Each week you can expect to learn What’s New here on Greenroofs.com through our “This Week in Review” video.  Here is the transcript from  February 17th, from our daughter,  Anjuli – click on the photo below to see the video, or here.  Enjoy!

– Hello, I’m Anjuli Velázquez and welcome to  “This Week in Review” for February 17th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.

–  Project of the Week

– Our project of the week is the John Theurer Cancer Center at the Hackensack University Medical Center built in 2011 in Hackensack, New Jersey. This center is a nonprofit, teaching and research hospital that has grown to become the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in New Jersey. The Center would not be possible without the generous $10 million donation by Helena Theurer in memory of her husband John. The new facility offers patients an environment that promotes spiritual as well as physical health and the roof garden is a key component of the hospital’s efforts to make the patient experience as pleasant and stress-free as possible.

GreenGrid greenroof modules were installed as well as a demonstration vegetable garden that allows patients to learn about growing healthy foods while recovering amongst a beautiful scenery. In addition to the walk-through roof terrace garden at the second floor, tranquility/ meditation rooms and fitness center are available to help patients and caregivers relax and rejuvenate. And the four-story lobby atrium also boasts a 40-foot high hydroponic living wall with over 30 plant species accompanied by a 24-foot waterfall. In 2001, Hackensack University Medical Center was the first hospital in the nation to adopt completely green cleaning practices.

– To learn more about the John Theurer Cancer Center at the Hackensack University Medical Center,  click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photo).

What’s New

–  Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Video

– Watch our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 10: “The Vertical Garden – from Nature to Cities” An Interview with Patrick Blanc.

And find the rest of the videos in this series on our greenroofsTV page here on Greenroofs.com or on our greenroofsTV channel on YouTube.

–  Advertiser Press Releases:

– Green Roof Technology releases new Podium Roof Garden Assessment.

– Time-Lapse video captures complexity of a green roof installation by Living Roofs, Inc.

– Contributing Editor Columns

– Check out Ralph Velasquez’s “Greenwashing Follow-up.”

– And George Irwin’s latest article, “Hydroponic Living Walls – DIY – Really?“

–  Sky Gardens Blog

– Over at Sky Gardens, Haven Kiers and Linda have started a new series called “Chic Sustainability Watch: Trends, Projects & People.”  Make sure to read Haven’s first post:  Chickens and Urban Agriculture.”  Read Linda’s latest blog posts: “Greenroof CEO Vanessa Keitges Named as Female Startup Entrepreneur in Oregon,” Greenroofs.com’s “This Week in Review” on GreenroofsTV for February 3rd & 10th, 2012, and “Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 10: The Vertical Garden – from Nature to Cities: An Interview with Patrick Blanc.”

– “Upcoming Events“

–  February 22nd-24th: NRCA’s 125th Annual Convention & International Roofing Expo 2012 in Orlando, Florida.

– February 23rd: is a Green Walls 101: Introduction to Systems and Design in New York, New York.

– And February 24th-25th: is the “It Takes a Village: Collaborations in Good Food and School Gardens” Winter Conference in Pleasantville, New Jersey.

– “In the News“

–  Mary Catherine O’Connor of the SmartPlanet.com Blog says, “Streetscaping reduces stormwater runoff, pollutants, at utility campus.” California’s Burbank Water and Power, an electric and water utility campus, has been making some green upgrade to their facilities, including a new electric power plant in 2005 and more recently, five different stormwater management systems, all designed to reduce stormwater run-off. There are planters with drought and storm tolerant plants diverting stormwater, permeable concrete pavers, and biofilters on the redesigned roof; and the administrative building has its own greenroof which collects about 70% of its rainwater while reducing air pollutants and lowering building temperatures. Also, the Burbank Water and Power campus has been entered as a pilot site into the Sustainable Sites Initiative, which aims to create voluntary national guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable land design, construction and maintenance practices.

–  Laura Mihelich of Medill Reports: Chicago talks about [how]”Chicago restaurants move toward hyper-local food production.” She says, “more and more restaurants in Chicago are producing their own ingredients – up on the roof.” Restaurant owners are becoming smarter and realizing that converting their urban rooftops to green gardens not only helps to reduce their environmental impact and save them money in the long run, but are also supporting local food production. Business partners Isaac Weliver and Daniel Greenwald are planning to build the largest rooftop garden in the Midwest atop their restaurant, for now being called “The Local Root,” at about 20,000 square feet – scheduled for an April opening.

The Bleeding Heart Bakery and Café in West Town is another restaurant hoping to open a greenroof this spring and patrons there will be able to dine on the rooftop which offers a new and beautiful dining experience. We all know the many benefits greenroofs provide but added benefits for restaurant buildings are the contributions they make toward increasing local food production, which is great news for business owners and their guests alike.

–  To learn more about these stories and new ones posted daily, go to our In the News or Newslinks section of our website.

–   Send us your green articles, videos and images to  editor@greenroofs.com and share your greenroof or greenwall info with the world!

– Make sure to keep up with everything  Greenroofs.com by following us on  Twitter, liking us on  Facebook,  being a member of our network on  LinkedIn, and  subscribing to our  greenroofsTV channel on YouTube!

– This has been This Week in Review for February 17th, 2012 on   GreenroofsTV.  I’m Anjuli Velázquez and I’ll see next week!

*This week’s episode is sponsored by  The Greenroof Directory, brought to you by  Greenroofs.com.*

Did we miss something?  We’d love to hear from you!

~ Linda V.