Now Playing at the Virtual Summit 2015: "Stewardship of Rooftop Ecosystems" by Michael Furbish, Brad Garner, and Dr. Whitney Griffin

In celebration of honoring Earth Day 2015 and our planet’s ecology through healthy, regenerative design, we are highlighting each of the 23 awesome videos from our 30+ spectacular speakers from Greenroofs.com‘s Greenroofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2015 ~ Connecting the Planet with Living Architecture: People, Projects & Design, running through May 31st.

Our hope is that by familiarizing you more with each presentation and its particular benefits, you will be enticed to join us during our wonderfully easy-to-navigate online Virtual Summit! And, along with the speakers’ input, I will identify 5 Key Learning Objectives or “takeaway” bullet points that each video presentation provides to participants.

Today we are spotlighting the collaborative video “Stewardship of Rooftop Ecosystems” by Michael Furbish, Brad Garner, and Dr. Whitney Griffin of Furbish, which specializes in development, design, installation, and stewardship of build of plant-based building systems. Furbish has created or been involved with thousands of square feet of beautiful, thriving greenroofs and biowalls.

Furbish’s primary responsibilities involve developing ecological and horticultural protocols to ensure success, as well as listening to clients to understand their needs and respond in ways that best serve building owners, managers and occupants.

Explore the changes that greenroofs encounter as they grow and evolve over time in this extremely informative and personal video on Furbish’s company experience via a variety of scenarios.

Pasadena, MD, USA. “Michael Furbish, LEED AP is the President and Founder of Furbish. He earned his BSIE from Georgia Tech and his MBA from Harvard. He founded the company in 2003 to specialize in aggressively green building systems and development. Work has included straw-bale construction, natural plasters, solar thermal, passive solar, radiant HVAC, composting toilets, living roofs, and living walls.

Furbish specializes in development, design, installation, and stewardship of build of plant-based building systems. This specialty focuses on the ecosystem functionality of plants to deliver elegant engineering solutions to building performance. Living roofs deliver storm water management, heat island effect, energy efficiency, habitat creation, and aesthetic benefits. Living retaining walls reduce heat island effect, mitigate storm water, facilitate nonpoint-source nutrient discharge, create habitat, and improve aesthetics. Interior living walls remediate VOC’s to improve indoor air quality while delivering dramatic aesthetic feature.” ~ Read his complete bio here from the VS2015.

Washington, DC, USA. “Brad Garner, RLA, GRP is the Director of Operations of Furbish. Brad holds a degree in Landscape Architecture from Mississippi State University and is a registered landscape architect with 17 years experience in on-structure and at-grade landscape design, construction, contract administration and maintenance.

Brad is active in all aspects of the living roof and living wall business, but focusing on specification writing, product development, system design, marketing and supply chain.” ~ Read his complete bio here from the VS2015.

Baltimore, MD, USA. “Whitney Griffin, PhD is the Director of Stewardship of Furbish. Whitney received her bachelor of science degree as well as her Masters of Science in Horticulture from Auburn University before attending the University of Maryland for her Ph.D. in Plant Science. Prior to joining Furbish full-time, Whitney collaborated with Furbish during her doctoral research at the University of Maryland from 2010 to 2014 on development of EcoCline, Furbish’s proprietary living roof system, developed to provide high stormwater management and a low carbon footprint.

At Furbish, Whitney directs and manages the Stewardship division, which includes initial plant establishment for new projects, and long-term stewardship and care for approximately 150 living roof and living wall projects throughout the mid-Atlantic region.” ~ Read her complete bio here from the VS2015.

You will benefit from these 5 Key Learning Objectives as Michael Furbish, Brad Garner, and Dr. Whitney Griffin share on the subject:

1) Definition of stewardship; understand how a greenroof is a living machine, an evolving ecology, and that change is the only constant; over time a greenroof will change at the microbial, chemical, and physical levels;

2) Definitions of success; see how the selection of a greenroof system and initial greenroof planting set the stage for the ultimate end goal of any greenroof: a healthy and reliable rooftop ecology; welcoming diversity;

3) Learn about strategies to guide greenroofs toward healthy maturation with full coverage and viable plant health at various depths; irrigation;

4) See examples of successes, challenges, changes, and constants with case studies of Capital One in Tysons Corner, VA; PECO in Philadelphia, PA; Park Place in Annapolis, MD; Regency Housing and Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC; private residence in Virginia; and DC Water’s Ft. Reno Reservoir;

5) Design intent is just a starting point; volunteers; managing owner expectations; diversity management.

Watch the 23:06 “Stewardship of Rooftop Ecosystems” by Michael Furbish, Brad Garner, and Dr. Whitney Griffin now playing at the Greenroofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2015. If you have not yet registered (only $49 or 25), please do:

Registration fee:

$49 – special discounted pricing;

$25 for students/faculty and government professionals

All Video Presentations, Q & A Transcripts, & Exhibitor Booths are On Demand +
Networking Live 24/7 through May 31, 2015

Earn CEUs including 10 GRP CEUs. Register here.

Registration Open through May 31st for the Greenroofs.com Virtual Summit 2015

We hope you will support our work! Please remember that these video presentations will not be made public for at least one year.

Happy watching and participating,

~ Linda V.

Learn more about these awesome video presentations and their 5 Key Learning Objectives at the Greenroofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2015:

“A Green Building Should Look Green, Which Means Hairy!” by Dr. Ken Yeang.

“Biodiversity in the Sky – How Green Roofs Can Be Designed as Wild Life Refuges” by Dr. Stephan Brenneisen.

“Green Roofs to New Cities” by Dr. Diana Balmori.

“A Higher Purpose – Benefits to Human Health and Education through Green Roofing” by Elizabeth Hart.

“Beyond Extensive and Intensive: Defining the Comprehensive Green Roof” by Molly Meyer.

“Biosolar Roofs” by Nathalie Baumann and Dusty Gedge.

“From Passive House to the Cold North—How Vegetative Envelope Components Impact Buildings” Panel with Dr. Bob Cameron, Dr. Allen Lee, Dr. Karen Liu, and Chris Wark.

“Greening Rooftops in Alberta: People, Place + Projects” by Kerry Ross.

“Greening the World Inside and Outside” by Mark Paul.

“Greenwalls in Middle Earth” by Graham Cleary.

“Pollinators on the Parapets” by Angie Durhman.

“Small Scale Green Roofs” by Dusty Gedge and John Little.