Greenroofs.comConnecting the Planet + Living Architecture

Happy New 2014 to everyone in our greenroof and greenwall community, and to your families as well!

While implementing (and breaking) our New Year’s resolutions and planning for the new year, the world has also been dealing with some challenging freak weather lately.

As in other areas of the southern United States, here in the metro Atlanta area we just experienced a devastating near complete shutdown of interstates and highways after Tuesday’s snowfall – in fact, the governor issued a state of emergency for the entire state of Georgia.  Due to the snow, heavy traffic and sheets of ice, motorists were inching by or stranded for hours on hazardous roads, children had to stay overnight at schools (reports say about 8,000 students across Georgia and Alabama woke up yesterday in school gyms or on buses), and we have experienced thousands of accidents.  At present, there are still hundreds of abandoned cars all over the roadways.

“Tennis courts like a sauna” and “extreme heat.” – After 2013’s recently being declared Australia’s hottest year on record, Melbourne experienced three consecutive days of extreme heat above 40°C during the recent Australian Open.  Some spectators, ball kids, and tennis players became ill or fainted during these sizzling hot days when temperatures reached up to 109°F (43°C) .  To avoid heat stress they placed bags of ice on their heads and necks between points and the scorching heat even halted play.

Results of global warming?  Maybe.  At least these are examples of some major temperature extremes in just the first month of our new year!

On Tuesday, here in the U.S. we watched President Obama’s fifth State of the Union address before Congress. Just a couple of his economic proposals regarding climate and energy highlighted working with states and communities on climate change resiliency and cutting pollution plus urging our Congress to end tax benefits for the oil industry and use revenues to invest in advanced vehicles that use cleaner fuels.  Awesome.

Obama says let’s make 2014 “a year of action.”  Certainly we cannot continue to heavily depend on high-carbon fossil fuels but must continue to strive towards a sustainable approach to drive innovation and embrace clean renewable energy solutions.

In our greenroof and wall world we all, too, must take a look at how we conduct business and how we can make it better – more profitable, more sustainable, more inclusive.  What are you doing within your organization to lower costs, increase sales or open up areas of debate?  Share your 2014 stories and strategies with us – we’d love to share your experience through a Guest Feature Article or blog post here on Sky Gardens.

Here at Greenroofs.com we have been brainstorming ourselves.  We sat down to plan: our activities for Earth Hour and Earth Day (should we bring back our Love the Earth, Plant a Roof Photo Contest?), which conferences we will attend (possibly Grey to Green in Toronto in June; World Green Infrastructure Congress, Sydney in September; Qingdao International Ecocity & Green Roof Conference in China in October; CitiesAlive in Nashville in November), and think about what we want to accomplish and how can we best maximize our time, serve our community, and continue to change to reflect the evolving needs of our readership.

We are convinced that information sharing and open communication are key to a vibrant, growing living architecture industry.  As markets continue to open up across the world through private and public support, opportunities abound – locally and globally.

Along those lines I just wrote a chapter in the upcoming book entitled Green Cities around the World to be published soon by PRONATUR (a Spanish rooftop agricultural group head by Dr. Julian Briz and Dr. Isabel de Felipe, member of the World Green Infrastructure Network or WGIN) and WGIN itself.  It’s entitled “Greenroofs & Greenwalls in the New Millennium: The Influence of the Age of Technology through Online and Social Media.”

I present an overview of how the advancement of greenroof and wall design, construction, and the industry itself has flourished since the turn of our new 21st century with the advent of the widespread use of the Internet, through its innate entrepreneurial spirit, and the continuing rise of information technologies.

Did you know that, according to Internet World Stats, by December 31, 2000 the Internet had 360,985,492 users worldwide and by June 30, 2012 the amount had exploded to 2,405,518,376 users?  Our views of culture, social relationships, and how we interact in the world of e-business have forever changed through electronic media and smart devices.   The Internet has altered the way we do business forever – surfing the net has become a way of life around the world.

And, as most people know, social media is no longer an emerging new world in cyberspace, but an exponentially growing online reality of fantastical proportions.  The impact and importance of social media and how it is changing the landscape of both the personal and professional worlds cannot be overstated.  Here are some recent figures of the most widespread social networking websites used to create new online business contacts and friendships with people who share similar interests:

Facebook  (1.26 billion users as of December, 2013);
LinkedIn (259 million users as of October, 2013;
Twitter (500 million total users as of October, 2013):
Google+ (540 million monthly active users as of October, 2013):
Pinterest (70 million users as of July, 2013;
Tumblr (216.3 million monthly visitors as of May, 2013):
Flickr (87 million users as of March, 2013);
and Instagram (more than 75 million monthly active users as of December, 2013).

This brings me to planning for our third virtual conference, the Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2015: Connecting the Planet + Living Architecture.  We firmly believe this platform is the future, a synthesis of technology and social media – education, entertainment, and social networking – interacting directly with people across the world in our highly targeted community.  We’ve been searching for a new, lower cost medium to be able to broadcast the amazing video content provided by so many brilliant individuals and hard working organizations and further engage everyone in lively video, audio and text chatting.

While strategizing new relationships and collaboration partnerships, we continue to investigate out-of-the-box ideas and certainly welcome your input for an even greater, fun and vibrant virtual summit in 2015.  Next month we’ll start airing our 37 videos from our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2013.  We hope these keynote, panel sessions, and individual videos will inform and inspire you!

Let’s make 2014 a year of taking new actions: plan your business and marketing strategy along with your educational and personal growth goals; engage your friends, associates, and peers to help you execute your plans; and network with new social endeavors, online and in real life!  If you’re not already connected with us, do so.

Stay warm (or cool), and try and have fun, no matter the circumstances.

I hope to see you at a physical conference or chat online soon!

~ Linda V.

Hello readers and fellow colleagues,

I hope you have all been enjoying your holidays with family and friends with an eye towards the New Year – especially  after our collective escape from the dire but thankfully misled (or misinterpreted) Mayan  predictions on the winter solstice of 12.21.12!

Kidding aside, we here at Greenroofs.com  have simply been swamped since late summer with various milestones including our trips to Chicago followed immediately by 2 weeks in China, not to mention orchestrating our 2nd annual  Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2013.

And, by the way, I couldn’t make it to The International Green Conference in Bangalore, India last month – a recent bout with upper respiratory problems were aggravated with all the traveling and I developed ear issues and was told not to fly for a few months.  I was extremely upset but everyone told me that the Conference was wonderful.

And so I’ve been very behind in my various blog posts ~ so one of my New Year’s  resolutions  is to catch up here at Sky Gardens with the following blog posts:

– On a personal note, most of you who have been following us for years know that I have been an international flight attendant with Delta Air Lines for a long time (hey, I didn’t want to give up my “day” job until I knew this greenroof gig would work out!)…well, as of  September  1, I  officially  retired after 33 years of loving (almost) every bit of it!  I had the  privilege  of working with the best people ever – the end of an era…

– The 10th Annual CitiesAlive Green Roof & Wall Conference in Chicago – what a great town!  For now I will say it was great, one of the very best get-togethers we as an industry have enjoyed so far.  If you  have  photos to share, please send them to linda@greenroofs.com – there was a lot I missed and then Aramis and I had to leave Saturday morning following the conference since we left for Shanghai the next day and we missed out on all the tours (I also took a class on Wednesday, so I couldn’t go then, either).

– The World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) World Green Roof Congress in Hangzhou, China which was simply awesome!  The resort was beautiful and the organization was amazing as there were at least 1,400 – 1,500 attendees – the largest crowd I’ve ever presented to before (I presented Haven Kiers’ and my “2012 Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof & Greenwall Design“).

We had a day of touring  followed  by 2 days of the  wonderful  speakers, excellent food and hospitality, ending with another day of touring.  Each  evening  there was a celebratory feast – Professor Xianmin Wang and his awesome International Rooftop Landscaping Association (IRLA) team of William Wei, Lisa and many others are to be highly commended.  We then followed this  sumptuous  experience with an additiional 8 or 9 more days of once in a  lifetime  touring around  China!

– All about our  Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2013  on February 12 through March 13, 2013 –  it’s going to be very different from last year. First of all, this time we’ve  partnered  with the  World Green Infrastructure Network  and we’re thrilled to have them on board to provide an ever greater world stage.

You’ll enjoy  a full 30 days of scheduled and on demand video Keynotes, panel sessions, individual and combo presentations with a lot more interactive fun with scheduled live Q & A chat  sessions  with  speakers and other greenroof & greenwall enthusiasts from around the globe, plus visiting the  Sponsor Spaces and Social Media Areas.  Here are our 5 distinguished Keynotes:

New this year is the Prize Center where you’ll accumulate points for cool prizes; the Joblinks Lounge where you can post jobs wanted and view job openings; and the Inspiration Nook where you can post under 3-minute videos about your research idea, project, or poster boards (no commercial ventures!) and participate in scheduled chat discussions which will be included on the Agenda.

In order to feature our Sponsors and exhibitors, we will also offer 4 dedicated days – one per week – to our Expo Trade Show, each anchored by a Keynote Presentation and a Panel Discussion from leading authorities.  By the way, we’d like to thank Tremco for once again committing their greenroof industry leadership through our highest level of  Sponsorship  – the Rare Earth Sponsor!

Other Greenroofs.com News:

– Starting in the New Year, our “This Week in Review” news roundup video, hosted by our daughter Anjuli Velazquez, will come back as “This Month in Review.”

– We’re currently  scheduling our “Greenroof or Greenwall Project of the Week” series – if you’d like to see your project highlighted, first of all we need to have a profile for it in the Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database!  (We are still backlogged with entries but hope to be up to date within a month).

We only spotlight profiles that have 10 or 11 photos and lots of descriptive content.  People ask us if they have to be listed in the Greenroof Directory to be selected, and the answer is no – although we do highlight our advertisers about 4:1 as compared to non-advertisers for their loyalty.

Advertising with Us  is extremely affordable, and we certainly appreciate the support!  Plus there’s no better place in our industry to have your company listed than with us, the #1 website in the world for greenroofs.

– And ordering our  2013 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Wall Calendar is still an inexpensive (only $9.95 including shipping & handling within the U.S.and Canada) and perfect last minute gift to ring in the New Year.

That’s it for now – we’d like to wish you and yours Seasons Greetings & a Happy New Year 2013!

~ Linda V. & all of us here at Greenroofs.com

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 October 12, 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 October 12th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.

– Project of the Week

–  Our project of the week is the Multnomah County Multnomah Building, built in 2003 in Portland, Oregon.  Designed as Portland’s first public green roof demonstration garden, the Multnomah Building offers a powerful opportunity for education.  Three distinct educational were addressed: public accessibility, interpretive activities and free sharing of data between professionals.  Upon exiting the 5th floor elevator, the greenroof panorama of wildflowers, grasses and sedums is immediately visible from the vast expanse of picture windows, and descriptive interpretive signs allow for easy access to green roof information.

Since the vegetative roof itself is not accessible, the serpentine raised bed has displayed representative project plant material, and it also acts as a seating wall for visitors.  In 2010 Multnomah County and the City of Portland partnered and created the “Hope Garden” here and planted an organic vegetable garden.  With Tremco as roofing consultant, the roof also serves as a laboratory for green roof development with experiments conducted by various agencies, including Portland State University and the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services.

– To learn more about the Multnomah County Multnomah Building,  click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photos).

What’s New

– We’d like to welcome Onset Computer Corp., our new advertiser here at Greenroofs.com!  Their HOBO ® data loggers are widely recognized as the industry standard for measuring and recording environmental conditions.

–  Greenroofs.com Press Release

¿Habla Español?  Then read our Virtual Summit 2013 Press Release now available in Spanish!

–  Sky Gardens Blog

– Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts:  “CitiesAlive 2012 is Next Week!” “Kevin Songer, our own Tropical Green Roof Editor, at TEDxRiversideAvondale on October 20, 2012,” and “Greenroofs.com’s “˜This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: September 28, 2012.”

– “Upcoming Events“

–  October 17th-18th: is the 14th Annual 3 Rivers Wet Weather Sewer Conference, in Monroeville, PA.

–  October 17th-20th: is the CitiesAlive 2012 10th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference, in Chicago, IL.  Linda and Haven will be presenting their 2012 Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof and Greenwall Design, so make sure to attend their presentation on Friday!

–  And October 20th: is TEDxRiversideAvondale with Kevin Songer, our newest editor – The Tropical Green Roof Editor – in Jacksonville, FL (Follow on Twitter: @TEDxRA).

– “In the News“

–  Danielle Tcholakian of Metro.us reports on “Rooftop farm opens at East Village school building.”  The Robert Simon Complex in the East Village in New York City now features a rooftop farm designed by Michael Arad, the architect behind the 9/11 memorial.

Fifth Street Farm spans 2,400 square feet and will be used to educated students about the plants grown there and the environment.  Students will be growing, harvesting and eating their own herbs, vegetables and fruits. Capturing stormwater and using solar energy are also possibilities for the roof’s new addition.

– The PBS NewsHour talks about “Coping with Climate Change: Green Roofs of Chicago.”  Global temperatures are rising, and cities are facing the challenge of keeping their infrastructure and residents cool.  Chicago is tackling the problem with a green design makeover that includes 369 green roofs covering 5.5 million square feet, which is more than any other city in North America.

This article takes a look at some of the most impressive ones, starting with [Chicago] City Hall.  This 23,000 square foot green roof serves as a  test bed  for researching and measuring what green roofs can do.  This roof alone saves the city about $3,600 a year in heating and cooling costs.  Millennium  Park is 24.5 acres, and currently one of the largest greenroofs in the world.  It covers two parking garages, a railway and an opera hall.  Check out the full article for more amazing Chicago projects.

– 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 October 12th,  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 October 5, 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 October 5th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.

– Project of the Week

–  Our project of the week is the Fashion Valley Mall Living Wall, built in 2012, in San Diego, California.  Fashion Valley Mall is an upscale, open-air shopping mall in Mission Valley and is the county’s largest regional mall.  The 800 sf living wall is located in a plaza and meeting place at the main entrance to the mall and is the newest component of a $15 million renovation nearing completion at the Mission Valley venue.  The project utilized 4,000 plants with the soil-based VGM ® planting system by Tournesol Siteworks and was completed by Greenscaped Buildings.

Each plant grew for four months in a controlled area before moving to Fashion Valley Mall.  Using triangulated drip irrigation, the wall is 18′ tall and 51′ wide and utilizes 250 Tournesol Siteworks modules.  The drip irrigation system uses gravity to flow water throughout the modules.  Meant to resemble the keys on a piano, plants used include spider plants, lemon button ferns, ribbon ferns, Ajuga, moneywort and mondo grass, among others.

– To learn more about the Fashion Valley Mall Living Wall,  click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photos).

What’s New

– Advertiser Press Releases:

–  Rouse Management Tops Off Parman Place Apartments in Madison Wisconsin with a LiveRoof ® Green Roof.

–  Green Living Technologies International: Green Living Roof Can Reduce SYSCO Foods Annual Cooling Energy Cost by 7%.

– Industry News

–  Green Roofs for Healthy Cities is pleased to announce the launch of a premium  collectable  publication that celebrates the biggest and brightest stars in the universe of living architecture.  “The Rise of Living Architecture” coffee table book features beautiful graphic profiles of over fifty visionaries who have fueled the explosive growth of green roofs and walls across North America over the past decade.  Its release will be celebrated at the CitiesAlive: 10th Annual Green Roof and Wall Conference, held October 17-20, 2012, in Chicago, IL.

– Portland Bureau of Environmental Services will begin accepting applications again in October 2012 for ecoroof construction.  The City of Portland offers an incentive to property owners and developers to add more ecoroofs.  The incentive program is part of Portland’s Grey to Green initiative to increase sustainable stormwater management practices, control non-native, invasive plants, and protect sensitive natural areas.

–  Sky Gardens Blog

– Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts:  “It’s Not Too Late for the 2012 World Green Roof Congress in Hangzhou, China!,” “Congrats to the Winners of the 2012 Green Roof and Wall Awards of Excellence,” and “Greenroofs.com’s “˜This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: September 28, 2012.”

– Guest Blogger

–  Also check out our new Guest Blogger, Steve Waller, who writes about “Bridging the Urban Jungle: Mile End Park.”

– “Upcoming Events”

–  October 15th: is the IHDC 2012 Conference – Ecosystem Services Come to Town, in London, UK.

–  And on October 17-20 is the big one, the 10th Annual Cities Alive Green Roof & Wall Conference in Chicago!

– “In the News“

–  Tamara Hinson of Metro asks, “Could the future of the environment be found within the vertical garden?”  More and more buildings are going green and choosing beautiful vegetated facades instead of cement ones.  French botanist Patrick Blanc is one of the world’s most famous vertical garden designers and realized the potential of vertical gardening after noticing the way some plants were able to grow vertically without soil and started creating ways of using lightweight, low-maintenance vegetation walls.

One of Patrick’s most famous creations is the vertical garden at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris.  The garden measures 200m by 12m high and features a wide range of plants including species native to Brazil, South Korea and the Himalayas. Toronto has plans for a Sky Farm, which will have eight million square feet of vertical growing space for crops and will bring in the same amount of produce as a 420 hectare farm.  And several buildings in Jakarta that have vertical gardens are living proof of the many benefits that come from green walls like producing fresh air, growing herbs and vegetables and reducing heating and cooling costs for the buildings.

–  Adam Thomas of the University of Delaware talks about, “Members of UD, Delaware community celebrate green roof completion.”  Not only the community and students celebrated but even U.S. Senator Tom Carper was in attendance last Friday on the new green roof.  Senator Carper said, “This new green roof project at the University of Delaware is a great example of the power of public-private partnerships.  With support from the state of Delaware, DuPont and the University of Delaware, this project is helping to lower energy use, clean the air and teach sustainable environmental practices to future generations at the same time.”

Chad Nelson, assistant professor of landscape design, didn’t want to use a membrane system but wanted a modular system consisting of 2-feet by 2-feet plastic trays that could be installed by the students and local volunteers and then moved for roof maintenance.  The green roof has heat-hardy plants including several varieties of colorful sedum, plus chives and crocus; and some of the benefits it will provide will be reducing carbon dioxide emissions, absorbing stormwater runoff, providing a living classroom for students, as well as giving them the opportunity for hands-on experience in growing and maintaining the plants.

– 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 October 5th,  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 September 28, 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 September 28th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.

– Project of the Week

-Our project of the week is the New York PS41 Greenroof Environmental Literacy Laboratory (GELL), built in 2012 in Greenwich Village, New York, NY. PS41 is a K-5 grammar school that serves about 800 students at the heart of one of New York City’s high-density neighborhoods with little open space. After six years of planning, fundraising, building evaluation and construction, the Greenroof Environmental Literacy Laboratory at PS41 is open. The goal is to create a learning laboratory that raises environmental literacy and enhances students’ awareness of the stewardship role they play in the health of the planet.

The school’s 9,000 sf greenroof includes a central outdoor classroom area and is the centerpiece of GELL. Installed in August 2012, it uses the LiveRoof® Hybrid Green Roof System. Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer said, “The opening of the Greenroof Environmental Literacy Laboratory at PS41 is a landmark event, not just because it is the largest such roof at a New York City public school – but because it expands our commitment to making environmental study a fixture in classrooms.”

– To learn more about the New York PS41 Greenroof Environmental Literacy Laboratory (GELL), click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photos).

What’s New

– The Greenroofs.com eNewsletter

Our September eNewsletter is out!  So check your inboxes and catch up on what was new this month, what we’ve been blogging about in our latest Sky Gardens posts, our Advertiser Press Releases and more!  (You can also click on the above photo to see it online. Or subscribe now and check it out.)

– Guest Feature Article

– Read our latest guest feature “Using Seeds as an Installation Method on Green Roofs” by Dr. Kathryn McDavid.  This is a short summary of the author’s Ph.D. research at Penn State University.

– Joblinks

– LiveRoof® is now hiring a Customer Service Representative in Spring Lake, MI.

– Advertiser Press Releases:

– LiveRoof® Green Roof Greens Up San Diego County Operations Center.

– LiveRoof® – Green Roof Environmental Literacy Laboratory [is] Ready for Students Returning to P.S. 41 in Greenwich Village.

– Industry News

– The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) has opened a public comment period seeking input on the proposed 2013 Prerequisites and Credits.

– Green Roofs for Healthy Cities is pleased to announce the winners of the 2012 Green Roof and Wall Awards of Excellence.

– The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) has announced eight projects that have achieved certification.

– Sky Gardens Blog

– Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts: “Chic Sustainability Watch: 2012 European Solar Decathlon, London Design Festival, Venice Architecture Biennale, Milan Design Week & Canada Blooms Garden Festival”; “Hotel Discount for CitiesAlive Expires Oct. 1st!”; “Only 4 Weeks for the WGIN World Green Roof Conference 2012 in Hangzhou: Chinese Visa Tips”; and “Greenroofs.com’s “This Week in Review” on GreenroofsTV: September 21, 2012.”

– Upcoming Events

– September 28th-October 1st: ASLA 2012 Annual Meeting & EXPO, in Phoenix, AZ. Twitter: #ASLA2012

– September 29th-October 8th: is the 85th Annual Water Environment Federation, Technical Exhibition and Conference, in New Orleans, LA.

– October 1st is the last day to take advantage of the hotel discount for CitiesAlive in Chicago.

– And October 2nd-4th: is the Healthcare Facilities Symposium & Expo, in Chicago, IL. Twitter: @hcarefacilities & #HFSE

– In the News

– KGW.com reports on “PSU students install green roof on campus.”  Students of Portland State University spent their weekend installing their own greenroof.  About 30 students helped put together the 3,000-square-foot greenroof and install the plants onto the roof of the Cramer Hall.

Project Manager Austin Hudson said, “This allows us to more effectively assess how the native and non-native plants are compared against each other.”  The students of civil and environmental engineering classes will now have a living laboratory and a great learning experience that can last for years.

-Douglas Canter of Examiner.com talks about “Mayor Vincent Gray makes DC Department of Environment headquarters greener.”  Washington, DC Mayor Vincent Gray is making the Department of Environment’s headquarters more environmentally-friendly by adding two new recently completed rain gardens.  The ground outside of the HQ slopes down toward a pebble-covered swale, filled with wetland plants, flowering perennials, grasses and blueberry bushes.

Also part of the Mayor’s effort, the Department installed a 10,500 square foot greenroof last year and hopes to install solar panels by the end of this year. Greenroofs and rain gardens act as Earth’s filtration and will help reduce pollution that would otherwise flow into the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, Rock Creek and eventually the Chesapeake Bay.

– 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 September 28th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.  I’m Anjuli Velázquez and I’ll see you next week!

*This week’s episode is sponsored by The Greenroof & Greenwall 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 September 21, 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 September 21st, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.

– Project of the Week

–  Our project of the week is the Potter League for Animals, built in 2008 in Middleton, Rhode Island.  Annually, the Potter League houses about 1,900 animals and provides pound services including facilitating adoptions for 1,100 animals a year and returning 450 lost pets to their owners.  Officials chose to go green for the new LEED Gold shelter because its location is on wetlands and close to Bailey Brook, which eventually feeds into North Easton’s Pond, a drinking-water source for Aquidneck Island.

Designed by ARQ Architects, the rooftop garden is Newport County’s first greenroof. Located over the adoption shelter, the living roof uses a Roofmeadow 6″, semi-intensive system established with plugs and 4″ pots, with Sika Sarnafil providing the waterproofing and Apex Green Roofs as the greenroof contractor.  The un-irrigated intensive system supports a large variety of species including lavenders, alliums, sedums and grasses specifically planted for their tolerance to wind, heat and drought.  The facility also has a rain water recovery system that collects water from the roof surfaces and diverts it into a 15,000 gallon underground cistern.

– To learn more about the Potter League for Animals,  click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photos).

What’s New

– Advertiser Press Release:

–  A&A Melters builds an all new 500 gallon Melter! Their melters have been used for green roof projects in the Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center, the Ohio State University Cancer Center and at Harvard University, just to name a few”¦

–  Sky Gardens Blog

– Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts:  “Greenroofs.com Announces Strategic Partnership with the World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) for the Second Greenroofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2013!“ and “Greenroofs.com’s “˜This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: September 14, 2012.”

–  Industry News

–  International Code Council (ICC) and the State of California

The ICC Council provides access to new “California Solar Permitting Guidebook” that makes permit review, installation of solar pv systems in California easier.   The State of California Guidebook is available as a free download or in print from the Code Council, and addresses permitting requirements, and assists installers and code officials.  It highlights solar PV installations on residential and commercial building rooftops, in parking lots and on parking structures, and those mounted on the ground.  Although the combination of solar and greenroofs together are not yet addressed, they could be in the future.

– “Upcoming Events“

–  September 21st-23rd: is the Techos Verdes – Jardines Verticales Workshop by Gernot Minke, in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

–  Also September 21st-23rd: is the Mother Earth News Fair, in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania (Follow on Twitter: @MotherEarthFAIR & #MENF).

–  September 25th: is the World Class Sustainable Cities 2012, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

–  September 26th-28th: is the 21st Century Building Expo & Conference, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

–  And September 27th-28th: is the 3rd Annual Green Initiatives Conference, in Peachtree City, Georgia.

– “In the News“

–  Ashley Wells of The Atlantic Cities talks about “A Plush Rooftop Garden for Tokyo Shoppers.”  The Tokyo Plaza Omotesando Project is located at the Harajuku shopping district and features a rooftop garden, or a “roof-forest,” as the locals refer to it.

This rooftop garden has 34 trees, over 50 different kinds of plants, and has technological systems that purify the air.  It’s a beautifully peaceful place that allows its visitors to forget their urban dense setting for a bit.

–  Ryan Rogers of AxiomNews, says “TD’s Living Roof Demonstrating its Commitment to Sustainability.”  TD Bank Group is continuing its leadership in sustainable design by utilizing environmentally-friendly green practices like installing a green roof on its downtown center in Toronto.  The design mimics the heritage building and features 692 planters and 11,000 grass plants on the 22,000 square foot roof.

Some of the environmental and economic benefits this roof will provide will be to filter carbon dioxide and other pollutants from the air, absorb water and rainfall and keep the interiors cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

– 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 September 21st,  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 September 14, 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 September 14, 2012 on  GreenroofsTV.

–  Project of the Week

–  Our project of the week is the  J. L. McMillan Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse built in 2011 in Florence, South Carolina.  It is a project of the Federal Recovery Act of 2009, and joins the rankings of one of the largest green roofs in the Southeast United States to date, and actually may be the largest in South Carolina.  An extensive green roof system was selected due to the load constraints of the existing structure.

About 51,000 plugs from Emory Knoll Farms including species of Sedums, Delosperma, Talinum, and Allium were planted in 329 tons of lightweight Stalite-PermaTill growing medium at a 4″ depth.  Staging this project was especially challenging because the courthouse remained open during its construction.  The crane was frequently moved to accommodate employee parking and a few night shifts were necessary to access one side of the building.  Lifting 220 crane bags of growing media to a 5-story roof could have been a logistical nightmare, but the team at Living Roofs, Inc. executed the entire installation with no serious complications.

– To learn more about the J. L. McMillan Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse,  click on our project of the week photo on our  homepage  (or on the above photos).

What’s New

– Greenroofs.com Press Release

–  Read about our major news story:  Greenroofs.com Announces Strategic Partnership with the World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) for the Second Greenroofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2013!

Linda S. Velazquez, Founder & Publisher of   Greenroofs.com  says, “Last year’s groundbreaking Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 was an exciting first in our industry.  Greenroofs.com is very proud of our trendsetting online conference and we’re absolutely delighted to be partnering this year with WGIN, who will bring an even greater international audience to our world stage. 2013’s Virtual Summit alliance with WGIN allows us to optimize resources and promote leading edge information in a multi-lingual format.”

And, Tanya Mueller Garcia, Vice President of   WGIN  says, “The World Green Infrastructure Network is delighted to be co-organizing the 2nd Virtual Summit, a cutting edge event, giving people worldwide the opportunity to learn about green roofs and walls as well as the opportunity to interact with leading trend setters. You will without doubt find valuable information regarding green roofs and walls, from public policies, latest investigations to the most innovative projects. Be a part of the next great Virtual Summit!”  Make sure to read the entire Press Release on our Homepage.

–  Advertiser Press Releases:

–  Skyland USA (rooflite) Introduces the Green Roof Media Calculator.

– Vegetal I.D. Introduces Hydropack ®, an optimal solution for Stormwater Management in North America.

–  Sky Gardens Blog

– Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts:  “Don’t Miss the Early Bird Discount for CitiesAlive this September 15!“ and “Greenroofs.com’s “˜This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: August 31 and September 7, 2012.”

– Guest Blogger

– And don’t miss our latest Guest Post by Dr. Payam Bahrami who writes “CTBUH-IIT Team Wins Grant for Green Wall Façade Research.”

– “Upcoming Events“

–  Don’t forget, September 15th: is the last day for the Early Bird Registration for the 10th Annual CitiesAlive Green Roof & Wall Conference in Chicago!  Take advantage of the $169 savings!

–  September 16th-22nd: is the APLD International Landscape Design Conference, in San Francisco, CA. (Follow on Twitter: @APLD)

–  September 18th-21st: is the 2012 World Green Roof Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Follow on Twitter: @worldgreenroof #worldgreenroof)

–  And September 21st: is the Greenscaped Buildings Semi-Annual Fall Plant Sale & Open House, in San Diego, CA.

– “In the News“

– Christina Williams of Sustainable Business Oregon, talks about “Oregon BEST awards commercialization grants for green roofs, energy storage.”  Last week they announced two commercialization grant awards: one that uses ice slush to store power, and another to fund collaborative research on green roofs.

In 2010, Oregon BEST (the Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies Center) launched its grant program and is now on their way to awarding $1 million in grants this year.  Applied Exergy Inc. is a startup company working with Oregon State University to create energy storage technology that captures and stores energy as an icy slush and then uses it when needed.  A Portland ecoroof startup, Columbia Green Technologies, whom we’ve reported on before, will use their grant to fund their work with Portland State University researchers to measure and track how ecoroof systems manage stormwater runoff in urban settings.

–  The Staff at the Government of Ontario News reports on “Ontario Completes Ottawa Courthouse Green Roof.”  The courthouse’s new green roof will reduce energy costs, improve air quality and help Ontario meet its long-term energy conservation goals.  It features 60 varieties of plants and helps to protect the building’s structure from the elements of nature.  70,000 square feet of green space total the 26 separate multi-elevated green roofs that all contribute in helping to keep Ottawa’s air clean.

The McGuinty government believes that investing in infrastructure is part of the plan to create jobs for Ontarians and strengthen their economy.  A strong economy protects the services that mean the most to families: health care and education.

– 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 September 14, 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 August 31 and September 7, 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 August 31st & September 7th, 2012 on  GreenroofsTV.

–  Projects of the Week

–  Our Project of the Week this week is the Origin Energy Greenwall Project, built in 2012 in Melbourne, Australia.  The Origin Energy head office at 321 Exhibition Street is a commercial complex consisting of premium office and retail space, aiming to be the best practice in sustainability and energy efficiency through the design and installation of a state of the art trigeneration plant.  The tallest greenwall in Australia was recently completed here by Mark Paul of The Greenwall Company.

Spanning 22 floors, each floor has its own unique planting make up, specifically designed to maximize varying angles and lighting.  Utilizing non-biodegradable inorganic media, their greenwalls are grown with epiphytic and lithophytic plants which provide some of the country’s endangered species with a home in order to preserve their existence.  And, the Greenwall Company builds its walls from 94% of recyclable materials.

–  Our Project of the Week  last week was the Central Park Praha, Phase 1, built in 2009, in Prague, Czech Republic.  Located near the historic Prague city center, Central Park Praha is a new multi-family residential complex by designers A96 Architects and AED Project.  Attractive exteriors and innovatively designed interiors are combined with environmental considerations and energy efficiency.  The layout of the apartment complex was inspired by the natural environment, transforming its sharp features into a park through an artificial green embankment, which is actually a terraced building with greenroofs and façades.

The greenroof connects the grounds of the park with the residential buildings and creates a seamless green transition.  The pitched roofs were realized using the Optigreen “slope roof system type T,” an anti-slip system for roof slopes up to 45 °, necessary to keep the substrate and pre-cultivated sedum mats in place.

–  To learn more about the Origin Energy Greenwall Project,  click on our project of the week photo on our homepage  (or on the above photos); and to learn more about the Central Park Praha, Phase 1, search project ID #1392 in our Projects Database.

What’s New

–  The Greenroofs.com eNewsletter

– Our August,  2012 eNewsletter was released last week, so be sure to check it out! Catch up on what was new in August, what we’ve been blogging about in our latest Sky Gardens posts, Advertiser Press Releases and more!  Or, subscribe  now.

–  Welcome

– We’d like to welcome two new advertisers here at Greenroofs.com!  Basques Hardwood Charcoal is a manufacturer of a horticultural amendment for rooftop media.

– And Vector Mapping/IR Analyzers has been performing vector mapping integrity testing since 1984.

–  Guest Feature Article

– Make sure to read Steven Peck’s guest feature article, “10th Anniversary – CitiesAlive Returns to Chicago To Celebrate and Plan Ahead“ all about the upcoming event in October – register by September 15 to receive the Early Bird Discount!

–  Advertiser Press Release:

–  Optigreen International (AG) has developed a new Green Roof system: Retention Roof Meander 30.

–  Sky Gardens Blog

– Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts:  “The World Green Roof Congress, Copenhagen 2012 in 3 Weeks!” and “Greenroofs.com’s “˜This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: August 24, 2012.”

–  Industry News

– The NRCA is offering a new LEED Guide entitled “A Roofing Professional’s Guide to LEED ®” which includes specifics about vegetative roofing points.

– “Upcoming Events“

– Going on since September 1-30: is the 9th Annual Architecture and the City Festival in San Francisco, CA.

– September 6th-9th: is the 2012 Waterproofing Contractors Association (WCA) Fall Convention, in Myrtle Beach, SC.

– September 11th-14th: is the CONSTRUCT2012 and the CSI Annual Convention, in Phoenix, AZ – Follow on Twitter: @CONSTRUCTshow #CONSTRUCT

– September 12th: is the Greenroof Design & Construction Workshop, Wetland Studies & Solutions, in Gainesville, VA.

– September 13th-14th: is the European Conference on Sustainable Renovation of Buildings, in Karlsruhe, Germany.

–  And September 15-16 is the 10th Annual San Francisco Living Home Tours.

– “In the News“

–  James Bruggers of The Courier-Journal Blog, talks about “Louisville Housing Authority shows off new green roof.”  Louisville Metro Housing Authority’s Vine Street administration building features a new green roof with more than 1,200 plantings, including different grasses, ground coverings, serviceberry trees and various types of bushes; and it cost less than a traditional roof replacement.

It also has a walkway and benches for its building occupants to take a break and enjoy the lovely view it offers while it is helping to reduce the urban heat island effect.  This new sustainable addition will save on the building’s energy cost all year long, keeping it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

– The staff at Buffalo Rising says, “NFTA Bus Shelter Gets A Living Green Roof.” eco_logic STUDIO, the company behind this project, said that this bus shelter is “a demonstration project for NFTA utilizing an existing bus shelter.  In the last year NFTA has installed about 100 PV systems on bus shelters.  This is the first green roof!”

Just some of the benefits this green roof will help to do are to absorb pollution and put back clean air in the environment, help keep the inside of the shelter cool in the summer and help to improve rain retention.

– 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  August 31st & September 7th,  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 August 24, 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 August 24th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.

– Project of the Week

–  Our project of the week is the  ABN AMRO Plaza, 6th Floor Podium, built in 2005 in Chicago, Illinois.  ABN AMRO Plaza is a 1.4 million square foot, 29-floor commercial office building located in the West Loop area of Chicago and is certified LEED-EB Gold.  The green roof on the 6th floor was primarily built for the use of the ABN AMRO employees.  It was designed to be an occupied green roof with 50% planted area and 50% paver area with plantings which are a mix of trees, perennial plants, and annual flowers in planters of mixed heights.  Former Mayor Daley’s objective was to make Chicago America’s greenest city, and this building has contributed towards making Chicago a cleaner, healthier, more energy-efficient environment for its citizens.

This project has won numerous awards including the IIDA Design Award, Crain’s Real Estate Development of the Year and Midwest Construction Commercial Project of the year.  And, it also won the 2007 Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Awards of Excellence in the Intensive Industrial/Commercial category.  The “Greenroof-Roofscape ®” waterproofing assembly, supplied by Barrett Company, consists of 215 mils thick Barrett “Ram Tough 250″ rubberized asphalt membrane, polyester reinforcement, SBS protection course, 60 psi extruded polystyrene insulation, and a root barrier.

– To learn more about the ABN AMRO Plaza, 6th Floor Podium,  click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photos).

What’s New

– Welcome to our new sponsor, Vegetal i.D.!  They are one of the largest nurseries dedicated to green roof and living wall solutions.

– And welcome back to our new advertiser, Capitol Greenroofs, a full service landscape architectural and contracting firm out of Virginia.

– Advertiser Press Release:

–    LiveWall ®, the Planted Wall System Designed in Harmony with Nature, Supports Diversity and Versatility in Green Wall Design.

– Industry News

–  EPA Invites Students to Compete in Campus RainWorks Challenge.

–  Sky Gardens Blog

– Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest post:  “Greenroofs.com’s “˜This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: August 17, 2012.”

– “Upcoming Events“

–  September 1st-7th: is the World Urban Forum 6, in Naples, Italy.

– “In the News“

–  A Press Release from PR Newswire announces “Postal Service Saves Millions in Energy Costs.”  The U.S. Postal Service recently reported that it had reduced its total facility energy consumption by nearly 26% since 2003.  Robust energy measurement systems and practical steps, like the ones noted by the Go Green Forever Stamps, Adjust the Thermostat and Turn off Lights Not in Use, contributed to the reduction, which is about the same amount of energy used annually by 90,000 households.

The Postal Service’s first green roof opened in 2009 on top of the Morgan Mail Processing and Distribution Facility in New York, and is the city’s largest green roof.  The agency’s second green roof, on top of the Syracuse Colvin-Elmwood Post Office, was built at no cost to the Postal Service through the sustainability Save the Rain partnership with Onondaga County, New York.  Each roof has an expected lifespan of 50 years, they will help reduce the amount of stormwater runoff flowing into the city’s water systems, and are part of the U.S. Postal Service’s commitment to creating sustainable spaces and facilities.

– Matt Vande Bunte of MLIVE, talks about “How a stormwater fee could make Grand Rapids “˜sexy.'”  A new report to be reviewed by the Grand Rapids City Commission recommends increased funding, through a tax or user fee, for the public stormwater system.  It embraces the concept of giving properties a way to reduce the new cost by installing green infrastructure.  The added cost would be a monthly fee of about $2-$8, and this “rain tax” is becoming a hot topic in Michigan.

West Michigan Environmental Action Council’s executive director, Rachel Hood, says “It’s the (low-impact development) that makes stormwater sexy.  What is recommended in the report is an approach that provides for low-impact development incentives.”  Mayor George Heartwell said, “We’ve got to find a way to fund stormwater.  The issue is how do you fund stormwater.  I think creating a stormwater utility with an equitable assessment process is the fairest and best way to do it.”

– 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 August 24th,  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.