research Assistant: Jennifer Bousselot, Colorado State University Green Roof Research Architect: Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP Sustainable Design Consulting and MEP Engineering Design: Syska Hennessy Group

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 Office is a 248,849-square-foot facility located in Denver, CO, that serves approximately 850 employees. The facility, a product of more than three years of planning, design, and construction, serves as a hallmark of environmental sustainability in a prominent lower downtown historic district location. Denver, CO, like many other American cities, is working hard to become environmentally responsible. The city’s mayor, John Hickenlooper, announced an extensive sustainability initiative dubbed “GreenPrint,” which was an ambitious plan to convert city vehicles to hybrids, reduce energy use in city buildings, and build solar and methane power plants by 2007. Constructed with an eye toward resource and energy efficiency, the building received a LEED®-NC Gold Certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System. After two full years in operation, the building also earned the ENERGY STAR in 2008 for superior energy performance, receiving an ENERGY STAR score of 96. Because there has been little study of green roof applications in semi-arid areas like the Colorado Front Range, Region 8 and EPA’s Office and Research and Development will study the green roof for biological performance; and evaluate its effectiveness as a best management practice for storm water control and to mitigate the heat island effect in the region. Its performance is currently being studied and monitored by a consortium of experts representing the EPA, the City of Denver, the Department of Horticulture at Colorado State University, and the Denver Botanical Garden. Key to the eco-roof’s realization was the City’s willingness to waive the requirement for conventional stormwater treatment measures so those funds could be directed toward the eco-roof’s costs. The Colorado State Green Roof Research website outlines several green roof projects, primarily focusing on biological performance research being conducted at the EPA Region 8 office building in Denver, CO. "The primary objective of EPA's green roof is to absorb the precipitation which contacts the roof surfaces and release it at a reduced and measured pace. The green roof is expected to reduce peak flow and runoff volumes from rain and snowmelt events to mimic a more natural landscape. Reducing the peak flow will minimize deleterious impacts to the South Platte River from concentrated stormwater runoff," (EPA Region 8, see below). In addition to recording stormwater management efficacy, the group is examining plant species, irrigation regimes, and soil media compositions in an effort to optimize performance for the Front Range climate zone.

Environmentally and energy preferable building products and materials were used throughout as were photovoltaic arrays and wind turbines to generate electricity. The upper levels of the building feature a three-terraced, 20,000-square-foot green roof. “The architects and developers wanted a Green roof for several reasons,” said Sandra McCullough, with Weston Solutions, Inc. (WESTON®) that installed the roof. “One of the main reasons is that Denver has strict stormwater runoff guidelines, and a Green roof helps reduce runoff considerably.” "Careful thought and analysis were devoted to soil mixture and species selection to determine a sufficiently hardy solution requiring no permanent irrigation in the harsh climate. Close collaboration with a green roof supplier familiar with the climate helped to inform the final design. The four-inch deep eco-roof system is planted largely with drought-resistant varieties of sedum. A temporary drip irrigation system was installed to help establish the roof, with the intent of eliminating irrigation after two years. Design refinement continues, however, in attempting to meet this goal," (AIA Seattle, see below).

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The EPA Region VIII Headquarters is located at 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, CO 80202. To take a tour of the Denver Region 8 Office, contact: Patty Provencher(provencher.patricia@epa.gov)1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, CO 80202; Phone: (303) 312-6836; Web site: www.epa.gov/region8. The most in-depth profile can be downloaded at the AIA Seattle 2009 What Makes It Green? Regional Top Ten Awards website here. Visit the Colorado State University Green Roof Program, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture website, which details the research, monitoring, etc. here - where you can also see research photos, and the EPA Region 8 Headquarters Green Roof page with numerous photos and more info. See the U.S. General Services Administration GSA - EPA Region 8 Headquarters (Denver, CO) profile here, and the ENERGY STAR Labeled Building Profile here. Read the GreenGrid Advertiser Press Release of 11.03.06 here, and learn more about GreenGrid in The Greenroof Directory here.

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