Greenroofs.com  Project of the Week: 1/21/13

Cuartel de Ballajá
(Ballajá Infantry Barracks Building)
San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
24,000 sf. Greenroof & 480 sf. Greenwall

Project Description & Details

El  Cuartel de Ballaja (The Ballaja Infantry Barracks Building) was constructed by the Spanish army between 1854 and 1864. The structure is one of the most impressive constructed by Spain in the New World and it stands as the last example of monumental military architecture by the Spanish Monarchy in the Americas.

Designed by ECo Architecture + Landscape + Engineering, WTI Inc, and David Aponte of PR Green Design, materials included 2″ of rooflite drain w/ drain channels, filter fabric, 4″ average of rooflite growing medium and 60,000 plants that vary from plugs to 6″ pots. An 1,800 sf artificial wetland was built on the living roof as stormwater management and to cool down the roof. When the roof reaches critical drought conditions, the irrigation system takes water from the wetland and uses it for irrigation of both the greenroof and 480 sf living wall. The wall serves as a biofilter for the “lake,” which is stocked with fish. The Cuartel de Ballajá also sports a 151.2 KW PV system with 720 solar panels.

The Cuartel de Ballajá is featured in the month of February in the 2013 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Calendar.

Year: 2011
Owner: Oficina de Conservacion Historica
Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
Building Type: Commercial
Type: Extensive & Intensive
System: Custom
Size: 24,000 sq. ft.
Slope: 2%
Access: Accessible, Open to Public

Designers/Manufacturers of Record:

Architect/Designer: Edmundo Colon, ECo Architecture + Landscape + Engineering
General Contractor: Jorge Castellano, WTI Inc.
Waterproofing Contractor: WTI, Inc.
Waterproofing Material: Durolast
Green Roof System: rooflite Drainage w\ rooflite Growing Media
Plant Providers: Saul Nurseries, Palma Roja Nursery, EHR
Plant Consultants: Ed Snodgrass, David Aponte, Sigfredo Faria and Karen Amador
Structural Engineer: MFS Consulting Engineers
Green Roof Specialist & Contractor: David Aponte, MSCE, GRP, PR Design Group, Inc. (PRGD)

Click  here  to see more information about this project in  The International Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database.

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Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!

~ Linda V.