Greenroofs.com Project of the Week: 10/12/15

McKinley High School (PS 305)
Buffalo, NY, USA
2,360 sf. Greenroof

Project Description & Details

Located in Buffalo, New York, McKinley High School PS 305 is comprehensive, selective, and the only public vocational high school for horticulture and the construction trades in the district. Modernized in 2012, the McKinley High School reconstruction was part of the $1.4 billion Buffalo Public Schools Reconstruction Program aimed at modernizing the city school system. Designed by CannonDesign, the existing 40,000-square-foot building was renovated along with a new 13,000-square-foot addition, including a green roof over the one story addition adjacent to the interior courtyard.

Stormwater management in this area was a prime factor in the design. Designed by Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect, the green roof not only introduced the much needed management system to the district, but also created a unique and dynamic viewing element from every level of the addition with its four distinct patterns of yellow, red, blue and white. Carlisle SynTec Systems, manufacturer of the structural roof’s waterproof membrane, recommended the modular Hydropack® green roof system from Vegetal i.D. With four inches of growing medium, its fully saturated weight is 18 pounds per square foot. The other green infrastructure solutions feature a 1,700-square-foot rain garden, 695 square feet of permeable pavers for the new building entry and courtyard, and a 3,000-gallon cistern under the courtyard to collect excess runoff from the green roof and permeable pavers.

The project’s landscape architect, Joy Kuebler, said “The green roof is essential in the project’s green infrastructure for stormwater management. We could not have met the state mandates without it. More than functional, the green roof is a landscape feature that enlivens the everyday environment of the school. It is a living showcase of green infrastructure.”

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

Year: 2012
Owner: Buffalo Public Schools
Location: Buffalo, NY, USA
Building Type: Educational
Type: Extensive
System: Single Source Provider
Size: 2,360 sq. ft.
Slope: 2%
Access: Inaccessible, Private

Designers/Manufacturers of Record:

Architect and Structural Engineer: CannonDesign
General Contractor: LPCiminelli
Landscape Architect and Green Roof Designer: Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect, PC
Roofing Contractor and Green Roof Installer: Joseph A. Sanders & Sons, Inc.
Green Roof Consultant, Manufacturer and Maintenance: Vegetal i.D.
Roof Components / Waterproofing System: Carlisle SynTec TPO 60 mil and a PVC slip sheet
Greenroof System: Vegetal i.D. Hydropack®
Pavers: RubberForm recycled Rubber Paver Tiles

Project of the Week Video Feature

Watch the McKinley High School PS 305 Project of the Week Video below or see it on our GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube:

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~ Linda V.