Greenroofs.com Project of the Week: 8/17/15

909 Walnut
Kansas City, MO, USA
16,000 sf. Greenroof

Project Description & Details

Boasting twin-spires atop 35-stories, 909 Walnut is Missouri’s and the Midwest’s tallest residential building outside of Chicago. Built in 1930-31 as the Fidelity National Bank & Trust Building, the multi-award winning 909 Walnut is on the National Register of Historic Places. A historic update and makeover in the 2000s transformed the art-deco building to its original grand scale with 161 luxury condos, 90,000 square feet of commercial office space and with a 323-space attached, eight-story, gated garage. Designed by Jeffrey L. Bruce & Company (JBC), the top of the garage boasts a 16,000-square-foot award-winning rooftop garden with cabanas, trees, sod lawn, and seasonal greenery.

Envisioned as a secluded retreat for residents, JBC incorporated many green technologies to confront the inherent challenges of constructing green roof projects in the urban fabric. Special soil profiles, 6″ for lawn area and 8″ to 18″ for landscape beds, were specifically designed to meet the diverse needs of this demanding site. The site’s extensive use required considerable agronomic innovation to ensure sustainability of the landscape under heavy daily use by residents and pets. Professional testing services and consulting by Turf & Soil Diagnostics on the green roof ensured success. The roof garden captures 75% of annual rainfall for use by the plants which provides a lot of help with stormwater permitting. The 909 Walnut green roof has become an icon of Kansas City, frequently seen on banquet invitations, professional model shoots and educational sessions fueling an explosion of green roof construction in the region.

Find more photos and additional information about this project in The International Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database.

New! The 909 Walnut Green Roof is featured in Greenroofs.com’s new 2015 Wallpaper Projects Gallery. Download yours for free.

Year: 2005
Owner: Simbol Commercial Inc. and Housing Horizons, LLC
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
Building Type: Multi-Use
Type: Semi-Intensive
System: Custom
Size: 16,000 sq.ft.
Slope: 1%
Access: Accessible, Private

Designers/Manufacturers of Record:

Architect: Stott & Associates Architects P.C.
General Contractor: The Weitz Company
Landscape Architect: Jeffrey L. Bruce & Company
Landscape, Soil, & Irrigation Contractor: H&R Lawn and Landscape
Waterproofing/Roofing Contractor: Delta Services
Waterproofing Supplier: Soprema
Green Roof Testing Services: Turf & Soil Diagnostics

Project of the Week Video Feature

Watch the 909 Walnut Project of the Week Video below or see it on our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube:

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Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!

~ Linda V.