Celebrating two projects with 20 years of integrated Green Infrastructure.
It is now 20 years after Jorg Breuning managed the Green Roof installation at the Zeppelin-Carrée (left)
and 1999 Kronen-Carrée (right) in Stuttgart.
Over 500,000 sf of green roofs nicely visible on Google Earth. Probably the first Solar Garden Roof on Earth.
Experience pays back on the first day!
#greenroofs #biophylilla #stormwater #greenrooftechnology #greeninfrastructure #optigreen #solargardenroof
The BG Hospital Tübingen is one of the largest trauma centers in Germany. 
Construction Going Up – Ecology Going Down?
From 2010 to 2015 warehouse new construction in
the US tippled from around $5 Billion to $15 Billion with all the economic benefits.
15 Billion in new construction equals around 1000 new warehouses every year or approximately
250 million square feet rooftops plus the same amount of infrastructure
provision. Annually, 500 Million square feet or 8800 football fields of lost nature
by building new warehouses in the United States alone.
With some of the existing warehouses, this
translates to a potential of at least 1 Billion of square feet of new extensive
Green Roofs every year that could retain the volume of Lake Constance that is
surrounded by three countries (Germany, Switzerland and Austria) or over the
double volume of Lake Powell (UT/AZ)!
Assuming that these Green Roofs are done right,
maintained by professionals and without artificial irrigation, the natural and
controlled succession of these Green Roofs would allow a unique habitat for
many endangered species over the upcoming years.
These green roofs can also reduce the re-roofing
costs by multiple billion Dollars with a related relieve for landfills and a huge
reduction in energy use.
Most important
however is the climate effect.
Warehouse belts surround any large city in North America. These warehouse belts with endless impervious areas actually preheat the air that is conveyed into our cities by the wind. In the worst-case scenario, these large warehouses have reflective roofing membranes that might cool the building but also increase – due to reflection – the heat in the atmosphere substantially.
Warehouse belts around cities are like a forced air heating system in a building only on a much larger scale – Warehouse belts are a wasteful forced air heating system for entire cities
Fundamental sustainable
thinking and large scale long-term research hardly exists in the US, so it is
no wonder that experts are likely to miss the entire picture.
Currently in the US there are no significant
requirements or ecological considerations in master plans that address this
counterproductive climate habits towards our cities. Actually, it seems that warehouse
belts grow faster than Green Roofs!
North American ecological organizations, LEED, or
other industry associations are also missing the bigger picture. They often
work locally – from one block to the next, they are focused on one or two rare
plants, on a distinctive bee species, butterflies or other human pleasing critters
as long as there is an instant payback in popularity. It seems worth more
having a highly unsustainable fully irrigated Green Wall in the cafeteria, a
nice green plaque on the wall, or growing some carrots on the roof to
demonstrate social and sustainable responsibility. Most marketing efforts for
green washing are beyond the costs of a simple highly efficient extensive Green
Roof that helps the future generations.
The United States is a great country and North
America is a large continent where thinking big was always wanted and welcome.
Now it seems people are getting lost in their little plastic boxes, made in
China with some nice flowers and a watering can next to it.
It is very romantic but also very embarrassing.
First Garden Bridge in the world based on modern Green Roof technology.
Built 1977 for the National Garden Show in Stuttgart, Germany designed by Prof. Hans Luz Landscape Architect. A Green Roof that celebrates it 40 years anniversary next year.
The Green Roof Bridge or Garden Bridge connects the two major parks downtown
Stuttgart and is accessible for free since 1977.
First Garden Bridge in North America: Here
More about Green Bridges: Here
Pictures: Jörg Breuning 2012 ...doing it right in the first place!
Zero Run-Off for 20 Years!
From 2010 to 2015 warehouse new construction in the US tippled from around $5 billion to 15 Billion this equals around 1000 new warehouses every year and translates to a potential of at least 1 Billion of square feet of extensive Green Roofs that could retain the volume of Lake Constance that is surrounded by three countries (Germany, Switzerland and Austria). On top of that and if these Green Roofs are done right and without irrigation, these Green Roofs would allow a controlled succession that could develop over the years to a unique habitat for many endangered species.
As the nationwide building codes require expensive engineered fire suppression systems the same building codes can require simple and highly efficient Green Roofs. Unfortunately most Green Roof or other environmental organizations don’t focus the low cost, high efficient simplicity – they focus on adding carrots or a rare native plant species to an environment that is far away from being connected to the ground.
Common sense exists as term but it isn’t in the head of most people because it doesn’t generate the attention and “individualism”.
In our dense Cities, more and more intensive Green Roofs are being built.
Besides all the environmental reasons, building owners recognized that a Roof Garden – usable green on the roof - creates additional value with a fast and consistent payback. A building with a roof garden is simply more attractive for tenants and potential buyers.
Typically, structural loads reduce this fantastic idea to a low profile extensive Green Roof or to an intensive green roof that is landscaped with Geofoam.
All professionals know that expanded polystyrene (Geofoam) is questionable from an environmental perspective. Some horticulturalists know that Geofoam has no benefits for the plants – actually, it reduces their rooting space for the plants (grass can root up to 3 feet deep) and consequently it increases maintenance and irrigation needs. As a result, most of these Roof Gardens with Geofoam are elevated intensive care nurseries.
Hardly any Roof Garden in Europe utilizes Geofoam because of the high risk of rodents and environmental conflicts. These roofs are being built with Foam Glass Gravel. Over the last 25 years Foam Glass Gravel replaced Geofoam and eliminated all the related disadvantages of Geofoam.
Foam Glass Gravel is 95% recycled glass, has a much higher compressive strength, the roots can practically expand like in a natural soil horizon and if combined with low-tide/high-tide irrigation the water and fertilizer consumption can be reduce by up to 75%.
The savings in no waste installations, less complicated irrigation systems, in water reduction and less maintenance make this material cheaper than any Geofoam application.
European architects also like the idea that you can create any type of landscaping on a roof without any problems, fully organic and without additional components. Foam Glass Gravel allows adding walkways, roads or other structures on top of it. Foam Glass Gravel has the best lightweight – compressive strength of all mineral materials available on earth.
The picture below shows typical setups of intensive Green Roofs with Foam Glass Gravel, like nature does it and to compare how people still do it with Geofoam.
Green Roof Service LLC - Green Roof Technology is proud to be the first that utilizes this advanced Green Roof solution with Foam Glass Gravel on projects in North America for amazing and low impact intensive Green Roofs.
The annual CitiesAlive Green Roof & Wall Conference is happening next week (October 5-8) in New York City. This conference hotspot is the place for green roof and green wall professionals to learn and discuss the latest technologies.
Every year at CitiesAlive, the 36-year green roof veteran Jörg Breuning and his company Green Roof Technology present innovative products and people that help make your project successful, affordable, and maximally environmental-friendly. “I like to share my experience, horticultural knowledge, and understanding of nature’s principles,” says Breuning, “to help people prevent wasted time, money, and frustration.”
This year, Jörg Breuning will present:
Optigreen. World’s largest manufacturer of green roof products and system solutions engineered for use in any green roof application.
Geocell. World leader in foam glass gravel, a 99% recycled product that substitutes for manufactured foam insulation in green roof construction.
ALT Global, the world leader in advanced cold liquid applied membrane systems.
Prior innovations introduced by Jörg Breuning include introduction of the German FLL Green Roof Guideline. “The guideline is the foundation of all current green roof standards, guidelines, and most specifications, and its continued use among green roof professionals demonstrates its success,” says Breuning.
He has also fostered many North American green roof experts in their early days, including Ed Snodgrass (green roof plant grower and author of Green Roof Plants: A Resource and Planting Guide), Charlie Miller (Roofmeadow), Kurt Horvath (Green Roof Solutions), and Michael Furbish (Furbish Company).
Come mingle with Jörg Breuning and the A-Team at the Green Roof Service LLC/Green Roof Technology booth (307, in the middle of the Trade Show floor).
The 2015 Trade Show opens with an evening reception on October 5th at 7PM and is open on October 6th
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