Idaho?s Boise River is a popular site for summer exploring, boating, and fun, attracting more than 100,000 visitors each year. The crown jewel of the area, Barber Park, located in Ada Country, is traditionally the starting point for these visitors. And, in the heart of the park is the main office and shop building, the Barber Park Administration & Rental Facility, which was completed in June 2005.When the owners were planning the construction of this building, they wanted to incorporate sustainable, Green features that reflected the area?s natural beauty. Additionally, they were very interested in seeking LEED?-NC, Silver Certification.* For instance, natural day lighting is used extensively as well as energy-conserving lighting; high-efficient evaporative A/C systems keep the facility comfortably cooled; and on the roof, a 3,660 square foot Green roof was designed, landscaped, and installed by GreenGrid?, a business of Weston Solutions, Inc. Several Green roof systems and technologies were considered before the GreenGrid? system was selected. One feature of the system owners most liked was the fact that the GreenGrid? system is modular.

With the modular system, growth media and hearty vegetation are pre-planted at a local nursery into plastic modules made from at least 60 percent post industrial recycled material.This makes for time-efficient installation?as much as 4,000 square feet can be installed in a day?which also makes it one of the most effective green roof systems available. And along with being one of the ?coolest? features of the new park, according to a park?s spokesperson, installing the GreenGrid Green roof was one way the facility earned LEED? certification.