Green Roofs For Healthy Australian Cities

Submitted by Charles Frost on Tue, 06/19/2007 - 09:56.

Green Roof, with plants

 

From Treehugger.com (http://www.treehugger.com/page2.php)

"TreeHugger loves green roofs; they can be beautiful architectural elements or "a rooftop food production system that meshes the technologies of aquaponics, vermiculture, rooftop water harvesting, and solar-powered air moisture harvesting." Green Roofs For Healthy Australian Cities has posted a photo gallery of buildings all over the world with green roofs. We have seen some of them on TreeHugger before but many are eye openers. See them all at: http://greenroofs.wordpress.com/contact-us/

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Are there any green roofs in NEO?

Wow are the green roofs at your link amazing. Do you know of anything in the NEO area like any of these?

A friend who is a roofer who has installed green roofs (I'll find out where) surveyed the Hough Bakeries buildings and had put together a proposal for green roofs there - I'll post the details here soon but I can say now that it is very expensive - $100s/square foot. As this project moves forward we will do a cost benefit analysis... should include green, solar and skylights... some micro turbines as well, I hope.

Who are the green roof experts and "official champions" in NEO, besides A1 Roofing?

Disrupt IT

Modular Trays For Green Roofing:

Modular Trays For Green Roofing:

 

A modular green roof is made up of a series of trays, which hold engineered soil and plants. This allows the use of a green roof directly on existing roofing membrane, without retrofit and the associated risks and costs. It still provides the important elements associated with green roofs, including stormwater retention, insulation, and membrane protection. Tournesol Siteworks green roof trays are made of recycled HDPE material, and come in a variety of sizes for both extensive (4”) or intensive (8”) soil depths.  Custom depths and sizes are available as required.

 

From: http://www.tournesolsiteworks.com/products/gr_mgrp.asp

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…and from our friends over at GreenCityBlueLake:

Where can I get a green roof?
Submitted by Marc Lefkowitz on May 18, 2007 - 10:36am
I have two friends interested in a green roof—one for a commercial building, one for residential—where can they shop for one? Are there any grants or tax rebates available? Should they consider lower hanging fruit like better insulation first?
By Meghan Feran Kleon
Architectural Resource Coordinator
Cleveland Green Building Coalition
For residential, they’d probably be better off hiring a home energy rater first, and doing some targeted insulation/weatherization on their home. I always recommend the book Insulate and Weatherize by Bruce Harley for anyone looking to learn more about that process (it includes some great DIY information).
They’d need to get an engineer to come out and okay their roof for a green roof—even though a special light growing medium is used for green roof applications, it still adds additional weight. Also, a green roof may not be feasible if they have a really steep slope.
Most residential green roofs use modular green roof systems. The following companies offer modular green roofs.
: Most residential green roofs use modular green roof systems. The following companies offer modular green roofs:
GreenGrid Modular Green Roof System
The GreenGrid® Modular Green Roof System was introduced in August 2001 as a modular green roofing system that can be installed over almost any low-slope roof—even older roofs. The system’s modular design allows easy access to the underlying roof for repairs or changes without destroying the Green Roof. Modular 2' x 4', 4"- or 8"-deep "pans" made from 100% post-consumer recycled HDPE plastic are sold with drainage, soil media, and plantings. Also available in 2' by 2' modular pans either 2-1/2" or 4" deep and 40" by 40" modular pans 4" deep. Units in other sizes may be available on request. GreenGrid® is delivered pre-planted and ready to install.
Contact information
Weston Solutions, Inc.
20 N. Wacker Dr.
Chicago, IL 60606  Phone: 312-424-3319  Fax: 312-424-3330
www.greengridroofs.com
Ecogrid Green Roof Grid
Ecogrid products from Terrafirm Solutions are made from 100% recycled post-consumer HDPE. The lock-together trays may be filled with planting medium and used in green roof systems to prevent soil compaction in growing areas while providing a barrier between the roofing membranes and pedestrian traffic. Ecogrid is available in black, green, and brown, and are principally used for porous paving and ground stabilization.
Contact information
Terrafirm Solutions Ltd.
1088 Hornby St.
Vancouver, BC V6J 5C2
Canada   Phone: 604-622-7427  Toll-free: 888-837-2376  Fax: 604-622-7428
www.terrafirmsolutions.ca
Green Roof Blocks
Green Roof Blocks are ready-to-install 22-gauge anodized aluminum 2' x 2' planters with 4", 8", or 12" depths that are placed on a rooftop to create a living roof. Saturated unit weights range from 17 to 51 lbs/sf. Live plants and growth media are included. Pads at each corner and in the center of the planters elevate them from the roof surface, allowing drainage and airflow. Green Roof Blocks are made with 15% recycled metal and 50% recycled rubber. The self contained units are portable, facilitating roof work and aesthetic rearrangement.
Contact information
Saint Louis Metalworks Company
11701 New Halls Ferry Rd.
Florissant, MO 63033   Phone: 314-972-8010    Fax: 314-972-8182
www.greenroofblocks.com
Live Roofs
LiveRoof is the first prevegetated modular green roof system developed by growers and specifically designed to grow plants on a rooftop environment. LiveRoof system advantages:

  • Instant green roof—arrives to the job site with full-grown plants.
  • Invisible Modules—modules are subterrainean for an instantly mature monolithic green roof.
  • Saves money—mimimal maintenance compared to other methods.
  • Immediate benefits—mature plants generate instant evaporative cooling effect, maximum storm water detention, and optimal aesthetic. No need to wait years for all the benefits of a green roof.
  • Easy to handle—needs only one person to carry. www.liveroof.net

GreenTech Roof Garden System
The GreenTech® Roof Garden System utilizes HDPE plastic containers that are 46" wide x 46" long x a minimum of 8" deep. The modular units, which can be preplanted and readily reconfigured or replaced, have perforated bottoms and folding sides that can be customized for greater soil depths. Channels below the modules displace soil, reducing weight and enhancing drainage and air circulation, while further discouraging root penetration of the waterproofing membrane by air pruning. Foot locator pads are used to provide consistent positioning and interlocking of the trays. The containers may also be used to create drainage planes for athletic fields, playgrounds, and pathways. When filled with sand and other filtration media, they may be incorporated into graywater treatment systems.
Contact information
GreenTech, Inc.
470 Clubfield Dr.
Roswell, GA 30075   Phone: 804-363-5048   Fax: 770-587-2445
www.greentechitm.com
MODI Roof Garden
MODI Roof Garden trays are made from post-consumer recycled HDPP, come in two depths, and are suitable for use over any type of watertight membrane. The system has high compressive strength, allowing the use of small loaders or mini-excavators during installation or maintenance. The attachment system accommodates changing slopes and curved surfaces, and in conjunction with the optional MODI Paving Grill, can be used on roofs with slopes greater than 15%. The trays may be shaped with a saw or disc grinder.
Contact information
Green Innovations, Ltd
81 Snowhill Crest
Toronto, ON M1S 3T4
Canada   Phone: 416-725-7524   Toll-free: 888-725-7524   Fax: 416-283-6273
www.greeninnovations.ca
I should note that any of the above would also be green roof possibilities for a commercial building. (And a great local resource for a larger commercial green roof application is, of course, Garland Company.)
I’m not aware of any incentives specifically for green roofs. However, the state of Ohio does offer low-interest loans and grants to both homeowners and businesses for energy efficiency improvements, so a green roof might contribute to a project that could qualify for that funding. More information about those incentives are online.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you need more info.

From: http://www.gcbl.org/forum/where-can-i-get-a-green-roof

 

rethinking sky parks in Melbourne

love the living wall, too

I love this living wall and green roof combo. I love living walls. We need more of them here... slow that water down!

Cleveland Green Roofs - The List Begins...

Here are a few/some of the “Green Roofs” that I know about here in the Cleveland area:

It is only the beginning of a list…. please add any you know of…

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There are a couple at CWRU – The area by the Cleveland Institute of Art, across from the Art Museum Lagoon, where Frieburger Library used to stand.  Much of that area has the “new” Severance hall parking garage under it.

 

The Parking lot for the Case Medical School, on Cornell, by the bridge over the RTA tracks has had planters, trees and flowers on it for decades.

 

Downtown, there are parking lots and convention hall areas under a number of the large grassy mall areas there around Public Hall, and trees and planters above the convention entrance area there by Public Hall too, again decades old...

 

The great lakes science center has a grassy roof over their parking lot that is behind their building, on the side toward the Browns stadium.

 

I don’t know if there is building under the (Eastman?) garden at the main Cleveland Library building there on Superior, near Public Square, or not…

 

There are a number of “roof gardens” on the top of the apartment buildings, on Shaker Blvd., on the downtown side of Shaker Square.

 

West Woods Nature Center out on Route 87 (a couple of miles past rt. 306) in Geauga County has a green roof on one of their smaller utility buildings.

 

I hope some of you will add to this list…

Cleveland Environmental Center

has a green roof and solar pv and some other cool features. The green roof aspect is small to allow for other systems, but it is there nonetheless.

Take a virtual tour of the roof here: http://tours.virtuallygreen.com/index.php?tourid=1&tourEntry=true

Green roofs

    The West Woods Nature Center in Geauga County was supposedly the first green roof -- and it's a pitched roof, a little different than the flat roof here at the Cleveland Environmental Center. Here's an article about it.

I've had a couple of friends inquire about green roofs recently for their commercial sites. I asked Meghan at the Cleveland Green Building Coalition about resources, and started a page here.

Does anyone know of public funds/grants or a loan program for green roofs?