Green Roof Seminar

Introduction

Green roof technology as an additional building application is not new; it has been applied as construction material for more then one hundred years. They were used mostly as spark deterrent for fire protection on roofs in the 19th century, mainly in Berlin. Green roofs were developed into a green roof layering system in Germany and Switzerland 40 years ago, to cover garages and retrofit mainly existing roofs with vegetation as well as to improve the ecological landscape value of their down towns. In the last 15 years, green roofs sold as an application, have hit the North American market, and buyers have been promised that if applied would have enormous environmental benefits from reducing the heat island effect, mitigating stormwater runoff, and retaining the heat in buildings for example. This seminar explores and investigates if this is the case. This bi-annual seminar will further discussion and research in the green roof field. It highlights and discusses existing research and places the specific research topic in the overall context of green roof research, construction, design and technical application.

Course Objectives

•To understand and distinguish between the main roof types and construction systems
•To study and explore green roofs ability to store stormwater
•To study the influences reducing stormwater runoff
•To explore and understand green roof as a linking element in an overall stormwater mitigation system of greenskins (green roofs, green facades, swales, rain garden, pervious paving)
•To learn how to employ green roof types as a design tool in dense urban environments
•To study green roof vegetation and its impact on the buildings and urban fabric
•To learn how to develop research and structure a research paper

Topics (subject to change)

•extensive and intensive green roofs
•green roof systems
•historical precedents
•stromwater calculations of holistic drainage systems (green roof, swale, rain-garden)
•green roof soil mediums and capabilities
•evapotraspiration rate of green roof plants on stormwater runnoff
•the relation between green roofs and regional climate patterns
•regional contemporary case studies (eg. Toronto, Boston)
•green roofs and biodiversity

Format

The course will consist of lectures/presentations and group discussions on the research findings by the instructor and guests.   The majority of instruction will be individual, with the instructor working with students to help them learn how to develop a research paper.
There will be a seminar discussion as a group and presentations by each student on their research.

Evaluation

6-7000 word research paper (80%) and 30 min presentation (20%)