Greenroofs.com Project of the Week: 10/26/15

AMY’S Drive-Thru Restaurant
Rohnert Park, CA, USA
2,650 sf. Greenroof

Project Description & Details

Known for their healthy line of vegetarian frozen dinners and famed for its all-natural convenience food and sustainable commitment, Amy’s Kitchen recently opened AMY’S Drive – Thru Restaurant in Rohnert Park, California. The food served is all vegetarian, organic and non – GMO while the eco-friendly building, designed by Trachtenburg Architects, literally sprouts a vegetative ‘living’ roof. A mosaic of 13 species of plants cover the roof, a water storage tower holds rainwater, and a solar array provides electrons for energy. AMY’S Kitchen’s commitment to sustainable development extends beyond the building’s footprint. The site houses a 15Kw solar array canopy that the cars drive under on their way to pick-up their meals and walk-in guests with electric cars can use the charging stations in the parking lot while they dine.

SYMBIOS ecotecture designed and installed the integrated, planted-in-place living roof with a built-up assembly using components from Conservation Technology, Envirogrid, and Permaloc to enhance the building’s energy performance, effectively managing stormwater as well as offsetting the development’s impact by providing habitat for wildlife. The 5:12 slope of the gable roof allows for good views of the garden roof yet required a soil-confinement system that is structurally supported and tension-balanced over the roof’s ridge top. The perennial plants are pollinator friendly, drought-tolerant, and possess a seasonal vibrant flower display. Rainwater is harvested on-site and stored in the water tower to be used for irrigation, and during the summer dry season, municipal recycled water is used. In this way, no potable water is utilized. Thinking ahead to replicate more of these unconventional drive-thrus, AMY’S hopes to incorporate the water tank and living roof prototype on future organic, healthy food restaurants.

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

Year: 2015
Owner: AMY’S Kitchen, Inc.
Location: Rohnert Park, CA, USA
Building Type: Commercial
Type: Extensive
System: Custom
Size: 2,650 sq. ft.
Slope: 23%
Access: Inaccessible, Open to Public

Designers/Manufacturers of Record:

Architect of Record: Trachtenburg Architects
General Contractor: Stevens-Hemingway-Stevens Inc.
Living Roof Designer: SYMBIOS ecotecture
Living Roof Installation: SYMBIOS ecotecture
Plant Propagation: Emerisa Wholesale Nursery, Shooting Star Wholesale Nursery
Roofing Manufacturer: Cold liquid applied waterproofing, Kemper System
Green Roof Systems: Planted-in-place w/built-up assembly, Conservation Technology, Envirogrid, Permaloc Corp
Growing Medium: SYMBIOS custom soil mix, 6″ depth

Project of the Week Video Feature

Watch the AMY’S Drive-Thru Restaurant 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 (or Wall)!

~ Linda V.