June 5, 2006—The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) recently dedicated the new green roof on its Washington, DC, headquarters.
“Landscape architects are leading many green roof projects across the US and abroad, so it’s only fitting that ASLA provide a demonstration project on this sustainable technology that can cure so many urban ills,” said Nancy Somerville, executive vice president and CEO of ASLA. “We hope to provide a catalyst for more green roof development in Washington and beyond.”
Green roofs provide environmental benefits such as reducing and cleaning stormwater runoff, reducing the urban heat island effect, and restoring a small part of the biohabitat. They also increase property value, reduce heating and cooling costs, and can more than double the lifespan of a roofing membrane by protecting it from sunlight and temperature variations, explains ASLA
To help track these environmental effects, ASLA has installed monitoring equipment on the 3,300-square-foot roof and will track stormwater runoff, water quality, and air temperature to compare with data from the conventional roof on the building next door. This data will be available on the ASLA Green Roof Project Web site along with visual coverage provided by a Webcam.
The vegetation-covered roof was designed and constructed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc., Conservation Design Forum, DMJM Design, Robert Silman Associates, and Forrester Construction Company. Funding for the project was provided by ASLA, with support from sponsors and product donors, as well as grants from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation/US Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Program.
