March 2011 eNewsletter - Sky Gardens Blog Posts, Contributing Editor Articles, APRs, Joblinks and much more...

Greenroofs.com eNewsletter

March 2011

The weather is getting milder and the first buds of Spring are unfurling, at least here in the southern U.S. New beginnings are upon us in the form of calls for papers and upcoming conferences, and lots of job and higher education position openings, too. So it's time to start planning your travel schedules for the year! It's also a great time to network and connect with greenroof and greenwall associates - are you a member of our Greenroofs.com Network on LinkedIn?

We're super excited to be releasing our next video installment of Sky Gardens ~ Greenroofs of the World: The Cook+Fox Architects Office in Manhattan, NY in April! The beautiful modular greenroof features Green Paks, and we've interviewed architect Mark Rusitzky, Rohit T. "Rit" Aggarwala, Former Director, Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability at the Office of the Mayor of the City of New York, Kelly Luckett, and others involved in this awesome project. We'll be blogging about it and look for a teaser on the Homepage soon.

Another milestone for us is that we have surpassed the 1,200 mark in our Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database! Is your project listed?

Make sure to watch our This Week in Review video for March 25, 2011 from Anjuli Velazquez.

Also, kudos to Ed Snodgrass on his American Horticultural Society Award!

2011 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Calendar

March features the PECO Main Office Building, in Philadelphia, PA by Roofscapes, Inc. The 8th floor PECO Main Office Building (2009) is covered with over one acre of vegetation, is visible from surrounding high-rise buildings, and provides a focal point for Philadelphians. PECO co-sponsors public greenroof tours, and estimates the roof will reduce the annual volume of stormwater runoff by 60 to 70%. Extra-lightweight Sedum pre-vegetated mats and assemblies Roofmeadow ® Type I and III were used over specially formulated growing media, weighing 17 psf fully saturated. The cool green Sedum carpet is punctuated by pathways, lit seat walls and native perennial beds.

The 2011 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ is available for purchase! The Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ series combines two of our most popular destinations on Greenroofs.com: The Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database and Upcoming Events.

Projects of the Week


Sweetwater Creek State Park Visitors' Center and Museum Lithia Springs, GA, USA 3,885 sf. Greenroof		Marina Barrage Singapore 140,700 sf. Greenroof


The Department Store, Stephen Marr Hair Salon, NZ Greenwall Takapuna, New Zealand 231 sf. Greenwall		Chicago Botanic Garden Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center Chicago, IL, USA 29,500 sf. Greenroof

Industry News

The City of Portland has reopened its incentive program that subsidizes the development of ecoroofs. The incentive program is part of Portland's Grey to Green initiative to increase sustainable stormwater management practices and protect sensitive natural areas. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1, 2011. [3.17.11]

Following the launch of the GRO Green Roof Code for the UK, Groundwork Sheffield and the Green Roof Centre now offers the Green Roof Guide. The Guide is designed to sit alongside the GRO Code as a more accessible route to its technical information and to help you make the best of your green roof, whatever the scale of your project. [3.3.11]

For more information please visit our Industry News section of our website.

Advertiser Press Releases

The American Horticultural Society (AHS) is pleased to announce that Edmund C. Snodgrass has been named the 2011 recipient of the Society's G. B. Gunlogson Award - [3.24.11]

LiveRoof, LLC Introduces RoofStone™: the Integrated Paver Solution for the LiveRoof® Hybrid Green Roof - [3.24.11]

Irrigation Water Technologies America Finalizes Exclusive Manufacturing and Distribution Agreement - [3.17.11]

LiveRoof® Hybrid Green Roof System Can Help Building Projects Earn LEED® Credits in Categories Worth 20 or More Points - [3.10.11]

Tremco Roofing's BioTray System Best Green Product at International Roofing Expo - [3.5.11]

NewsLinks

Post Katrina Lower 9th Ward Homes Go Green
EarthTechling, by Susan DeFreitas
Two years later, you would expect that much of the area wiped out by the storm would be re-built and re-inhabited. But such was not the case when Brad Pitt-yes, the world-famous actor, of both cinematic and Brangelina fame-toured the City of Dreams. Green features of Make It Right homes include a 2.7 to 3.0 kilowatt-capacity solar photovoltaic systems; low-VOC paints, carpets, adhesives and finishes; and recycled materials wherever possible. They feature metal roofs to reduce heat gain and capture rainwater; native plants, rain gardens and green roofs; low flow plumbing and dual-flush toilets; cabinets made from wood that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. [3.22.11]

U of M researchers dig into mystery of what makes the best green roof
MinnPost.com, by Don Shelby
One thing you could count on is the idea of a green roof. Put some plants on the roof, save water and energy, and be proud of yourself. Green roofs are growing in popularity, and Minnesota has a lot of them, with more on the drawing board. Target Center has a green roof, saving the stadium energy and money. [3.22.11]

Green skies
The Standard - Hong Kong, by Karen Ha
In the fashion world, some say green is the new black. But in the real estate market, green may become the new gold. So, when we were putting together the green roof, we put a four-hole golf putting green on Metropolis Tower as well. The building also has solar panels and a wind turbine to provide lighting on the roof during the evening hours. [3.21.11]

Rooftop Rainforest Coming To Sky One
Unreality TV, by Lisa McGarry
Sky today announced details of Rooftop Rainforest, a two-part documentary which follows one eccentric visionary who wants to bring the Amazon rainforest to the heart of a city. Rooftop Rainforest will be broadcast on Sky 1 HD on the 4th and 5th April. The programme follows urban ecologist and wildlife expert Dusty Gedge in his ambitious effort to build an indoor rainforest on top of London's Westfield Centre in Shepherd's Bush. [3.15.11]

For more News, please visit Newslinks section of our website.

Upcoming Events

March 30-31: GLOBALCON - Energy, Power, & Facility Management Strategies & Technologies, Philadelphia, PA

March 30-31: BuildingsNY/GreenBuildingsNY 2011, New York, NY

March 30 - April 1: Design-Build for Water/Wastewater Conference, Kansas City, MO

April 1: Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition: One Day Training Workshop, Grand River, ON Canada

April 4 & 5: Rooftop Rainforest TV programme featuring Dusty Gedge will be broadcast on Sky 1 HD in the UK

April 7-12: RCI - 26th International Convention and Trade Show, Reno, NVApril 22: Earth Day

Don't miss exhibits from American Hydrotech, Barrett Company, CETCO, Conservation Technology, Etera, ILD, KISSS, Rooflite, Sempergreen, Sika Sarnafil, Stancills, Tremco and XeroFlor

For a complete listing, visit Upcoming Events and Educational Courses.

Featured Sponsor

Green Roof Blocks introduces their green roof innovation, Green Paks, the easiest and most affordable way to own a green roof. These knitted polyethylene green roof modules are pre-filled with lightweight engineered soil. Simply cover the roof area with Green Paks, insert the plants of your choice, and start enjoying your green roof. Green Paks are fast, easy, and affordable and carry a twenty year limited warranty.

Click here for the full page color brochure in The Greenroof Directory

Stay Connected:

Read what we've been blogging about in our latest Sky Gardens posts:

Linda Velazquez
Editor &
Publisher, GRP

Earth Hour is Upon Us! At 8:30 PM on Saturday, March 26th 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour. What are you doing?

GPW: Chicago Botanic Garden Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center - The new 38,000 sf LEED Gold Center building serves as a state-of-the-art research facility and laboratory dedicated to plant conservation and public education, with North and South Garden Roof areas for testing.

Call for Papers: WGIN's International Green Technology Symposium 2011 - Professor Suresh Billore is the Organizing Secretary and he issued an open invitation to attend and participate in the Symposium which will be held in Indore, India on October 31 through November 2, 2011.

Greenroofs.com's "This Week in Review" on GreenroofsTV: March 18th, 2011 - Our daughter, Anjuli Velazquez, has been writing, filming and editing this video since August, 2010. We thought it would be a great idea to start posting her transcript, too, to make things easier to research.

GPW: The Department Store, Stephen Marr Hair Salon, NZ Greenwall - I started up my GPW, or Greenroof/Greenwall Project of the Week feature again. It's a great opportunity to add any new updates or manufacturers/designers of record to the profile that we may have missed!

CitiesAlive 2011 Call for Paper and Poster Abstracts - Submit yours now until Friday, April 15, 2011. Philadelphia is taking a leading green approach to storm water management through the use of green infrastructure, making water the primary theme for this year's conference.

Vote for Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Now! GRHC and ASIC entered a proposal in the Rain Bird Intelligent Use of Water Awards program for the next installment of their Integrated Water Management Educational Series.

Guest Feature

Read What's Greener - White Roofs or Green Roofs? Find Out in Washington, D.C. at the Living Architecture Symposium, by Steven W. Peck and Jeffrey L. Bruce - Join us in our nation's capitol to network and learn about government greenroofs.

Contributing Editor Column:

If you are lovers of vertical planted bliss, read George Irwin's Green Walls and Winter Interest where he shows that this season is just as dynamic with different views, providing incredible pallets of delightful colors.