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Greening our roofs

by Lori Barrett | April 30, 2008 at 7:17 am
Posted in Baltimore, the environment

Baltimore is the nation’s third leading city for square footage of green roofs, behind only Chicago and Wilmington, DE. Looking at a list topped by these three cities, you may wonder if a green roof is a good thing. It is.

Very popular in Europe but just starting to catch on here in the States, green roofs have a number of benefits. Among them: reduced energy costs, improved air quality, moderation of the urban heat island effect, and the aesthetic benefit of some added green space to an otherwise concrete jungle.

Quite remarkable that our city is at the national forefront of this technology. And (coincidentally?), it was announced just in time for the “Sixth Annual Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference, Awards and Trade Show,” to be held in Baltimore starting today. (To the person who commented about the lack of visibility of our city’s new slogan, “Get in on it,” it’s actually being used on the conference website.)

It’s reported that Baltimore built 122,000 square feet of these green roofs last year. I, however, spend most of my time at ground level and have no idea where to find them. Does anyone know of one? (Bonus points for a publicly accessible location.)


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10 responses.

  1. Montgomery Park has a green rooftop. I'm pretty sure it's accessible, but given the fencing and the gates and whatever, I'm not so sure about the building itself. I presume there's a visitor's entrance somewhere.

  2. We're not counting moss, rotting shingles and clogged gutters as green roofs are we? If so than I'm so totally eco.

  3. the new hilton convention hotel has one ~ i was on a tour of it about two months ago. it is on the lower section in the middle - you could probably see it from the bromo seltzer tower.

  4. Does anyone know the approximate cost for an average installation on an average sized house. The cooling benefits are interesting, and if there were tax benefits, this could definately be worth doing.

  5. i assume you're talking roofing for a low-slope (i.e.flat) roof?

    don't forget that there may be additional costs associated, i.e. additional structure to support the added load of the growth medium. so it's almost a case-by-case basis for existing buildings.

    there are also issues such as life-cycle cost, etc. etc. if you google "green roof square foot cost" there are many resources that quote a wide range of SF costs. but again i believe that this is largely for new construction.

  6. Chris, according to greenroofs.com:

    I’ve seen them listed as low as about $9/sq .ft. for 3” of growing media and sedums. More commonly the range is between $14 - $25/sq. ft., (including roofing membranes).

    That's for what is called an "extensive" roof, the cheaper of the two types.

  7. Green roofs: If we could only get more people to use them! As an architect, I am getting more and more questions about green roofs, along with a lot of other environmentally friendly building strategies. The big stumbling block is usually the initial cost. It can be a challenge to get people to see beyond the dollars now versus the savings later, which is also the case with most building designs.

    The owner has to be willing to get involved with maintenance, because green roofs aren't exactly install and forget. As was pointed out in previous comments above, they are more expensive than most roofs and they usually require special attention to structural support, drainage and access. The key is appropriate design combined with good installation. The designer and the installer have the most influence on a successful green roof, at least to the point wher the owner will have little to no trouble assuming responsibility for it.

    They can be attractive, they have readily observable positive effects on the internal and external environments of buildings, and there is just something really cool about having flowers and grass growing on your roof. For companies that have significant infrastructure, the heating and cooling benefits alone can make it worthwhile. As an example, the BP minimarket/gas station at the bend in Key Highway (next to the General Ship Repair Co., across from the Royal Farms outlet) has a green roof. The parent company reportedly has made that a component of their prototype building programs.

    I haven't yet seen the roof on the new Hilton, I'll have to check that out.

  8. Hi Lori, I have come from Vancouver to attend the conference on green roofs – and I read your column in "b" today.

    Let me claim your bonus points : the most publicly accessible location – and perhaps the most significant for the nation – is at Fort McHenry! Go there and see how many you can find.I did.

    On the water taxi ride see how many rooftop gardens you can spot - they are green roofs too.

    Green roofs also reduce storm water surges - in fact your city requires new developments to deal with storm water surges on site - hence the new Hilton green roof.

    A beautiful city, keep up the good work – 200 years of green roofs is hard to beat!

    Cheers,
    Jol

  9. I'm surprised there was no mention of the Power Plant's green roofs. They really are a sight to be seen. Here's my shot of them in action with my cell phone.

    http://visitmybaltimore.com/video/452/

  10. sorry...not Power Plant's green roofs...wind turbines. http://visitmybaltimore.com/video/452/