Walmart's Green Roof

Although Walmart is a company that many in the US love to hate, they have been taking some very serious steps in area of sustainability. These steps include a green roof experiment in one of their Chicago-area stores (#5402). $20 Off AeroGardens

According to the green roof supplier, Roofscapes Inc., the 74,000 sq. ft. roof was complete in 2006. Why would I write about something that is 3 years old? Simply, I wanted to see if there was any follow-up.

I have contacted Walmart to get an answer and am eager to share it when I get it. Mountain House Freeze-Dried Food

The most important aspects of this story are the following:

1. Green roofs are commercially desirable, as demonstrated by multiple suppliers.
2. Green roofs are considered valuable to property owners.
3. Green roofs demonstrably reduce storm water runoff and roof temperature.

As an advocate of green roofs, I compliment Walmart on experimenting with them and am eager to hear their results (and hope for more on new Walmarts!).

Green Roof to Cover British Library Storage Campus

World Architecture News. com reports in the 16 Jan 2009 editorial, "HOK’s masterplan proposes “a more distinctive identity for the British Library at Boston Spa, incorporating a clear sense of space with strong design principles reflected in the integration and use of existing landscape.”

As seen in the pictures, HOK's design is to include green roofs on many of the buildings.

These buildings "Up to 80 percent of the library’s total collection of books and the entirety of its newspaper archive..." This is a significant campus design and requires special concerns to protect the items in the collection.

HOK states, "Once completed the Boston Spa site would be the most advanced in the world and, by 2046, the whole of the Library’s collection would be stored in facilities meeting the BS5454 archival storage standard."

Here is another picture of the planned facility.

Green Roof in Lima, Peru

In my previous posts, I have discussed green roofs from all parts of the world, though there has been a strong emphasis on China. Part of this emphasis has been that China is in desperate need of cleaner air, and there appears to be a desire to build more sustainable buildings. $20 Off AeroGardens

However, there are wonderful examples of green roofs throughout the world. This post's example comes from Lima, Peru. According to LivingRoofsinc.com, the picture at the top left is of the LarcoMar commercial center. What looks like just a city park is actually an extensive green roof. LarcoMar is a very popular tourist destination built into the cliffs that bound the Pacific Ocean. It is also home to very high-end retail. Organic Flowers & Gourmet Gifts

So, if you are Lima and looking for that new Versace bag, stop by and see the beauty of this great green roof!

New Green Roof for the Department of the Interior

The US Department of the Interior announced on Dec. 16, 2008 that a green roof located on the 3rd wing of the Main Interior Building in Washington, D.C was completed. The project was a "...partnership among Interior’s Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, the General Services Administration, and the Department’s National Business Center. "

Washington D.C. has been know for storm water runoff issues and the city itself was sued by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to meet EPA guidelines. This new green roof will do the following according to the press release:

• Hold up to .7 inches of rain to reduce stormwater runoff entering the sewage system and reduce streambank erosion.
• Shield the roof from the sun’s direct rays, which extends the roof’s life span, insulates the building during the summer and saves energy as well as mitigates urban “heat island” effects.
• Improve air quality by filtering the air that moves across the plants and, through photosynthesis, convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.
• Provide habitat for songbirds and pollinators.
• Reduce noise transfer from the outdoors.
• Provide a visually attractive sight for employees and visitors.

It has also been reported elsewhere that Interior is planning to put green roofs on all six of its buildings in the District of Columbia. This marks a positive step by the US government to the acceptance and use of green roofs.

Modern Green Roof Saves an Ancient Structure

What do you do when you find an ancient city (5000 years old) and need to protect it?

In the 1930s, after realizing the value of the Skara Brae site (found in 1850) put a glass roof over the best preserved structure. Thinking that glass would protect to carvings inside, as well as allow easy viewing actually led to more problems.

Historic Scotland, the group that maintains Skara Brae as World Heritage Site, decided to take action. Working with Flat Roof Design & Technology (FDT), a 30 sq. meter green roof was built. A green roof was chosen because it prevented sunlight from entering the structure, as well as maintaining a fairly constant temperature and humidity. FDT's Rhepanol hg is the membrane that protects the inside of the buildings from water, sand, and other natural hazards.

In addition to the protection of the carvings and the structures themselves, the green roof also blends the site naturally into the surround landscape. This visual enhancement encourages tourists to visit not just for historic significance, but also for the surrounding beauty.

I would like to thank 4ecotips.com for writing the article this was base upon.

Green Roofs, French Style

The French have always been know for their keen style and sense of design. This also now extends to green roofs! Although I haven't spent much time researching the green roofs of France, this one in particular is quite striking. FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50.00 at InhabitLiving.com

Historial de la Vendée, in Lucs-sur-Boulogne, is part of a larger estate, including a period home, gardens, and other structures.

The museum itself, pictured above, was completed in 2006 and houses exhibits detailing the history of Vendee from prehistoric times until the present. The museum is built of concrete, glass, and from the translated version of its website:

• 8 000 m² green roof
• 6 500 m² floor area
• 1000 m² of windows
• 464 tonnes of steel for the frame
• 19 hectares of natural spaces

Below is my interpretation of the description of the roof itself, as the translation isn't quite clear. $20 Off AeroGardens

The roof is stainless steel, topped with triangular steel bed, filled with pre-grown plants from the Black Forest. The roof is composed of a mixture of plants which give the appearance of a prairie, thus integrating the building into the natural scenery.

This appears to be both a beautiful and functional structure that I would like to visit. The entrance fees are very reasonable. For 2008-2009, it is 8 euros per adult over 26, 5 euros for those under 26, and free for children under 18. More information can be found at their website:

http://historial.vendee.fr

London's Newest Green Building

World Architecture News.com posted an editorial about a high-density, multi-use building. This building, called Vauxhall Sky Gardens, will house residential, retail, as well as business units.

From the article:

It is unique for its 2,500 sq m of communal ‘sky-gardens’, each being triple height and on a full floor plate. Shared by their surrounding apartments they expand opportunities and choice for social interaction allowing for the creation of micro-communities within such large and otherwise inherently anonymous blocks.

Another nifty innovation of this design is: "... 9 months of the year enough area to grow a weekly salad box for every household."

While the building doesn't have a green roof per se, it does work to bring the some of the value of green roofs indoors.

The gardens will provide air filtering, additional humidity, as well as increased oxygen in the spaces. Additionally, the green spaces themselves add peace and tranquility to an otherwise ordinary apartment complex.

The two designers were London based Amin Taha Architects with careyjones architects. The client for the building is Fraser Properties.