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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 July 27, 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 July 27th, 2012 on GreenroofsTV.
– Our project of the week is the Greensboro Transit Authority Maintenance Facility and Administrative Offices built in 2011, in Greensboro, North Carolina. Operating a fleet of 104 buses, the new $15.8 million, 65,000 square foot facility is expected to enhance GTA service delivery efficiency and quality of service to current and future riders in Greensboro. This new transit building is reducing its carbon footprint with a greenroof, solar panels, and “by utilizing natural daylight, automated lighting controls, enhanced energy efficiencies and thermal envelope, highly recyclable and rapidly renewable resources, and local materials encompassed with a 40-year building commitment to the facility.” It is also seeking LEED Gold certification.
The Greensboro Transit Authority Maintenance Operations Facility and Administrative Offices is the first greenroof on a Greensboro city building, and the living roof was installed on October 29, 2011. LiveRoof ® 4″ deep Standard Modules were used over a GAF EverGuard 60 mil TPO roof membrane and slip sheet. Multiple plant mixes of Sedums and other succulents make up most of the vegetative lower roof with solar panels for hot water on the higher roof.
– To learn more about the Greensboro Transit Authority Maintenance Facility and Administrative Offices, click on our project of the week photo on our homepage (or on the above photos).
– EPA provides $950,000 to improve water quality using green infrastructure in 17 communities in 16 states.
– The EPA has launched a new design competition called the Campus RainWorks Challenge to encourage student teams on college and university campuses across the country to develop innovative approaches to stormwater management.
– Over at Sky Gardens, check out Linda’s latest post: “Greenroofs.com’s “˜This Week in Review’ on GreenroofsTV: July 20, 2012.”
– “Upcoming Events“
– August 1st: is GO GREEN SOUTH CAROLINA – “Bringing Sustainable Buildings to the Forefront Makes Cent$,” in Columbia, SC.
– “In the News“
– Samantha Jeffreys of WREX.com reports on “Nicholas Conservatory installing green roof garden.” The Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, in the Rockford Park District, is getting a new look with a 4,300-square-foot-green roof garden. Greenroofs offer many benefits like reducing stormwater runoff, reducing the building’s energy use, and extending the life of the roof.
The LiveRoof ® Hybrid Green Roof System was chosen for the project because according to Park District landscape architect Jason Ney, the system establishes a “naturally functioning, living system with a continuous surface of soil.” The roof is expected to be done by August and includes modules with plants in several native species that will attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other insects and birds beneficial to the roof and our environment.
– Carol James of the Natural Resources Defense Council Blog, asks “So, what’s a green roof got to do with it?” And she answers “well, lots, if you care about the environment.” Like I just mentioned, greenroofs offer many benefits such as reducing stormwater and extending the roof’s life but they also improve the air quality by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, insulating buildings, which reduces heating and cooling costs and they also add a beautiful view.
Wouldn’t you rather look at your window and see visually pleasing plants and flowers instead of black or gray concrete? Carol James would and does working at her Washington, DC office and says she feel grateful for it. Her office’s greenroof is an extension of the terrace on the third floor, allowing her to have a perfect view of the lush greenery. She is seeing first hand how much the roof absorbs the rainwater during thunderstorms, preventing the runoff from going untreated into the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. This is only one roof on one building and if more buildings across DC – and across big cities in our country – would green their roofs, the benefits would be exponential.
– 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 July 27th, 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.
