Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2013 - (Page 26)

PROJECT PROFILE aliving, leaRning wall MINNESOTA CHILD CARE CENTRE HOME TO fIRST LIVING WALL pROJECT By: CHRISTOpHER LyON T he Seward Child Care Center, located on a quiet city street, not far from the bank of the Mississippi River as it passes through Minneapolis, has been ahead of its time since it was founded in 1973. Parents started the preschool on the high-minded principals of teaching children democracy, anti-bias skills and environmental awareness. They were challenged to put these ideals into action recently when their building required maintenance. It needed a fresh roof, new flooring, plumbing and water heating. The cooperative’s plan was to follow LEED guidelines, so the renovation would turn the building into an environmental showpiece. The undertaking was a challenge for a small, volunteer-led group with little funding. Hillary Oppmann, a parent with two children at the school, was the campaign chair and led both the fundraising as well as much of the coordination of the work. She had been involved with stormwater mitigation projects in the past, and believed that they could obtain a grant from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) to address the roof issue. As part of receiving a planning grant, they connected with Stacy Anderson of Earth Wizards, a local designbuild contractor specializing in stormwater mitigation. The design encapsulates various stormwater practices such as permeable pavements, turfstone, and what was expected to be a green roof but, because of budget concerns, quickly migrated to a living wall. As the design evolved, the rainwater retention system became an important feature, although one of the most problematic. The goal was to make the path of the water from the roof to the living wall “visible” to the children. The EnginEErEd Soil HaS officially MEt itS MatcH The MP Rotator provides the perfect solution for engineered green roof soils. Multi-trajectory rotary streams cut through wind and slowly apply water to the growing medium. This provides optimal plant water use while using up to 30% less than other overhead spray systems. Featured: The MP Rotator is the most efficient and effective choice for overhead green roof irrigation. http://www.hunterindustries.com/greenroofs http://www.hunterindustries.com/greenroofs

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2013

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2013
Contents
From The Founder
Strata
On the Roof With...
Policy and Standards
Current Research
Living Architecture Meets Hurricane Sandy
How Healthy Is Your Hospital?
Leadership
Product
Plant
Conference
Project
Project
Project
New Corporate Members
Professional Calendar
GRHC Board Member Updates
GRHC Buyer’s Guide
The Lucky 7

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2013