Dustin Brackney of Apex Green Roofs shows sedum
cuttings that are being planted on the new green roof
on the new Sloan building, E62. Sedum, also known as
stonecrop, is a large genus of popular garden plants.
The 7,000 square feet of green roof being installed by
Apex Green Roofs will contribute points to the building’s
LEED certification. In addition to the certification, the roof
provides long-term cost savings to MIT by extending the
life of the waterproof membrane covering the roof from
an average of 20 years to 60–70 years. Many cities are
encouraging the use of vegetation-covered roofs because
they also reduce stormwater runoff by 65 percent and act
as a buffer to delay stormwater from reaching drains.
“Green” roofs are so called because they are covered
with vegetation. On E62, the roof is covered with 3.5 inches
of a light-weight soil media planted with sedum cuttings.
The work on the roof began last Thursday and will continue
through this weekend. The cuttings will put down
roots in about a week and a half, and the roof will not be
fully grown for another year.
Green roofs do require some maintenance, and workers
from Apex Green Roofs will revisit MIT approximately
three times per year to check for leaks and ensure that the
plants continue to grow.
Designing a Vegetated Green Roof System for Electronic Leak Detection
With the increasing number of vegetated roofs, electronic leak detection is a critical part of the design and installation to mitigate risk to the contractors and building owner. Although vegetated roofs have many benefits, their primary function is to manage stormwater and they will be a valuable tool to support compliance with the upcoming new Massachusetts DEP stormwater management requirements.
Electronic leak detection technology can pinpoint any breaches in the waterproofing membrane, even with ballast or a vegetated green roof, if the entire system is designed appropriately. It is far superior to the alternatives of flood testing or infra-red scans, neither of which locate exactly where the breach is in the waterproofing.
Electronic leak detection techniques, which include Smartex® vector mapping and high voltage testing, find breaches by trying to force current or complete a circuit through the non-conductive waterproofing membrane. The following must be taken into consideration to ensure the system can be tested:
EPDM is not testable in general because it is a conductive membrane.
Waterproofing membranes should be chosen to avoid the need for a polyethylene root barrier in the vegetated roof system. The root barrier will permanently inhibit the ability to do any type of electronic leak scans. It acts as a barrier between the waterproofing membrane and the surface where the technicians are performing the test. The only alternative is a permanent, automated leak detection system.
Vector mapping requires water in the system to work. It is recommended that the membrane be exposed for several months prior to testing or that the membrane be carefully pressure-washed to ensure water is in the system.
The setup for vector mapping can be installed on any roof to facilitate future one-time scans of the roof.
A conductive mesh is required under the waterproofing in a fully adhered roofing system that includes a vapor barrier to be able to test.
A conductive mesh may also be built into a roofing system to increase the accuracy of the test as it will minimize the distance water has to travel beneath the waterproofing to complete the circuit.
The vegetated roof at Simmons College is a great example of a testable design. The vegetated roof was built by Apex Green Roofs over a Sarnafil G476 waterproofing membrane. This membrane does not require a root barrier. The green roof profile, which meets all current ASTM green roof standards, includes a protection fabric, sheet drain (holding .12 gallons/sq ft), 4 oz separation fabric, and 4-8″ of engineered green roof media. The green roof is accessible and has a curved patio area of pedestal pavers. It is predominantly an extensive roof with seven varieties of sedum but also includes some semi-intensive planting pockets that are 8″ deep which support taller, herbaceous plantings like Rudbeckia (commonly known as Black Eyed Susan), little bluestem and some native grasses. This vegetated roof has a wide variety of plants, colors and bloom times and heights up to 3 feet.
Progeo Monitoring is a local source for electronic leak detection and offers Smartex technologies for one-time scans and permanent, automated leak detection systems.
Laura Kozel is an Engineer and President of Plant America Green and Sales Director for Progeo Monitoring and Green Roof Solutions
When it came time to replace the leaky roof on Shad Hall — runners joked of dodging buckets placed on the indoor track to catch ceiling drips — the HBS Operations crew responsible for the project opted for a novel approach. Shad’s runners now have a green roof over their heads, a first for HBS.
What’s a green roof? Think garden in the sky. In the case of Shad, the garden covers 5,200 square feet (about a quarter of the roof’s total flat surface), requiring 64 cubic yards of “dirt” spread to a depth of three and a half inches. Planted at eight-inch intervals are 9,000 tiny perennials, including eight varieties of drought-tolerant sedum, a low-growing, flowering plant with water-storing leaves.
Rather than dirt, Shad’s plants grow in expanded shale, a gravel-like growing medium that won’t blow away or compact over time. While it retains water, it also drains well to protect plants from drowning even in heavy rainfall. Beneath the layer of shale lies a moisture-retention fabric to hold water for thirsty plants when needed, making irrigation unnecessary. A leak-detection system can pinpoint holes in the waterproof membrane within a foot, minimizing the need to disturb established plantings during repairs. While it’s hard to imagine today, the thumb-sized seedlings planted in September will spread to completely cover the green roof surface within two years.
BEFORE AND AFTER: Step one involved removing the stones (top) that covered the old, leaky roof. Areas not suitable for a green roof were covered with sheets of white PVC (above) that reflect the sun’s rays.
A living roof can cost more than twice as much as a conventional roof, but given its positive environmental impact, energy efficiencies, and extended life, it offers benefits over time that outweigh the additional costs. A green roof is actually two roof systems in one. On the bottom is an impermeable membrane similar to that of a conventional roof. Atop that is insulation, a water retention and drainage system, several inches of growing medium, and a variety of hardy plants (see diagram above). The extra layers create a thermal blanket that keeps a building cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
In addition to the green roof, another 15,000 square feet atop Shad not suitable for planting were covered with sheets of white PVC (polyvinyl chloride). The light surface provides energy savings because it reflects the sun’s heat and reduces cooling costs.
With completion of the living roof project, Shad has become the School’s showpiece for sustainability, says Andy O’Brien, HBS chief of Operations. “We have photovoltaic panels on a portion of the roof, and we run a cogeneration plant in the basement that uses natural gas to fire a generator to help power the building, with the waste heat going to create domestic hot water,” he explains. This trio of projects, supplemented by other energy- and water-saving measures, anchors the School’s application for Shad to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. HBS now has five LEED-certified buildings — Aldrich, Gallatin, Hamilton, McCollum, and Wyss, — and two additional buildings striving for LEED status — the Class of 1959 Chapel and McCulloch. The School’s goal is to achieve LEED Gold Certification for all new construction and major renovations, says O’Brien.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Workers spread 64 cubic yards of growing medium, one bag at a time.
The Shad project underscores HBS’s commitment to doing its part to help the University meet its ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent from 2006 levels by 2016, explains Doug Scatterday, director of facilities. The School has already made significant strides toward that goal. Since 2003, HBS has completed more than 45 energy conservation measures, offsetting greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 2,495 metric tons of carbon dioxide, reducing operating costs $920,000, and maximizing utility rebates totaling upwards of $830,000.
Shad’s green roof may be the School’s latest sustainability innovation, but living roofs aren’t a new idea. They’ve been used in Europe for hundreds of years and were common in 19th-century sod homes across the American prairie. The recent surge of interest in green roofs stems from a modern-day concern for mitigating the environmental impacts of conventional roof construction.
STARTING SMALL: The last step involved planting 9,000 tiny perennials roughly eight inches apart.
In blazing summer heat, the daytime temperatures on a conventional asphalt roof can reach 160 degrees or higher compared to the 80s and 90s for a green roof. A Columbia University study found that green roofs can reduce average daily energy demand of a building by about 15 percent. Because a green roof protects the underlying waterproof membrane from temperature extremes and the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, it can last up to twice as long as a conventional roof.
Green roofs also help reduce the urban heat island effect, a condition created when dark, impermeable surfaces like asphalt absorb heat and radiate it back into the air, forming an urban heat dome.
When it rains, a green roof acts much like a lawn to absorb, retain, and filter runoff. The Shad green roof will retain an estimated 75 percent of annual rainfall, says Charlie Sinkler, whose Somerville, Massachusetts, firm, Apex Green Roofs, installed all the components of the system. Collectively, green roofs in urban settings can help reduce storm-water runoff that causes sewer systems to overflow.
ALL GROWN UP: The green roof at Simmons College in Boston shows what the Shad roof will look like by the summer of 2011.
Photograph courtesy Apex Green Roofs
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Japan, laws require green roofs on buildings with roofs of low pitch. In the United States, a number of cities offer builders and companies tax breaks, rebates, and higher-density building allowances for installing green roofs. Chicago, a national leader in green roof installation, now has more than 400 constructed or planned green roofs in the downtown area. The Boston metro area has fewer than two dozen, estimates Sinkler of Apex Green Roofs. Harvard has five of those.
“HBS is an innovation leader in sustainability,” says Heather Henriksen, director of Harvard’s Office for Sustainability. “Andy O’Brien has an incredibly dedicated team that is always looking for continuous improvement.”
The first Green Roof in Somerville was installed at St. Polycarp Village now many Somerville's residents are contemplating transforming its roofs into budding ecosystems.
Hidden from the naked, street-level eye sits acres upon acres of potential green land in Somerville, a city remarkably lacking in its green spaces. In what is largely a concrete jungle, Somerville's residents, environmentalists and community leaders are contemplating transforming its roofs into budding ecosystems. The green roofs momentum has gone from the initial, trial phase - marked by the St. Polycarp Village roof installed this part summer - to a more comprehensive discussion regarding policy. "We're not at the point for pilot projects anymore," said Karen Weber, co-founder of Earth Our Only Home, a Boston-based organization dedicated to "greening" the urban environment. Instead, legislation is sought that would provide incentives to Somerville's residents to install green roofs atop their property. Dustin Brackney, a founding partner of Somerville's Apex Green Roofs, described the motivations on both the municipal and individual sides of the issue. For homeowners, the layers of soil above them create a cooling effect in the summer while providing heat in the winter. For the city, Green Roofs provide an absorbing property that takes in storm water and thus reduces runoff during rain storms. Last year, the Mystic River, which is the unfortunate recipient of much of Somerville's sewage overflow, received a C- grade from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), up from a "D" the year before. Alewife Brook also suffers the pollution of its neighbors. Five years ago, Somerville and Cambridge, with the help of federal funding, began work on a $75 million project to curb pollution created by Combined Sewage Overflows. As Joe Beckman, a Somerville resident, said, the millions spent to offset the consequences of storm water runoff "could fund a lot of green roofs."
Given the costs, Somerville residents would be unlikely to bear the burden of Green Roof installations on their own. The price of green roofing, said Brackney, ranges from $8 to $15 per square foot and does not include supplemental expenses like structural analyses, or building a means for roof access. At St. Polycarp, the final bill was $25,250. If Somerville were to adopt similar measures as cities like Chicago, New York and Washington, DC, it could help to make the transition more feasible for property owners. Rebekah Gewirtz, Ward 6 Alderman, is advocating for citywide action, which could entail tax abatements or other subsidies for those who wish to go green. "I firmly believe that if you incentivize, you will get a return on your investments," she said. With the assistance of Somerville Climate Action, among others, Gewirtz is collecting the information she needs in advance of a formal proposal. "There's not a lot of open space in this city," she said. "To me, it seems obvious to ask the question 'how can we maximize our space?"
'Understanding Green Roofs' at The Wild Center
The Adirondack Daily Enterprise Thursday, Sept. 10th, 2009
TUPPERLAKE - The Wild Center will present "Understanding Green Roofs" from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Flammer Theater. The presentation aims to teach what it takes to plan, install and maintain a green roof in the northern Adirondack climate.
There will be a session on green roof principles presented by two experts in the field. Dustin Brackney, project manager with Apex Green Roofs, Somerville, Mass., installer of The Wild Center's 2,500-square-foot green roof, and Marguerite Wells, owner of Motherplants, a green roof plant nursery in Ithaca, will share their thoughts, tips and techniques on how to successfully grow plants on a building's roof in our harsh northern climate.
Roof structure requirements and green roof material components will be discussed, along with considerations for plant variety selection. The session looks to teach how a green roof can benefit the environment and people's pocketbooks by creating a unique wildlife habitat that can reduce building heating and cooling energy costs.
For more information and directions, visit www.wildcenter.org or call 518-359-7800. This event is free to members or with paid museum admission.
First Green Roof in Somerville installed at St. Polycarp Village
The Somerville News Tuesday, June 23, 2009by Laura Kozel
The first Green Roof in Somerville was installed May 22nd on a brand new building on the site of St. Polycarp Village through a collaboration among the Somerville Community Corporation, Apex Green Roofs and Prospect Hill Academy. The green roof is being used to educate students and community members about environmental issues and solutions and is part of a transformation of a closed Catholic parish into a mixed-use, mixed-income development by the Somerville Community Corporation. This installation also marks the first-time in the Boston area that a Green Roof, photovoltaics and solar/thermal are being used on a mixed-income property.
The students at Prospect Hill Academy participated in the installation and planting of the green roof as the culmination of a green roof course. The "Green Roofs for the 21st Century" course is part of a larger program that teaches students about the engineering design process by involving them in a community project. The students have been learning about the many environmental and financial benefits of green roofs which include more than doubling the life of the roof, retaining storm water, reducing energy needs, creating habitat, cleaning the air and improving the quality of life of those around them. "Our students are thrilled to be a part of the green roof installation! Exposing high school students to these emerging technologies while also getting them involved in the community in such meaningful ways has really been a great experience," said Michael Moretti, a teacher at Prospect Hill Academy.
"We love working with the kids and are excited about green roofs becoming more mainstream," said Charlie Sinkler, a Partner at Apex Green Roofs. "We believe that education is a big part of what is needed right now. These roofs make good financial sense in addition to all of the environmental benefits." "We're proud to be including Somerville's first green roof among the many green measures at St. Polycarp Apartments," said Danny LeBlanc, CEO of the Somerville Community Corporation.
The Somerville Community Corporation purchased the former Saint Polycarp Parish property from the Archdiocese of Boston in 2006. Iric Rex of Mostue & Associates Architects designed the new complex with a complete array of the latest techniques to achieve cutting-edge energy conservation, indoor air quality, and water conservation. The building is expected to achieve a LEED-NC Silver rating, reflecting the aggressive goals of 50% energy savings, 40% water savings, and cooling and filtration of interior air to remove pollutants. Other green features integrated into the complex include a high percentage of recycled materials, high-efficiency elevator, energy recovery from ventilated air and a photovoltaic array to supply the electrical needs of the common area of the building. The tenants and local community will benefit from the green development and new urban green spaces created around the buildings.
Somerville Community Corporation (www.somervillecdc.org) is a nonprofit Community Development Corporation that provides leadership for sustaining the city of Somerville as a vibrant, diverse and tolerant community. They achieve this goal through the development and preservation of affordable housing, as well as by offering services and leading community organizing that supports low and moderate-income Somerville residents in their efforts to achieve economic stability and increase civic participation.
Somerville leads the way with new green affordable housing at St. Polycarp
By Auditi Guha
Wicked Local Somerville
Posted Jun 08, 2009 @ 11:53 PM
Last update Jun 09, 2009 @ 09:08 PM
A green roof, triple-paned windows that block out highway noise and the creative revitalization of an underused lot made Somerville’s newest affordable housing project a poster child for the state.
State and federal officials congratulated Somerville for its commitment to affordable housing at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Saint Polycarp Village apartments on Monday June 8, 2009.
“This project is the best representation I can remember of bringing a community back together, building it as a place for people to live and to raise their families in, and to make life better for them,” said Capuano as he recalled how I-93 divided the neighborhood and took out 600 homes in the city. “This particular project, to me, represents the healing of one of the many wounds that society put on its own sisters and brothers years ago. This is a wonderful project.”
He also recalled his days on the Somerville Community Corporation board and expressed admiration for those who work tirelessly for housing projects. “The point is that this organization attracts and retains people who are committed to this city and to this world.”
With this project offering 24 new affordable housing units, the site of the former Saint Polycarp parish in Somerville is moving one step closer to being transformed into mixed-use village. All of the units are affordable to families earning less than 60 percent of the Area Median Income, including four units reserved for clients of the Department of Mental Health and two units reserved for formerly homeless individuals. There is 6,000 square feet of commercial space on the first floor and two of the three units available have already been leased out.
“Not many communities embrace affordable housing the way you do and it is so critically important now,” Brooks said to the mayor at the ribbon cutting. “A lot of units are off the market because of foreclosure, people are losing their homes, they desperately need affordable rentals and you are encouraging that to happen and you are doing it in the context of a community perspective. So you are really building a lot of stability in this community that I hope serves you well in years to come.”
This smart-growth redevelopment project has revitalized a neglected and underutilized parcel of land at the corner of Temple Street and Mystic Avenue, converting it into a vibrant community that includes new housing, commercial space, a church, a transitional home for single mothers and their children, a GED program and open space.
“We’re excited to be moving forward on the creation of Saint Polycarp Village apartments,” said Danny LeBlanc, CEO of the Somerville Community Corporation that developed it. “Especially during these hard economic times, we’re pleased to be able to see this project through to completion and to be providing some critically needed affordable rental housing.”
The building features solar panels for common area electric loads, solar thermal panels for hot water, and the city’s first affordable green roof that was built by Apex Green Roofs and a group of students from an engineering class at the Prospect Hill Academy.
Iric Rex of Mostue and Associates that helped design the project said that it was rewarding to work on a project that had so many community partners and sustainable design features. “The result is a very responsible building, improving the site and the neighborhood, while integrating a combination of cutting-edge energy-efficiency features,” he said. “The tenants and local community alike will benefit from the new urban green spaces created around the building, and the healthy, beautiful interior environment.”
“It has been a pleasure to work on an affordable housing project that encompasses so many new green technologies. We have been very fortunate to build in a community like Somerville that is forward-thinking and ambitious with its projects,” added John Curtis, president of Curtis Construction Company that built the project.
Mayor Curtatone said this is a perfect example of what Somerville can do with good partnership and that this is the first of many good projects underway.
“It takes a village to build a village,” added LeBlanc.
Saint Polycarp Village Apartments received investor financing through the Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits during a time when very few deals of this type were being financed. Additional funding came from the State of Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Mass Housing, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), Mass Development, Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC), Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP), Bank of America, Bank of New York Mellon, First Sterling, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, LISC, the Home Depot Foundation, Enterprise Foundation, US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the City of Somerville.
“This is one development that gives us great hope regarding affordable housing,” said Roger Herzog from CEDAC.
Saint Polycarp Village apartments is the first of at least two phases of new construction on the site. Plans for a second phase of new construction include 29 affordable rental units centered around a green space and adjacent to a playground. This is currently in the funding phase and is expected to be complete by 2011.
New Green Roof Maintenance Division - Press Release
Apex Green Roofs, Inc., a full service green roof design and construction company based in Somerville, MA. is pleased to announce their new green roof maintenance division.
After installing green roofs in the New England and Mid Atlantic regions for the past 5 years, they know the importance of maintaining a green roof. “It is true that green roofs require little maintenance, but that does not mean NO maintenance. We’ve seen the unfortunate results of improperly maintained green roofs, and having a vested interest in the industry, we want all green roofs to look their best.” says Dustin Brackney of Apex Green Roofs. “We have extensive experience with landscaping and plants and feel that putting people on the roof that are familiar with green roof plants and systems will ensure your vegetative roof is looking its best and functioning properly at all times.”
Apex Green Roofs, Inc.’s maintenance plan includes 3 steps to ensure a healthy and great looking green roof:
Inspecting Drains and Drainage Layer – Each green roof has a unique drainage system that requires a knowledgeable eye to make sure that water isn’t pooling and that it is properly draining through internal drains or scuppers.
Document Success of Green Roof – Each green roof has unique ecosystems and micro-climates where certain plants thrive and others may struggle. Apex Green Roofs, Inc. will document, with a trained eye, the plant health and will supplement appropriate plantings in troubled areas with cuttings or plugs. After every maintenance visit, they will keep the client updated on any problems that they may come across and will offer recommendations for how to resolve them. Additionally, they photo document our work and will extend the images to the client for their benefit.
Physical Maintenance – Before a green roof has completely grown in, the plants you purchased can experience competition from invasive species and weeds. Apex Green Roofs, Inc. will methodically remove all unwanted species and encourage the desirable ones with additional cuttings or plugs. They will then apply fertilizer and pre-emergent as needed and generally cater to plant/site specific needs.
“Apex Green Roofs, Inc. feels strongly that maintenance visits are critical to the success of a thriving green roof. With each visit you can expect a report on how well your green roof is functioning and pictures to document its progress. “ Charles Sinkler stated.
Apex Green Roofs, Inc. is offering a free estimate for what they feel are the maintenance requirements for your vegetative roof. They are currently gearing up for spring installations and maintenance visits so call them now to set up an appointment.
Media Contact:
Emily Grogan emily@apexgreenroofs.com This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
170 School Street
Somerville, MA 02145
(617)629-APEX
Their experience with green roofs has given them the knowledge necessary to ensure a quality product and client satisfaction from design/build to maintenance.
Potter League Grows a Greener Animal Shelter in Middletown
01:00 AM EDT on Friday, September 26, 2008
By Meaghan Wims Journal Staff Writer
Justin Bendel and Dustin Brackney, of Apex Green Roofs, Somerville, Mass., plant the rooftop garden at the new Potter League animal shelter going up in Middletown. The building is expected to open next spring.
The Providence Journal / Frieda Squires
MIDDLETOWN — The rooftop garden at the new Potter League for Animals won’t rival your home garden. No petunias, begonias or geraniums here.
The 3,000 plants that Dustin Brackney and his crew planted this week on the Potter League’s “green” roof are now kind of puny. Even at full bloom next spring, the vegetation will still be pretty scraggly.
But this garden isn’t designed to be pretty. Brackney’s Apex Green Roofs, of Somerville, Mass., selected the lavenders, alliums, sedums and grasses specifically for their tolerance to wind, heat and drought. Together, the plants will act as a shield, insulating the new animal shelter, absorbing sunshine, reducing greenhouse gases and limiting rainwater runoff.
Plus, Brackney said during a break in the roof’s installation this week, green roofs don’t have to be replaced as often as standard roofs because they don’t break down as quickly under the glare of ultraviolet rays.
The rooftop garden at the Potter League’s new shelter is Newport County’s first “green” roof and the biggest component in the environmentally friendly facility. The building, which should be finished by the spring, will be a registered LEED building by the U.S. Green Building Council, meaning it is recognized for its “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.”
The $7.5-million shelter will be more than twice as large as the current shelter, at 19,500 square feet. The existing 30-year-old shelter will soon be demolished.
The new building has a number of other “green” features, such as a focus on natural lighting and fresh air, recycled building materials, water conservation measures, a gravel parking lot to absorb runoff and a 15,000-gallon cistern to capture and treat runoff water so it can be reused to flush toilets and clean animals’ cages.
Potter League officials said they chose to go green for the new shelter because its location, off Oliphant Lane, is on wetlands and close to Bailey Brook, which eventually feeds into North Easton’s Pond, a drinking-water source for Aquidneck Island.
Plus, Potter League Executive Director Christie Smith said, choosing an environmentally safe design just made sense. After all, she said, “An animal shelter is an energy hog: We use a lot of electricity and water.”
“It’s in line with our mission,” Smith said of the “green” shelter. “We teach respect for animals. This is a natural convergence of a lot of things we stand for. It’s a fabulous facility for the animals and the people.”
At full capacity, the new shelter can house up to 188 animals daily, about as many dogs, cats, birds, rabbits and hamsters that now can fit in the current facility. But the experience will be better for the animals staying at the new Potter League and the people working at or visiting the shelter.
“We’re really not building for more space, but for a much better standard of housing, a much better standard for medicine and behavior,” said Patricia Heller, director of development for the shelter.
The new shelter will feature an open room for obedience classes, grooming areas, common playing areas, soundproof pens, animal-control rooms and private consultation rooms for those dropping off animals they can no longer care for or adopting a new pet.
And, visitors will literally be able to ask “How much is that doggie in the window?” when they spot the pooches in the glass-enclosed pens next to the front entrance.
WGBH is planting roots along with the solar arrays on the rooftop of its new building in Boston's Brighton neighborhood.
Click here to watch a Somerville company take the final steps in making the rooftop garden happen, with special soil and vegetation that can withstand wind gusts and drought.
Here's more from WGBH, and click here for Robert Campbell's review of the building itself.
Green roofs already exist on Boston's World Trade Center, the Four Seasons Hotel and
Massachusetts General Hospital, according to this article. The Apple Store that just opened on Boylston St. in the Back Bay put in a green roof as well (here's a posting on it by the Globe's Hiawatha Bray.)
Proponents say a hot summer day pushes up conventional roof temperatures to 150-plus degrees, but a green roof's summertime temperature (in Boston) tops out around 90, keeping the building below cooler -- and saving energy.
The roofer didn't do it alone. Karen Weber's Earth Our Only Home, Inc., of Roslindale, worked in conjunction with National Grid to provide advice, funds and contract for the installation. National Grid paid for the first phase of the project, and more help came from Apex Green Roofs, a local contractor of Philadelphia-based Roofscapes, Inc.
Green roof sprouts in city
The Lancaster New Era
By Bernard Harris
Published: May 16, 2008
Spring planting was a tall order on Lancaster's East Fulton Street. It took place about 25 feet up. And rather than your typical crops or garden-variety plants, landscapers working on the new National Novelty Brush Co. building spread cuttings from sedums onto a coconut fiber mat. The small, plump water-sucking sedums are expected to root there, transforming the top of the warehouse into Lancaster's first "green roof."
National Novelty, 505 E. Fulton St., may be the first, but it won't be the last to sprout atop the city. Four other buildings are in line to get vegetation-topped roofs under a state grant program.
Rick Seavey, president and CEO of National Novelty Brush, said he was taking a long-term view when he invested in the technology that is new to the area. Seavey's company makes plastic bottle caps, some with attached brushes such as those for fingernail polish. "I've been reading about it for a long time," Seavey said. "It just seemed like the right thing to do."
The green roof, with plants growing in a sandy soil spread on drainage matting, is expected to insulate in the winter, keep the building cool in summer and soak up rain that falls on the 18,000-square-foot area.
It also is expected to protect the rubber roof underneath the soil, making the 25-year-roof last about 75 years.
"All this technology is not new. It's been around for 25 years in Germany," said Seavey, who had to import the drainage matting, made from recycled car seats, from the Netherlands. Although not the first area to use it, Lancaster County still can get in on the cutting edge of it in North America, said Mary Gattis-Schell.
Gattis-Schell, senior environmental planner with the Lancaster County Planning Commission, said county companies can get environmental benefits from installing green roofs.
But she also said other companies — such as landscapers, plant nurseries, roofers and construction companies — can carve out a niche for themselves or at least expand their businesses by adopting green technology.
Gattis-Schell led the county's efforts to secure a $479,333 state grant to create 79,000 square feet of green roof in urban areas. Those roofs will become showpieces for the pilot program, where planners, business owners and construction industry officials can see how the technology works.
She and fellow county planner Mike Domin will host a June 5 workshop for contractors and commercial building owners interested in green roofs.
Gattis-Schell said the high cost likely will dissuade homeowners from installing them. They are suitable for large, flat roofs that are sufficiently strong to hold the additional weight of the soil and the water the plants and soil will hold.
Besides the cost of installing the green roof, Seavey's company had to construct its warehouse building — about a $1.5 million project — to hold the additional weight. They tested it by pumping a foot of water onto the roof.
But it offset the cost by not excavating the site to create a drainage area underneath the warehouse as it did in a previous project.
Black rubber roofs can reach 180 degrees in the summer, Seavey said. That creates a "heat island" effect in the city. Green roofs don't get above 85 degrees. He estimated it will save the company 25 percent of its energy costs.
For the community, green roofs improve air quality, create a habitat for birds and insects and help provide cleaner water by reducing pollutants flushed into streams and rivers by stormwater, said Gattis-Schell.
She estimated the cost of a green roof at $15 to $20 a square foot. A rubber roof alone runs about $4, she said.
The grant money is providing $5 per square foot to Seavey and the other companies trying the technology.
Along with National Novelty, the Lancaster County Roof Greening Project also will put vegetation atop the Bare Building, the former city public safety building at 202 N. Duke St.; the Box Company Flats, a residential condominium building at 225 E. Grant St.; Penn Stone, 190 W. Ross St.; and Two Dudes Painting, 744 Poplar St.
Gattis-Schell said the pilot program wants to add a non-profit building and a government building to the list of examples. More information is available from Gattis-Schell at 299-8333 or Fritz Schroeder at 669-5990.
Rick Seavey, president and CEO of National Novelty Brush Co. in Lancaster, talks about the company's recently installed plant-covered green roof. Photo Courtesy Lancaster Newspapers
These days, it's common for businesses to "go green."
In fact, environmental action on the corporate level has become a somewhat trendy approach to the critical issue of global warming.
National Novelty Brush Co. is no exception. But the Lancaster firm has gone far beyond standard recycling and energy-saving efforts — the company has literally gone green.
At least its rooftop has.
This week, crews from the Somerville, Mass. firm APEX Greenroofs are completing the city's first green roof, a contained green space on top of a man-made structure.
Because the green roof acts as an insulator, it cuts global warming emissions by reducing the use of air conditioning and heat.
It also will improve air quality and reduce storm-water runoff, while creating a wildlife habitat for butterflies, birds, bees and other insects.
"Those are all the reasons I did it," Rick Seavey, National Novelty Brush president and CEO, said Tuesday. "I'm an environmental guy and a biologist by training. … I had been reading about green roofs for years, and I felt like this was a great opportunity for us."
The 17,000-square-foot green roof is atop the firm's newly expanded plant at 505 N. Fulton St. The building's original roof was reinforced to withstand the weight of the green roof.
APEX co-founders Charles Sinkler and Dustin Brackney, along with three employees, spent the last week constructing the green roof by layering channeled foam, soil medium and sedums — succulents that require no irrigation and little maintenance.
The plantings are covered with coconut fiber — a thin, gauze-like material that is highly absorbent and biodegradable — which holds moisture and serves as a wind blanket, Brackney said. The plants will grow to about 6 to 8 inches in the next few months.
Seavey said he expects the green roof to result in a 25 percent decrease in energy costs for the company.
"Not only will it keep our building cooler, it will actually cool the entire neighborhood because we won't be drawing so much heat," Seavey said.
Sinkler said black roofs can reach almost 180 degrees. A green roof will see temperatures around 85 degrees, he said.
Though Seavey said the energy-saving benefits are key, he said storm-water runoff is probably where the firm will see the largest difference.
"It will be especially noticeable during those big, dampening downpours that this area is prone to," he said. "When it rains, it will hold the water like a sponge and then release it gradually."
Brackney said the green roof will absorb 70 percent of yearly rainfall.
During heavy rainfalls, storm-water runoff can tax sewer systems, which then overflow into area watersheds.
Sinkler said 75 percent of pollution in rivers and streams can be traced to storm-water runoff.
Seavey was hesitant to put a dollar amount on the green roof project but acknowledged the cost was "significant."
Cost for the type of green roof that was installed at National Novelty Brush is between $9 and $13 per square foot, Sinkler said.
"It's twice the cost of a traditional roof, but it lasts three times as long," he said.
Seavey received some help with the cost in the form of a grant from Gov. Ed Rendell's Energy Harvest program.
National Novelty Brush Co. shared nearly $500,000 in state funds with five other local businesses.
As part of the initiative, green roofs are planned at the Bare Building at 39 E. Chestnut St., Box Company Flats at 225 E. Grant St., Penn Stone at 190 W. Ross St., Two Dudes Painting at 750 Poplar St. and the new YMCA at 265 Harrisburg Ave.
"It's kind of neat to be the first one," Seavey said. "We feel like the poster child for green roofs."
by Daniel E. WalshAuthor of Our Sunday "History & Reflections" Series
When I come home feelin' tired and beat I go up where the air is fresh and sweet (up on the roof)I get away from the hustling crowdAnd all that rat-race noise down in the street (up on the roof)On the roof, the only place I knowWhere you just have to wish to make it soLet's go up on the roof (up on the roof)~ Goffin and King
Harvey the Hoverfly* is a little confused. He and his antecedents have hovered around the Hub for eons. Until quite recently things had been tough and growing tougher for the average hoverfly to do what hoverflies do. Pesky humans and their swatting -- unfortunately for the hoverflies, they look like wasps, only smaller, and folks like to whack them.
For the flies in this urban setting there are fewer places to land; there is smoke and bad air to contend with and that music! What’s the point? Why it’s enough to poke your eyes out, all 5 of them! That’s the question raised around the haunts of the hoverfly. But, now I’m into something good, hums Harvey. This is nice - freedom up in the air and plenty of Bailey’s Gold to land on and a surfeit of aphids to eat, say the flies. Hoverfly heaven. From Yarmouth Town to Brockton the buzz abounds. What could be causing all this Diptera fluttering and excitement? Why, it’s the green roofs popping up around Boston!
In addition to the comfort they bring to our striped hovering insect friends, green roofs bring huge savings and multiple benefits to the city. Storm water run off is improved as the specially selected roofs’ plants and soil hold water. That water does not run down the street assimilating chemicals that find their way into the treatment plant and then leach into the water system. There are cost savings that can be earned through tax incentives and grants in some cities. Storm water runoff is measured and charged according to gallon volume by many large municipalities. The roofs last longer than asphalt roofs although initial costs are higher. Very little maintenance is required; sensors are in place to detect leaks. A green roof cools the air. With a variety of plant arrangements the roofs are quite aesthetically appealing.
The plants used for green roof such as Bailey’s Gold (sedum floriferum) are usually from the sedum family. The word is from the Latin sedo ('to sit'), because these plants tendency to grow anywhere a seed can sit and find a scant amount of soil. Not surprisingly, a green roof requires a hardy plant that spreads outward but is not too tall and needs no trimming; the thickness of the soil needed is extremely important as it affects the weight of the roof. The plant scheme on most roofs does not require a deep layer of soil, though there are grass roof designs that do. These plants are imports, for the most part, and in nature are found growing in tight places such as sidewalks and walls. They must also be able to retain water and manage through drought conditions. These plants attract the hoverflies and that is why they are sometimes planted as a garden border to fight pest aphids. The flies’ larvae like to nosh on aphids.
Mayor Menino, in his 13-year commitment to the greening of the city, has made Boston the 3rd greenest city in North America, according to Popular Science Magazine. In his tenure as mayor, green roofs have proliferated around the metro part of his ongoing commitment to make Boston a showcase of urban sustainable living. Apex Green Roofs has built the green roofs at the WGBH building. The Rowland Institute at Harvard, The Simmons College School of Management, Cambridge School of Weston, and The Four Seasons Hotel - just some of the buildings sporting a new green ‘do.'
Green roofs aren’t for every structure. Supporting the weight of the roof is a major concern. But buildings with green roofs attract attention and not just from the hoverin’ hoverfly. Folks like looking at them; they are something to marvel and a big upgrade from the drab precedents. The roofs impact a city’s heat island effect; that is a phenomenon that affects the climate around a large metropolis. Green roofs alleviate the heat around them in a dramatic difference than conventional asphalt or rubber-based roofs.
All of these developments are a boon to humans and to wildlife like Harvey the Hoverfly and his winged companions alike. Mayor Menino’s Boston is going green and it’s not just from Celtics banners; this is a green you can see from the air and feel in the air. A cooler more attractive city with less storm water runoff to worry about – now, that’s creating a happy buzz around this town!
WGBH Vegetative Roof Installation Video - This documentary about the installation of the green roof atop WGBH was created by Brynmore Williams for a Boston.com segment on the project. The roof is complete and the sedums are beginning to take hold.
Rick Seavey, president and CEO of National Novelty Brush Co. in Lancaster, talks about the company's recently installed plant-covered green roof. Photo Courtesy Lancaster Newspapers
