Greenroofs.comConnecting the Planet + Living Architecture
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 May 11, 2012 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 May 11th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.
– Our project of the week is the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, DHS St. Elizabeths Campus, currently in the construction process in Washington, D.C. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is consolidating its headquarters in the National Capital Region at St. Elizabeths Campus to provide a more unified and secure campus that brings together its executive leadership and operational management. Phase 1 is scheduled to deliver in 2013, Phase 2 in 2014, and Phase 3 has a projected completion date of Q4 2016.
The Phase 1 U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters will feature several construction and operating measures in accordance with its proposed LEED Gold certification, including: over 400,000 square feet of green roof used for stormwater management consisting of wet ponds, bio-swales and step pools, and energy efficiency, enhanced commissioning of all building systems, use of green housekeeping measures after completion and occupancy, and use of low-emitting construction materials and furnishings. Due to the variety of plants ranging from shrubs to grasses to Sedum mats from Sempergreen, there are four different soil blends on the project. Rooflite ® growing media was specified, with Roofmeadow ® as the growing media consultant. In all, 18 roofs, nine courtyards, and two parking garages will be covered with living roofs.
– Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Video
– Watch our Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 22: “Sustainability at a Small Business: Emory Knoll Farms” by John Shepley, one of our contributing editors – the Green Business Editor.
And find the rest of the videos in this series on our GreenroofsTV page and/or our greenroofsTV YouTube channel.
– Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest posts: “Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summit 2011 Episode 22: Sustainability at a Small Business: Emory Knoll Farms,” “Early Bird Registration Ends on May 15 for the 10th Annual CitiesAlive in Chicago!,” and “Greenroofs.com’s “˜This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: May 4, 2012.”
– “Upcoming Events“
– May 11th-13th: is EPIC – The Vancouver Sun Sustainable Living Expo, in Vancouver, BC, Canada. @EPIC_Expo
– May 12th-15th: is Resilient Cities 2012 – World Congress on Cities & Adaptation to Climate Change, in Bonn, Germany. @ICLEI_ResCities
– May 13th-16th: is Green Building Design & Interiors Arabia 2012, in Saudi Arabia.
– May 15th: is the deadline for the Early Bird Registration date for CitiesAlive 2012.
– May 16th-18th: is Greening the Heartland 2012 – Building Community Conference, in Indianapolis, Indiana. @GTH2012 #GTH2012
– May 17th-19th: is the AIA 2012 National Convention and Design Exposition, in Washington, D.C. @AIANational #aia2012
– And May 18th: is the Portland Ecoroof Symposium – The Bottom Line on Portland Green Rooftops, in Portland, Oregon.
– “In the News“
– Alistair Guthrie of The Guardian UK, asks “Carbon emissions: can buildings be elegant and efficient?” He says some buildings have been able to integrate art and science, an important combination of being sustainable and aesthetic. Over 70% of a typical city’s greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings and the construction industry itself consumes more than 12% of the world’s water. It’s now more important than ever that engineers and designers work together to achieve emissions targets and meet needs for future inhabitants of our planet.
A beautifully strong example of the art-science combo needed is the living roof at the California Academy of Sciences, one of the most eco-friendly buildings in the world. The academy’s 2.5-acre green roof blends into the surrounding Golden Gate Park and meets exceptional LEED Platinum standards. It has reduced its water usage by 76.9% through grey water reuse, low-flow WCs, kitchen sinks and showers. The building has saved 34% in energy by locating its photovoltaic cells around the edge of the green roof. Other recognizable landmarks that combine beauty and sustainability include London’s Shard building and the Eden Project in Cornwall, where part of the James Bond film, Die Another Day, was filmed.
– The Daily Mail offers you “New York’s secret skyline: Amazing aerial shots give rare glimpse of city’s hidden rooftop world.” This incredible collection of aerial photographs taken above New York, include lush gardens, restaurants, swimming pools and tennis courts. Thanks in part to Mayor Bloomberg’s eco-friendly roofscaping initiatives, the tops of dozens of buildings have been transformed into amazing outdoor living spaces and models for green-city living. Pilot and photographer Alex MacLean took these stunning images for his new book, Up on The Roof: New York’s Hidden Skyline Spaces.
In the book’s introduction, architecture critic Robert Campbell writes, “Rooftops will be the lungs of the denser city of the future. As the world urbanizes, the rooftops will connect us with nature, with wind and sun and rain and snow, with the natural processes of growth and decay.” Over the years, MacLean has clocked up more than 6,000 flying hours and has published ten books of his aerial photography. His new book contains 184 beautifully detailed photographs and is available on Amazon. Check out the full article for more amazing photos!
– 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 May 11, 2012 on GreenroofsTV. I’m Anjuli Velázquez and I’ll see you 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.
Prosperous&Poor – U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters
[…] The Phase 1 U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters will feature several construction and operating measures i… Due to the variety of plants ranging from shrubs to grasses to Sedum mats from Sempergreen, there are four different soil blends on the project. Rooflite® growing media was specified, with Roofmeadow® as the growing media consultant. In all, 18 roofs, nine courtyards, and two parking garages will be covered with living roofs. Share this Post!FacebookShareEmailPrintStumbleUponRedditDigg No Comments. « Luke, I Give You Affordable Ho… Click here to cancel reply. […]