Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2008 - (Page 43)

“The Green Roof Professional accreditation program is of value, in that the public knows that an accredited green roof consultant has met a series of basic requirements and has reached a base level of understanding, as set out by the North American industry association. This gives both the industry and the profession a credibility that it might otherwise not have, and provides the public with a pool of knowledgeable consultants to choose from. It also provides the industry with a great vehicle for keeping the consultants up-to-date, and for obtaining feedback from them. It does not, however, at this point, ensure that the accredited professional has any hands-on experience in the field, which puts the onus back onto the public to do their own background research before hiring.” Monica E. Kuhn, Accreditation Test Committee member “The State of North Carolina requires Landscape Architects registered with the state to demonstrate the ‘knowledge acquired by professional education or practical experience, or both.’ It is my interpretation that one who designs should have at least some minimal competency of the system he is designing. Since green roofs have liability associated issues, additional training should be sought after by professionals. There are some designers who feel that their current credentials should be enough to muddle through the project and no further accreditation should be necessary, however, these same professionals rush to have the initials LEED® after their names. No one will ever be injured when a LEED® point is miscalculated. The Green Roof Professional accreditation program will not guarantee complete competency but will surely provide the knowledge to locate the resources necessary to assist the design team.” Charles R. Friedrich, RLA, ASLA “The Green Roof Professional program draws upon the knowledge and talents of a very diverse body of participants. No single academic discipline covers the broad range of issues addressed with green roof design; issues involving plant ecology, architectural detailing, waterproofing, construction coordination, structural impact, cost considerations, and the ramifications for sustainability. Likewise, there is no current certification program to ensure a level of qualified expertise. The GRP accreditation will fill this void by establishing a recognized standard of knowledge for professional consulting services. Similar to the LEED® Accreditation Program, the GRP will have completed a series of training courses (or have obtained commensurate practical experience) and passed an exam. The construction industry will benefit tremendously by having access to expertise that is acknowledged by a professional peer group. In turn, opportunities for green roofs should expand as the technology becomes accepted and clients feel confident they are making intelligent and viable design choices.” Roger Schickedantz, WILLIAM McDONOUGH + PARTNERS, Accreditation Test Committee member “The development of a Green Roof Professional designation with registration administered by GRHC is a large step forward in development of professionalism within the industry. The vetted title of a GRP attesting to certain minimum requirements regarding education, personal work experience, expertise and ethics for green roof practitioners will drive green roof development in the right direction for the coming decades as the green roof movement moves towards maturity.” Tim Barrett, Barrett Company LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR FALL 43

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Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2008 Contents From the Founder: A Robust Economy Letters Strata - People, Products & Projects: Austin's Hotspot for Habitat & Baltimore Hilton Goes Green A Green Roof for a County Courthouse Research Grant for Design Tool On the Roof With... A New Vue on Downtown Open Space Sound Transmission Loss of Extensive Green Roofs On Target Optimizing for Sustainability First GRHC Green Roof Symposium in Florida Welcome New Corporate Members Professional Calendar Experts Reflect on the Value of the GRP

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Fall 2008

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