What do you want from your green roof?

Geosynthetics | April 2010

1616 P Street in Washington, D.C.: Originally budgeted for roof replacement, the building owner opted for the added value of a 3,000-sf vegetated roof. Along with rooftop seating, the conference room overlooks the roof, creating a desirable meeting space.
1616 P Street in Washington, D.C.: Originally budgeted for roof replacement, the building owner opted for the added value of a 3,000-sf vegetated roof. Along with rooftop seating, the conference room overlooks the roof, creating a desirable meeting space.
  • American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) headquarters in Washington, D.C.: This roof was designed to maximize stormwater management and species diversity.
  • Chicago City Hall: Approximately 14,000 ft.3 of geofoam was used to create the illusion of a rolling terrain.

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All green roofs include multiple underlayers of materials that, together, protect the building and provide the conditions for the top-layer plantings to thrive.

Chief among these layers are geosynthetic materials required for separation, waterproofing, and drainage.

This article includes selections from “Green roof design and installation” by Angie Durhman, Green Roof Program Manager at TectaAmerica, at a symposium during the 2009 IFAI Expo in San Diego. Angie Durham can be reached at angie@greenroof.com.

What a green roof can do Green roofs: Essential components NRCA Construction Details

Target Center, Minneapolis

Target Center, Minneapolis
  • Largest extensive green roof on an existing building in the world
  • 1st green roof on an arena building
  • 5th-largest green roof in North America
  • 10th-largest green roof in the world
  • Used a proven waterproofing membrane
  • Included a leak-detection system
  • Features a 2.5-in.-thick growth zone in the center, 3.5in. around the perimeter
  • Has a guaranteed 20-year maintenance contract
  • Reduces the roof’s temperature by as much as 80°F
  • Is designed to attract Karner blue butterflies, an endangered species
  • 1616 P Street in Washington, D.C.: Originally budgeted for roof replacement, the building owner opted for the added value of a 3,000-sf vegetated roof. Along with rooftop seating, the conference room overlooks the roof, creating a desirable meeting space.
    1616 P Street in Washington, D.C.: Originally budgeted for roof replacement, the building owner opted for the added value of a 3,000-sf vegetated roof. Along with rooftop seating, the conference room overlooks the roof, creating a desirable meeting space.
  • American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) headquarters in Washington, D.C.: This roof was designed to maximize stormwater management and species diversity.
    American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) headquarters in Washington, D.C.: This roof was designed to maximize stormwater management and species diversity.
  • Chicago City Hall: Approximately 14,000 ft.3 of geofoam was used to create the illusion of a rolling terrain.
    Chicago City Hall: Approximately 14,000 ft.3 of geofoam was used to create the illusion of a rolling terrain.

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