Summary:
A green roof system is a layer of specific vegetation and planting medium that rests above the roof's waterproofing membrane. This system helps the building operate more efficiently by acting as layer of insulation against the elements (heat/cold) that would otherwise be directly absorbed by the roof structure of the building.
A building's roof is an impermeable structure that is usually covered in petroleum-based tar product that repels 99% of the water that lands on it. Pollutants from the tar in the roof are absorbed into the water before it reaches the sewer. When rainwater hits a green roof it is absorbed by the vegetation and soil medium and then evaporated. In a one hour rainfall (of one inch), a tar roof will repel 99% of the rainwater. The green roof system we will be using would only repel 1% of that same amount.
Our green roof will be a retrofit of an existing 1,750 square foot roof on Schleman Hall; a student services building in the center of Purdue's main campus. The roof is unique because it is ideally situated for a green roof retrofit; it has a high live-load rating and is accessible to students.
The existing rooftop will be covered completely in Live Roof vegetation modules and heat reflective concrete pavers for pedestrian access. It will have recycled benches/tables for seating and informative signage throughout explaining how a green roof system works.
One of the most important aspects of our roof is the ability of students to access and experience the rooftop first-hand. Because these types of systems are not typically accessible to pedestrians and are fairly new in the United States in general, they are therefore less understood than other types of more familiar green systems.
In addition to installing the green roof, we want to monitor its performance by evaluating the quantity and quality of water runoff as well as surface temperatures. This will be an ongoing venture carried out by various Purdue University service learning classes and BGI.
Planning and Execution:
Project participants will help address a common community need through the contribution of their individual passions and talent. This is a hands on project in our community; Purdue University. As students we all live and learn together in the same environment and have therefore become acutely aware of the challenges it faces today.
This green roof project puts the involved students in direct contact with both a real problem, a real solution, and in collaboration with Purdue Facilities. It allows us to strengthen our individual leadership abilities while combating a global issue through means of an achievable and measurable end product. This product is realized through careful planning and integration of current related classroom curriculum with an in-depth hands-on learning experience.
We will create a prototype for other students seeking ways of creating global change in their communities.
Service Learning:
Meaningful Service:
One of the greatest challenges facing our generation is that of climate change. By participating in this project, students will be able to provide a meaningful service to the Purdue University community as a whole both present and future. In addition, students will also gain an intimate understanding of a universal issue such as climate change.
While climate change is a global issue, it has many local solutions; green roofs being one of them. Not only are the participating students benefiting from this project, they are providing educational opportunities for future generations of students as well.
Links To Curriculum:
One of the goals of this project is to help students take the skills and knowledge they have gained and apply them outside of classroom. We will achieve this by integrating this project into the curriculums of existing classes at Purdue.
In 2006, BGI worked with landscape architecture professor Matthew Kirkwood and integrated site-specific green roof systems into the existing curriculum of his LA356: Site Systems III class. The students evaluated possible project sites around campus and did subsequent design documentation on those locations. This type of curriculum integration will extend to as many related fields of study as possible.
Diversity:
Because this project involves so many different disciplines it affords for great diversity among participants. Student participants will be exposed to an even wider range of individuals outside of the student group who will be assisting BGI in the completion of this project. We want participating individuals of all fields of study and backgrounds to be able to come together as a whole and work towards a shared goal. Because climate change affects us all, it is important for each participant to understand that they are just one part of a global community.
Student Voice:
This project is about voice; it is about being heard. That is why BGI started in 2006; we wanted our voices to be heard. We had ideas about what needed to happen around our campus and in our communities. We realized that change needed to take place. We approached faculty with the idea of the green roof project. We met with university officials to determine the projects direction. We got a team together to lay the framework. While we believe it is necessary to consult available outside resources, this project will remain student planned, executed, evaluated, and communicated to others.
Partnerships:
Partnerships are absolutely necessary to the success of this project. While this is a student driven project, it affects an entire community and therefore has many interested parties. These partnerships will allow is to remain in touch with the specific needs and resources each party has associated with it. These partnerships include but are not limited to; Live Roof LLC, the cities of Lafayette and West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue University Physical Facilities, Horticulture Department, Landscape Architecture Department, Forestry Department, Sustainability Council, and Refuse/Recycling Department.
Project Support:
Our support structure begins with the university. We have numerous faculty advisors assisting us with this project. These advisors are typically professors in various fields of study and university employees in related departments. In addition to faculty support, Purdue University has assigned us a team of professionals to assist with the project. This team is led by a project manager (Joni Heidi) and includes a licensed architect, civil engineer, roofing engineer, landscape architect, and a physical facilities representative. This team will assist us with the professional services required for the planning and implementation of our project. They also serve as a connection between BGI and our partner Purdue University.
We have an established partnership with Teresa Nelson of Rooftop Sedums LLC. who distribute the Live Roof System. This company specializes in modular green roof systems and is willing to work with BGI to allow a student-led installation of their product. They will provide teaching and instruction prior to installation as well as supervision during the process.
After Installation:
Green roof systems commonly outlast the roof structure itself. By having such a long projected lifespan, we believe that our project will be able to serve as a hands-on learning and research tool for several generations to come. In addition these systems are constantly changing and evolving within their own micro-ecosystem. This fact alone presents numerous opportunities for future adaptation and development.
Monitoring the green roof will be undertaken by different classes at Purdue and done in perpetuity. The longer the data is able to be collected the more that can be learned about this type of system and its viability on Purdue's campus.
After this data is collected, it will be the task of BGI to compile it into a comprehensive analysis of the project for academic record.