Technical Manager Lauren Swett looked out her window in our Portland, ME office and watched a baby seagull brush a butterfly off its wing in a flower-filled meadow buzzing with bees—right next to HVAC units on the adjacent roof in the middle of an urban area. This got her thinking about all of the benefits of a green roof. Beyond stormwater management, they transform urban spaces into thriving green havens. Seeing the benefits daily reminds us that green roofs aren't just a line item—they are a living, breathing benefit to our communities! #StormwaterManagement #GreenRoofs #UrbanDesign #StormwaterDesign #GreenInfrastructure #Sustainability
If you’ve worked on development projects, have you ever considered the benefit of a green roof? It comes up as you consider stormwater design – when you can treat and even store stormwater within a green space in the middle of a mostly impervious urban area, in this civil engineer’s mind, that’s great, but I know it does add complication to the building design, and it’s not cheap. But next time you’re debating the options on your project, don’t write off the green roof. This morning I watched a baby seagull brush a butterfly off its wing in the middle of a pink and yellow flower dotted meadow buzzing with pollinating bees…amongst the HVAC units on the adjacent building roof from the 6th floor window next to my cubicle in an office building in the middle of Portland. It’s one thing to spec something on a plan and just talk about its possible benefit, but it’s something else to see a nice example right next to you every day!
