Greenroofs.com Projects - The Rapid Bus Depot

The Rapid Bus Depot

Project Name: The Rapid Bus Depot
Year: 2008
Owner: City of Grand Rapids
Location: Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Building Type: Municipal/Government
Type: Extensive
System: Single Source Provider
Size: 16000 sq.ft.
Slope: 1%
Access: Inaccessible, Private
Submitted by: LiveRoof

Designers/Manufacturers of Record:
Architect: Progressive AE
Landscape Architect: Progressive AE
Modular Greenroof System: LiveRoof
Installer: Katerberg Verhage Landscapin
Grower:: Hortech / LiveRoof LLC
Waterproofing System: EPDM by Firestone
Slip Sheet Product: EPDM by Firestone

"The Rapid?s new Central Station in Grand Rapids opened to passengers in June, 2004. The Interurban Transit Partnership-The Rapid- expects 8,500 people to move in and out of the facility daily on the system?s 15 routes and Greyhound lines. Central Station is full of features such as the greenroof, a recycled glass terrazzo floorand reused material ? making it the first environmentally certified transit center in the state. Located on a Brownfield site near the VanAndel Arena, Central Station includes a wave-like fiberglass bus platform connected to a 50,560 square-foot Surface Transportation Center building," (New Central Station In Grand Rapids, 2004, see below).

Before LiveRoof, the XeroFlor System performed poorly due to lack of maintenance by owners.

This LiveRoof project was a replacement of an unsuccessful carpet type green roof installed in 2004, one of the first green roofs installed in the Grand Rapids area. Publisher's Note: The original greenroof company manufacturer claims the owners improperly maintained the greenroof, which led to some plant failure. After replanting, a follow up article gives opportunity for the facility managers to defend their choice of green roof system. See articles below for more info.

The replacement green roof on the LEED building was funded through federal and state grants. The lower roof features the LiveRoof Standard Modular Green Roof System (4" soil depth). Due to weight restrictions, the upper roof uses a modified lightweight system, LiveRoof X-Lite, which is 2.5 inches deep. The plant mix is the same for both levels, and includes Sedum varieties: S. album ?Athoum?, S. ellacombianum, S. floriferum ?Weihenstephaner Gold?, S. hybridum ?Immergrunchen?, S. reflexum ?Green Spruce?, S. rupestre ?Angelina?, S. sexangulare, S. spurium ?Green Mantle?, S. spurium ?Royal Pink?, and S. spurium ?Voo Doo?.

Additional thumbnail photos:

The Project in August, 2008; Photo Courtesy LiveRoof

The Rapid Bus Depot first planted in 2004 by XeroFlor who alleged the system was improperly maintained; Photo from MLive.com of February 29, 2008: "Not so green: Much of the sedum planted on top of Rapid Central Station in 2004 has died."

Rooftop after planting by LiveRoof; Photo Courtesy of LiveRoof

Read about LiveRoof in The Greenroof Directory. Read the MLive.com February 29, 2008 article by Ken Kolker entitled "Company blames Rapid as green roof dries out" to hear more on this side of the story and also Mlive.com's "On its second try, The Rapid's roof comes up green" by Ken Kolker of September 2, 2008 here . Read the original write up in Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc. entitled "New Central Station In Grand Rapids" from Summer, 2004 here .

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