Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Spring 2013 - (Page 30)
PROJECT PROFILE
spReading tHe
gReen Roof bug
found the roof also was a great
attraction for a number of bird
varieties.”
The design elements used
in this project were selected in
order to support urban biodiversity—the variety and richness of living organisms and
habitat diversity found in urban
areas and suburban neighborhoods. Many times, cities and
other urban areas can and do
have rich biodiversity, something the city of Grand Rapids
is interested in with its green
initiative. Grand Rapids Mayor
George K. Heartwell notes that
the CRCNA green roof “has
taken green roofs to a whole
By: TERRI HUGHES-LAzzELL
new level … [in the] city with
more LEED certified buildings
ment through the management
AGA co-founder. “Native
esigning green roofs
per capita than any other city in
of our facility,” said John H.
plants are important for all
took on a new shape for
America.”
Bolt, director of finance and adwildlife, especially for providAdvanced Green ArchiThe design incorporated
ing food and shelter. For these, ministration for CRCNA. The
tecture (AGA) in 2011 when
bare soils to create a patch
as well as biodiversity consider- organization had made other
the company worked with the
effect for wildlife to forage
ations, it is important to use na- improvements to the building’s
Christian Reformed Church
for food. The design also
tive vegetation when the green heating and cooling system,
in North America (CRCNA)
incorporated multiple types
and then decided that creating
based in Grand Rapids, Michi- roof environment allows.”
of green roof media, gravel
a green roof would be another
The National Wildlife
gan, on a project that became
swaths and logs with snags to
step toward its goal. “We have
the first green roof to be a Cer- Federation’s Certified Wildlife
provide nesting and perching
had numerous compliments
Habitat requires a property
tified Wildlife Habitat by the
structures.
about the roof,” Bolt said. “The
to provide the four basic eleNational Wildlife Federation.
Joining AGA in the project
roof lies outside of the windows
ments that all wildlife need:
The CRCNA wanted to
was GMB Architecture and
in one of our primary conferfood, water, cover and places
increase biodiversity and wildEngineering, who provided
in which to raise young. Certi- ence rooms and gets close
life habitat space in the comthe structural analysis for
munity. To help reach its goals, fied Wildlife Habitats also must inspection by employees and
the retrofit green roof projvisitors on a regular basis. This
conserve natural resources by
AGA suggested implementing
ect, which was designed to
past spring and summer we
reducing or eliminating the
a green roof design on the
incorporate the structural
CRCNA’s rooftop, which would need for fertilizers and pestilimitations of the building.
cides, which ultimately protects
increase plant diversity, create
For example, growing media
the air, soil and water throughwildlife habitat and improve
was mounded near columns
out communities. The Certiaesthetics.
and beams to support greater
The green roof was designed fied Wildlife Habitat program
weights. The mounding of
began in 1973, and has since
to mimic habitat characteriscertified almost 150,000 habitics found in the surrounding
tats nationwide.
landscape. The designers also
While meeting the certificawanted to create higher divertion requirements from the Nasity in plant species, which has
the potential to produce higher tional Wildlife Federation, the
diversity in bird and insect spe- roof designed by AGA also met
the church’s desires to be good
cies. “A wide range of plant
stewards of the earth. “The
species, including some native
genus, were used to create vary- CRCNA has a keen interest in
ing levels of landscape structure creation care and we have tried
to demonstrate our commitand ecology,” said Erik Cronk,
GREEN ROOf DESIGNATED A CERTIfIED WILDLIfE
HABITAT By THE NATIONAL WILDLIfE fEDERATION
D
LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / SpRING 2013 / 30
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
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