September 25, 2007
Media center sprouts new green roof
It shouts from the rooftop: AU’s gone green.
Last week, a team of grounds-keepers installed the university’s first green roof atop the Media Production Center, nestled on the south side of campus near Reeves Athletic Field. The crew planted nearly 7,000 sedums on the 7,000-square-foot space, which is blanketed by about four inches of soil.
According to Michael Griffin, capital renewal and deferred maintenance manager, the easy-to-maintain sedums are the perfect plant for the project. Sedums, which grow to be three to six inches tall and spread to cover one square-foot, thrive in full sun or light shade, and can survive without water for long periods of time—though they’re just as happy in a moist flower bed.
“Sedum is sustainable landscaping,” said Griffin. “After three to four years, we won’t have to water it anymore. It will also be able to handle droughts, like what we saw this summer.”
The green roof will serve as extra insulation, helping to keep the building cooler and cutting down on the “heat island effect.” The plants, which reduce ultraviolet radiation, will also soak up 50 to 90 percent of rainfall.
“They’re little things, but they compound to have a big impact. It’s aesthetically pleasing, too, which is nice for us city people,” said Griffin of the green roof, which is visible from Centennial Hall.
According to Griffin, about 28 percent of AU’s buildings, including portions of the Katzen Arts Center, can support sedums. “The weight of the plants is a major consideration, so unfortunately this can’t be applied to every roof on campus,” he said.
Still, with last week’s installation, 1.5 percent of the university’s rooftop square-footage is now green. “We have a way to go,” said Griffin, “but this was a big first step.”
