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Green Roofs / Green Walls: Learn How

I can't think of a garden designer I know who isn't interested in knowing the basics about installing green roofs and green walls.  If you haven't yet designed one, (or even if you have) you might want to check out the new learning center at Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.

At the organization's Living Architecture Academy, you can now download the proceedings of past annual conferences, along with slides and research papers that accompanied the presentations.

GRHC is also offering recordings of past webinars and other educational sessions -- for which you can earn CEU's if you're an accredited Green Roof Professional.  If you prefer, you can download audio files onto your iPOD if you want to listen wherever you like. 

There's also a monthly green infrastructure webinar series featuring subjects like wind guidelines for green roofs, principles of integrated design, and much more.

 

 

 

Green Roof Awards 2010

I'm a little late this year with coverage of the annual awards of excellence by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, but their conference was held late last year, and it more or less got buried in the holiday madness. So here goes:

Extensive Residential Award

 

From even a short distance away, you'd be hard pressed to know that a sizeable family compound lies underneath this lovely hillside landscape.  Designed by McGlashan Architecture of Berkeley, CA, there are two separate residences sculpted into the hillside under one extensive green roof housing three generations.  Extensive green roofs are planted in shallow soil with low-lying plants, usually no more than six inches high, that provide maximum water retention and ground cover and resistance to erosion.  According to Scott McGlashan, president of the firm, "it just felt right to compensate for disturbing the site with a living roof. Birds, bees and butterflies are regular visitors."  McGlashen added that in just two years, the roof was "a thriving ecosystem."

The judges noted that the project was "beautifully integrated into environment and landscape" and they cited in particular its success in restoring the natural ecology.

Intensive Residential Award

I have to admit I love the urban life, and if I lived in Portland, OR, I'd do my best to have a place in the ASA Flats and Lofts, designed by GGLO of Seattle.  Atop the building's retail and parking facilities, there's a five thousand-plus square foot green roof on the 4th level that includes a community vegetable garden, a sitting terrace, and expansive open space.  There's no irrigation, but there are a number of recycled whiskey barrels used for collecting rainwater.

This is an intensive green roof, ie, one that can support a more natural landscape with trees and shrubs as well as sitting areas, terraces and the like. On the 16th level, there's a sunset terrace with a common recreation area, a sitting lounge and fire pit.

GGLO Associate Marieke Lacasse said the design is "programmed for gathering and human interaction -- to instill a sense of community in a very urban location." 

Intensive Institutional

I first saw this green roof back in 2006, right after it was installed.  What a difference from several years ago!  It sits stop the headquarters of ASLA in downtown Washington DC, about six or seven floors or so above street level.

Designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates,  it features two planted and elevated "waves" separated by a spacious patio area. I particularly like the paths made of aluminum grating elevated three inches above the soil surface.  As people walk over them, the plants are "pruned" naturally as they grow up through the grating. Make sure to visit if you're in the DC area, and if not, there's more on the green roof here.

(photos: Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and (top) McGlashan Architecture; (middle) GGLO; and (bottom) ASLA and Conservation Design Forum)

 

 

USA's Largest Green Wall

Longwood Gardens opens its new East Conservatory Plaza thie weekend -- October 9th -- with the first terraced lawn in the US designed by British landscape architect Kim Wilkie -- and the largest green wall in North America.

Longwood Director Paul Redman says the design is "deeply rooted in tradition, while also embracing innovative landscape design."  He added that the plaza is to serve as a place for quiet contemplation and a site where visitors can experience creative new programs. 

The green wall covers an area of 3590 square feet -- twice as large as the green wall at PNC Bank in Pittsburgh -- and it supports more than 47,000 plants, most of them ferns.  They include holly, rabbit's foot and button ferns as well as maidenhair and asparagus ferns.

The terraced plaza is composed of five tiers covered with grass in a sweeping form.  Landscape architect Wilkie says the main idea was to create "a gentle environment of light and shade that would be transformed by the changing hours of the day, a place where people could relax in the morning sunshine, enjoy views out onto the rest of the gardens, take in a special event, or perhaps even attend a sparkling party at night."

The plaza is grounded in the surrounding woodland landscape, which includes a 200-year-old English yew, red maples, sweetgum, bald cypress and tulip trees, as well as southern bush honeysuckle, Virginia sweetspire, and other shrubs.

Well worth a visit to Pennsylvania.

(drawings: courtesy Longwood Gardens)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Design: Sustainable Landscapes

Everyone seems to be into sustainable design and sustainable landscapes ... and ASLA has just put up a sustainable design feature on their website featuring 20 projects across the country ...  parks, residential properties, schools, corporate projects, green roofs.

It's a great overview of what's going on in the sustainable design arena.  Check it out here.

Garden Trends 2011

The big news in gardening for 2011 is not really a surprise ... gardeners are into growing their own food and participating in projects to make their urban and suburban communities "greener" in coming years.

The latest Garden Trends Report from the Garden Media Group says that "gardening with a purpose" is taking hold ...whether it's creating "green" sanctuaries, growing fruits and vegetables, or promoting gardening projects in city schools. 

As the group's outdoor living and garden expert Susan McCoy puts it, "We had trouble trouble wrapping our heads around saving the rain forests, but we clearly can wrap our arms around saving our own back yards."

According to GMG, vegetable gardening is up 20 percent and community gardening up 60 percent over the last year.  Moreover, gardeners are choosing eco-friendly products instead of toxic chemicals, using organic soils, and transforming their lawns into sustainable landscapes.  In addition, more people are planting fruit-bearing shrubs and trees; using perennials and long-blooming shrubs instead of annuals; and are taking steps to plant natives and drought-tolerant species that can survive in a variety of conditions. Vertical walls are also popular ... along with farmers' markets and CSA's (Community Sponsored Associations) that provide homeowners with weekly deliveries of fresh produce.

Finally, GMG says a new kind of urban lifestyle is emerging, offering more green space for everyone.  Parking lots are being converted into "parklets" and more cities are installing outdoor plazas where people can socialize or simply enjoy the outdoors.

Good trends for everyone.

Sustainable Gardening Survey

A new survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects has found that most American households are taking action to adopt practices to promote energy efficiency within their homes -- but not outside in the garden.

The survey indicates that 90+ percent of Americans turn off light bulbs more often, 55 percent have decreased the use of air conditioning and heating, and 38 percent unplug appliances when not in use, but the percentages drop drastically when people move outdoors.

Only 29 percent of respondents plant shade trees to lower energy costs; 23 percent use tools like hand mowers or hand rakes instead of power mowers and leaf blowers; and only 15 percent recycle water or collect rainwater for watering plants.   Most people said they would institute sustainable techniques in the garden if they knew more about them, and most agreed that such methods would save them money.

ASLA Executive Vice President and CEO Nancy Somerville said the survey results "clearly show a desire and willingness to use techniques that reduce utility bills at home, but few know what can be accomplished outside their homes."  She added that the space between buildings is "just as important -- perhaps more so -- to not only reducing energy costs ,but addressing a broad range of environmental issues."

ASLA, along with the US Botanic Garden and the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, are soon expected to release voluntary guidelines and a rating system for sustainable landcape design, covering back yard gardens as well as major urban developments.  A recent case study comparing a conventional and a sustainable garden found that the sustainable garden cost $4300 more to install, but it uses 77 percent less water, produces 66 percent less green waste, and costs 68 percent less annually to maintain.  Holly Shimizu, Executive Director of the US Botanic Garden, said once the new standards are in place, they can "change not only the landscape and gardening industry, but also raise public expectations about the health and quality of the built environment."

California's Largest Green Roof

California Academy of Sciences
The new California Academy of Sciences building in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park opened last weekend -- with the largest green roof in the state.  The roof itself spans 2.5 acres, featuring seven hills covered with more than one million native California plants.

The undulating roof was designed by architect Renzo Piano, with the aim of integrating the building into the landscape of the park.  The only difference between the plants on the ground and on the roof is that the roof plants are all California natives.  Academy botanist Frank Almeda explained that his goal was "to choose native plants that were well adapted to the climate in Golden Gate Park and would provide much-needed habitat for native birds, butterflies, and other beneficial insects." He added that another goal was to "select species that would look attractive throughout the year, since a visually appealing roof is a much more powerful educational tool." 

Thirty species were tested on the roof of the old Academy before a final nine were selected -- all plants that can survive on the roof's steep slopes without artificial irrigation or fertilization.  The nine winners are:

• Self heal. (Prunella vulgaris) - shown left. Attractive to hummingbirds and bumble bees.
• Beach strawberries (Fragaria chiloensis).  Berries attract native birds.
• Sea pink (Armeria maritima) Flower attract moths and butterflies.
• Stonecorp (Sedum spathulifolium) Produces nectar for Hairstreak butterfly and threatened San Bruno elfin butterfly.l

Practicing What You Preach

Watch your local listings of garden events, and the next time Ed Snodgrass is lecturing in your area, don't miss it.  We met Ed at a regional meeting of the Garden Writers Association  in Washington, DC -- where he led the tour of the new green roof installed last year atop the headquarters of the American Society of Landscape Architects ( ASLA).  As you can see, in just a year the green roof plants are thriving in DC's heat and humidity, and the experiment is well ... a huge success.

Ed told us that green roofs have a rainfall retention rate of up to 77 percent, dramatically reducing the flow of stormwater.  They also insulate in winter and cool down buildings in summer, reducing energy costs, and in cities, they reduce the "heat island" effect. Depending on the type of roof you install, they either survive wind and drought conditions or they require some irrigation plus plant maintenance.  Ed showed us a slide of the approach to Stuttgart airport in Germany -- and instead of a sea of asphalt roofs, there's a swath of green atop the buildings as far as your eye can see.

Ed also has a great personal story.  He's the 5th generation to farm his family's old homestead in Harford County, Maryland, sandwiched between Baltimore and the Pennsylvania border.  Only these days, Emory Knoll Farms is growing a new kind of crop.  Once flourishing with corn, soybeans, cattle and more, the 1980's were hard on farmers, and Ed, a committed conservationist, decided to switch gears.  The farm is now the only nursery in the United States devoted to growing plants for the green roof industry.

Emory Knoll uses no paper plant catalogues: the catalogue is online only.  The farm's water wells are powered by solar energy.  Plant inventory is over-wintered in unheated greenhouses. Used cooking oil and kitchen grease are collected from local restaurants and the oil is burned for heat.  And there's much, much more that's detailed on the farm's website.  Ed's now a top consultant for green roof projects all over the United States, and the next time he's in your area, go listen and learn and get on board the coming green revolution.

(click to enlarge images)

Green Roof Awards 2007

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities has announced its award-winning green roof designs for 2007, as the construction of these kinds of projects nationwide continues to grow at a very rapid pace.

The Feldman Residence in Carmel, California, pictured here, won the top residential award for an "extensive" green roof, i.e., a low-maintenance roof planted with drought-tolerant plants that survive on rainwater.  The residence is located in the 20,000-acre Santa Lucia Preserve. It was designed by Feldman Architecture of San Francisco as an example of sustainable Mediterranean Modernism.

Landscape architect Loretta Gargan, working with Blasen Landscape Architecture of Sausalito, CA, designed the outdoor areas, and the green roofs (there are three) were designed by Rana Creek, an ecological design firm in Carmel Valley, CA.

Three small buildings are built into a hillside, and the hill is integrated into the green roof of each one.  It's hard to tell where the hill stops and the green roofs begin. Gargan chose native plants for use throughout the landscape, including Iris douglasiana, Symphocarpus albus (Common Snowberry), Calamagrostis foliosa (Leafy Reed Grass), Mimulus (Monkey Flower) 'Jelly Bean White,' and Ceanothus (California Lilac).   Beyond the patio, a native meadow connects the new landscape to its existing surroundings.  Hillsides were planted with oaks to screen the road, seeded with wildflowers for seasonal interest, and clumps of Muhlenbergia rigens (Deer Grass) define the pathways.  In addition, Gargan surrounded the spa area with Festuca californica (California Fescue) to evoke cascading water, and just off the kitchen, she added a small potted garden with herbs, edible flowers, and citrus. 

If that were not enough, the insulation provided by the green roofs reduces the Feldmans' energy consumption by up to 30 percent in the summer, and sound is reduced by 43 decibels.

(photos: top: Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and Rana Creek; bottom: Loretta Gargan)

Green Space Awards 2007

Project Evergreen, which promotes the development of green spaces and their environmental, economic and lifestyle benefits, is calling for nominations for its 2007 "Because Green Matters" award.  The award recognizes the individual, company, or the organization that has either created or promoted a major project to provide more green space.  In 2006, Project Evergreen honored the Southern Land Company in Franklin, TN (above) for its efforts to include landscaping in real estate projects; in 2005, the University of Akron was cited for adding 30 acres of open green space to its campus and planting 30 thousand new trees.

The award is presented each year on Earth Day, April 22nd. "Green spaces have an impact on every aspect of our life," said Project Evergreen's executive director Dan Gardner.  "Our environment, economy and lifestyle are all improved by well-maintained green spaces." 

Anyone who knows of a great green space project may submit an application, which must be postmarked by March 1, 2007.  More details available on Project Evergreen's website -- www.projectevergreen.com

(image: Southern Land Company)