Lexington, KY - Green roofs are rising over Kentucky, but not yet in Lexington and its surrounding areas. In preparing this story I spoke with several local architects. None of them knew of any green roofs any closer than the one at Bernheim Forest, outside of Louisville.
All of them were enthusiastic about the green roof concept in sustainable design. Martha Tarrant, principal at Ross Tarrant Architects, said that the idea can be applied to any building that has the right orientation and an owner who wants to do it.
Tarrant said that her firm has designed a new building with a green roof for Lexington's Bluegrass Community and Technical College. But since the community college will be moving to a new location on Newtown Pike, after the new Eastern State Hospital is finished, the project is on hold and may not be built.
"We have another project in design where a portion of the roof will be green. It's at a middle school in Owen County," Tarrant said.
And as for rumors that the new hospital at the University of Kentucky will have a green roof, spokeswoman Gail Hairston could say only that it's "under consideration."
Like UK, almost every university has several of the types of large buildings with flat roofs that are perfect for green roofs. These buildings are the same ones that cause massive stormwater runoff from their large amount of impervious surface: roofs and the surrounding walkways, driveways, and parking lots.
They include athletic training facilities, classroom and office buildings, parking garages, sports stadiums and fieldhouses, student recreation and fitness centers, physical plant and maintenance/operations facilities, hospitals and medical buildings.
Penn State, Harvard, Villanova, the University of Virginia, Michigan State, and the University of South Florida are among the numerous American universities that have installed green roofs on either existing or new buildings on their campuses. Their administrative officers have learned the benefits that European construction specialists (where green roofs are popular) have known for years.
Green roofs are more expensive than traditional roofs, but they will pay for themselves in the years to come. Their first advantage is that they absorb rainwater, preventing flooding and keeping otherwise polluted runoff out of the overtaxed storm sewer system. Most municipalities offer property owners a reduction in their storm-sewer fees (aka rain tax) if their buildings are built with green roofs or can be structurally reinforced to add them later.
Green roofs pay for themselves through a second advantage they offer. Because they act as insulation on the buildings beneath, they reduce cooling costs in summer and heating costs in winter.
Ford Stryker, associate vice president for Penn State's Physical Plant, said that "green roofs can last up to twice as long as conventional roofs."
Downtown Louisville's first green roof is being installed atop the Metro Development Center on South 5th Street. Measuring about 11,000 sq. ft., this roof will have several varieties of native plants, mostly drought-resistant sedums. Planters with small trees will be located over structural support columns. Stormwater runoff is expected to be reduced by 50 percent.
Built as a parking garage in the early 1900s, this building was converted to offices in the 1980s. Because it serves as headquarters for a number of developers, builders, and contractors, its green roof will likely inspire the installation of others in Jefferson County.
Other green roofs in Kentucky include those on a branch of National City Bank in Pleasant Ridge (3,000 sq. ft. completed in July, 2008), St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Covington (10,000 sq. ft., to be finished in summer, 2009), Turkey Foot Middle School in Kenton County (1,100 sq. ft., to be completed in summer, 2009), Sanitation District No. 1 headquarters in Ft. Wright (3,600 sq. ft., completed in 2005), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Andrew W. Breidenback Environmental Research Center in Clifton (9,000 sq. ft., completed in summer, 2007).
For more information on green roofs, visit www.greenroofs.org or www.storm h2o.com.