Friday, January 30, 2009

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!).


The Art of Refreshment with Mighty Leaf Iced Tea

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

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.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

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!

Modern Bedroom  free shipping on orders over $200

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

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.