How to Build a Green Roof
A 4-inch deep, traditional-soil living roof, needs a roof that can withstand approx 40 lbs per square foot.
www.greenroofs.org
Green Roof Center. DIY Green Roof How-to Guide, detailed guide with photos and helpful drawings. www.thegreenroofcentre.co.uk
Green Roof Associations
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities a rapidly growing not-for-profit industry association working to promote the industry throughout North America. Good resources.
www.greenroofs.com
GreenRoofs.com- Greenroof Industry Resource Portal of ideas, projects, news, video, travel, research, organization and government updates and marketing opportunities.
www.worldgreenroof.org
World Green Roof Infrastructure Network, c/o Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, Toronto.
Green Roof Companies
Greensulate “brings green roofs and living walls to cities across North America. Our vegetated roofs and walls clean local air and water, lead to LEED credits and make buildings sustainable. From the New York City skyline to the rooftops, walls and sidewalks of San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles, Greensulate has installed hundreds of thousands of square feet of green walls and ecoroofs, saving building owners and taxpayers millions of dollars in energy costs and improving the environment.”
ZinCo Inc. Based in Germany, ZinCo has offices in over 17 countries throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas. They install over 15 million square feet of green roof systems annually on commerical, residential, industrial and institutional buildings. The world’s largest supplier of green roof components.
Roofscapes, Inc. “is a full-service green roof installation firm, but, unlike others, we do not sell or distribute any one manufacturer’s products. We select and source products that will best optimize the performance and aesthetic of the entire green roof system. We provide both design consulting or design/build services.” Lots of info on site, company has been in business for over a decade. Philadelphia, PA. target=”_blank”>roofmeadow.com
Omni Ecosystems. “We at Omni Ecosystems specialize in the highest quality green roofs and green walls, creating elegantly simple solutions to complex ecological questions and remaking the urban experience into a living, breathing landscape that is infused with nature.” Chicago.
Casey Boyter Gardens “has helped bring green roofs to Austin since 2004, providing consultation, design, installation and maintenance of green roofs tailored specifically to Austin’s unique climate.” Austin, TX.
Why Should Buildings Have a Green Roof?
Living Architecture Monitor Magazine- First Edition put on-line free, a pub of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. www.nxtbook.com
“How Do Green Roofs Work?” May 2008 Scientific American Magazine. www.scientificamerican.com/
article.cfm?id=living-cover
Green Roof Photos
National Geographic Photo Album. “Up on the Roof- A lofty idea is blossoming in cities around the world, where acres of potential green space lie overhead.” ngm.nationalgeographic.com
Ecogeek. Green Roofs: An Introduction with Pictures. 21 August 2007. www.ecogeek.org
Rodale Institute Slideshow of the makings of a ‘somewhat steep’ sedum covered greenroof on their farm. www.rodaleinstitute.org
Planet Pink and Green. “Beautiful green roofs helping to heal the planet” May 9th, 2008. www.planetpinkngreen.com
Patrick Nadeau’s Wave House. Completed in 2011. See renderings here. www.patricknadeau.com
Goode Green Roof Design. Project pictures — New York City. www.goodegreennyc.com
Green Roof Products
ToolBase Services. Residential Green Roof Systems info. www.toolbase.org
Emory Knoll Farms is a leading supplier of plants and plant expertise for extensive green roof systems. R&D plots on site to test plants, and works with universities, supporting various green roof research projects. MD. www.greenroofplants.com
Green Roof Blocks. Innovative Green Roof Products. Saint Louis. www.greenroofblocks.com
Conservation Technology offers an extensive range of proven green roof solutions In cooperation with Optigreen of Germany, world leader in the green roof industry. Most are made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials. Baltimore, MD. www.conservationtechnology.com
Gaia Soil- ultra-lightweight green roof solution, 50% lighter than other green roof growing mediums. Made from recycled materials. Created and patented by The Gaia Institute. www.gaiasoil.com
Parabienta is a vertical greening system for buildings developed by Japan-based Shimizu Corporation. Composed of units that incorporate Excelsoil solidified soil base in stainless steel wire frames. Parabienta vertical greening units can be arranged to make various designs. Units may easily be relocated or replaced when design or maintenance needs dictate. Shimizu Corp. and Minoru Industrial Co., an agricultural machinery manufacturer, co-developed and are marketing Parabienta. www.shimz.co.jp
Green Screen Trellis System. Manufactured from recycled steel, this three dimensional welded wire system creates a captive growing space three inches deep to allow plant materials to intertwine and grow within the panel. www.greenscreen.com
Green Roof Research
“Evolution of cool roof standards in the United States,” Advances in Building Energy Research, 2008. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Report. PDF.
www.green-siue.com
“Introduction to Green Walls Technology, Benefits & Design” September 2008. Paper pub by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and GreenScreen. PDF. www.greenroofs.net
Architecture Week magazine online excerpt from “The Vertical Garden” by Patrick Blanc, copyright 2008, with permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton. www.architectureweek.com
Secretary Chu Announced Steps to Implement Cool Roofs at DOE and Across the Federal Government. Cool roofs will reduce energy use, limit carbon pollution and save taxpayer money. A series of initiatives are underway at the Department of Energy to more broadly implement cool roof technologies on DOE facilities and buildings across the federal government. Cool roofs use lighter-colored roofing surfaces or special coatings to reflect more of the sun’s heat, helping improve building efficiency by reducing cooling costs and offsetting carbon emissions. Roofs and road pavement cover 50 to 65 percent of urban areas….
