Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2011 - (Page 28)

2011 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE SPECS CATEGORY: Intensive Residential PROJECT: Millennium Village, Vancouver, British Columbia, 197,542-square-foot green roof AWARD RECIPIENT: Image courtesy of Durante Kreuk Ltd. Durante Kreuk Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia (landscape architect) CLIENT Millennium Development Corp. DESIGN TEAM: Green Roof Supplier – Xero Flor Canada Ltd. Green Roof Supplier – LiveRoof Green Roof Plant Supplier – Linnaea Nurseries Ltd Architectural Services – Merrick Architecture Borowski Sakumoto Fligg Ltd.; GBL Architects; IBI/HB Architects; Nick Milkovich Architects Inc.; Walter Francl Architecture Inc.; and Robert Ciccozi Architecture Inc. GREEN OLYMPIC LEGACY M “THE DESIGN PHILOSOPHY OF THE GREEN ROOFS WAS ‘USABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY.’” Alain Lamontagne, landscape architect, Durante Kreuk Ltd. illennium Water is a single-phase development which covers eight city blocks in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is a LEED Gold Certified neighborhood, the first in North America. The 197,542 square feet of green roof was provided across eight parcels, amounting to over 50% of the total roof area being greened. One important aspect of each courtyard is the drop of the structural slab, in some cases up to 36”, which allows generous growing medium build-up, creating a seamless experience within each courtyard, podium levels or at ground. Some of the main features include outdoor terraces, urban agriculture, lawn areas for unstructured play or relaxation, water features and children’s play areas, all of which was intended to nurture the development of relationships between neighbors building a strong sense of community. In most cases, the courtyards are surrounded by a mix of buildings such as senior living, rental, social housing and market without any barrier and division. This was done in an effort to promote interaction between different social groups and create a truly sustainable neighborhood. The green roofs host a variety of interesting features. Rain and wind sensors which are tied back to a smart controller to avoid irrigating when not required. The irrigation system operates in the night reducing water demand and loss from winds and evaporation. Also, each building has its own cistern which has been sized to accommodate for a minimum six-week drought. Water is collected from every rooftop and stored in underground cisterns, which than reuses the water for irrigation and toilet flushing for each site. The green roofs are designed to stimulate the senses and allow the residents to relax and rejuvenate. One key element was the harmonious integration of water features from fountains, waterfalls, flowing channels and reflective ponds, which play an important role in the aeration of water collected and stored in the cisterns preventing otherwise stagnant water. The sound of flowing water has long been known in horticultural therapy to induce calming effects and reduce stresses. Parts of the green roofs were designed to be a fragrant garden. A variety of plants with fragrant blossoms and foliage such as lilac and roses were selected to provide pleasing, natural perfume to stimulate the senses. Much of the landscape was designed to incorporate edible plants, such as blueberry bushes, raspberries, cherry, fig and pear trees and even some kiwi vines to encourage residents to understand where food comes from, as well as support wildlife. Other plant material was selected based on their characteristics to attract bees and other pollinators to promote and assist the overall ecological system of Vancouver. The remainder of plant material is indigenous and adaptive plants, which have a high drought tolerance, greatly reducing water demand. The wide variety of plants and soil media depth (from 3" to 30") has served the roofs well as a useful research site for the British Columbia Institute of Technology. D 28 LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR FALL 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2011

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2011
Contents
From the Founder
Strata
On the Roof With…
Research
Marketing
Policy: The Game Changer
Policy: Toronto’s Green Roof by-Law
Policy: Energy Code Break-Through
Tools
GRHC: Update
GRHC: Welcome New Members
On Spec

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2011