Greenroofs.com Project of the Week: 12/16/13

Williams Engineering Building
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
7,500 sq. ft Greenroof

Project Description & Details

Williams Engineering is a company that has emphasized sustainability from its start. Overlooking Edmonton’s river valley, its headquarters also boasts a healthy and sustainable green roof system – a rare green roof success story in the harsh climate of Northern Alberta. Designed as part of ongoing research through the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), the retrofit project aims to test which plants will be most resilient in Edmonton’s dry and windy rooftop environments.

Structural limitations of the existing roof resulted in varying growth media depths, with 3-4” areas in the centre and 6-8” areas along the edges of the roof. Bioroof prescribed two colorful native urban meadow mixes. Selected species include golden aster, prairie cinquefoil, blue flax, coreopsis, black-eyed Susans, low golden rod, and various native grasses and fescues. Bioroof’s Eco-System utilized locally sourced ingredients to create their Eco-Blend growth media. The retrofit also included thirteen 2’ x 8’ research test plots which were designed by NAIT to test growth media at depths of 3” (75 mm), 4” (100 mm), and 6” (150 mm).

The Williams Engineering Building is featured in the month of April in The 2014 Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Calendar – order yours today. They make a perfect holiday gift for your family, friends, staff and clients!

Year: 2010
Owner: Williams Engineering
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Building Type: Corporate
Type: Extensive, Test/Research
System: Single Source Provider
Size: 7,500 sq.ft.
Slope: 1%
Access: Accessible, Private

Designers/Manufacturers of Record:

Landscape Design: Bioroof Systems Inc.
Green Roof System: Bioroof Systems Inc.
Growing Media: Bio-Mix Eco-Blend by Bioroof Systems Inc.
General Contractor: Bal4 Contracting
Installation: Erscon Canada Inc.
Research Lead: Dr. Leonie Nadeau, Senior Researcher, NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology)
Research Design: Dr. Nadeau & Students, NAIT’s Bachelor of Technology in Technology Management and Landscape Architectural Technology, H. P. Wagner High School

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.