Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2012 - (Page 31)

ANOTHER pROJECT   E ntwined in the green roof and wall industry since 1999, Virginia Russell, associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Cincinnati is no wallflower. Russell studied at the University of Kentucky, earning a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture before pursuing her Master’s Degree at Ohio State University. A former national vice president of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) she is currently working on sustainable strategies for the first LEED Platinum project in Ohio as well as a preliminary site management plan for the World Heritage UNESCO site of Troy, in Turkey. In addition, Russell is working on developing “infrastructure reserves”, for projects that measure the value of a vacant lot. Biodiversity, energy generation and conservation, food production and other benefits are reviewed with this tool so the true cost of any infill development will reflect the loss of that potential contribution. “One of those little consumer whereabouts cards… Every time you make a purchase or have a kid or donate to Goodwill your plant-based plastic card gets swiped and your carbon footprint is announced, loudly, and recorded digitally with your birth certificate and eventually, with your death certificate- at which time your carbon footprint contributes to or subtracts from the value of your estate. There would be substantial rewards for good behaviour, like getting to vote twice for President.” “Roofs are the high points of our city topography, the place where the ancients would have put temples.” As Chair of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Green Roof Professional Committee, Russell says she would like to see more rigor as a focus for the future of the GRP Program. “Now that we’ve sent out the first wave of Green Roof Professionals, we can start implementing the next logical steps to consider apprenticeships, levels of competence and the development of more specialized areas of expertise.” Russell enjoys her association with the GRP pioneers and feels that at the root of the program one of the original ideas was to be inclusive to people of all kinds as long as they believed in and wanted to participate in the growth of living architecture. Russell says she hopes we will soon see more protection for biological diversity in North America. “I would also like to see policy and incentive programs that favour retrofit over new construction… because reducing consumption is the most crucial component of sustainability.” Virginia’s experience and influence on her students is palpable. As a hands on, inclusive professor it is easy to see why she is so highly rated by her students. “Virginia inspired me to become a GRP,” says Ico Abréu, “I’ll be the first [GRP] in my country (Dominican Republic)”. Huan QI, of China, says that “not only did Virginia teach me knowledge about green architecture and sustainable design, her continuous encouragement and interesting style of teaching lead me closer to the sustainable green industries.” As a professor she says she “can’t pinpoint any single accomplishment of importance that wasn’t motivated by her students.” Virginia’s passion and expertise in the green roof and wall industry are inspiring. Here we have a pioneer who has kept her finger on the life-line of all things green and sustainable. As Russell says, “Roofs are the high points of our city topography, the place where the ancients would have put temples.” You can find Virginia Russell profiled in the Rise of Living Architecture available this October. Emily Gillings-Peck is the sssistant to the education manager at Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. I n 2001, the City of Toronto published the City of Toronto Natural Heritage Study–Final Report. Several findings of the report have important ramifications for how green roofs are designed and how they can promote biodiversity. According to the NHS although 13.5% of the total city area is covered by natural habitat, the “habitat is unevenly distributed, with most of the larger patches located in the Rouge River and Highland Creek watersheds.” Most natural habitat patches are small (less than five hectares), have convoluted rather than simple shapes, and are thus vulnerable to negative urban pressures. The City of Toronto’s Green Roof Bylaw requires the construction of green roofs on new building developments (commercial, institutional and residential) with a minimum Gross Floor Area of 2,000m². The percentage of green roof coverage area required is based upon the total gross floor area of the building, varying between LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / SUMMER 2012 / 31 http://www.hanging-gardens.com http://www.hanging-gardens.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2012

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2012
Contents
Letter from the Chairman
From the Founder
New Standard on the Use of Lightweight Aggregate
Urban Agriculture Declaration Caps Amazing Summit Debut
Economics of Biophilic Design
Brad Rowe, David Spalding, Cornelia Oberlander, Paul Kephart
Green Roofing Industry Sees Triple Digit Growth
Green Roof Local Market Symposiums
Industry Professionals Weigh in on Growing Media Quality Control!
CitiesAlive in Chicago Oct 17th – 19th
Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition Changes our Perspectives on Infrastructure
Improving Tax Abatement
10th Anniversary Commemorative Pull Out Section
Halifax Seaport Farmer’s Market
Leadership Knows No Bounds- Virginia Russell
Policy Profile- A Home for Biodiversity on Green Roofs
New Industry Products
Plant Profile: Chives Thrive on Green Roofs
Half a year, Full-Fledged Growth
In God We Trust – All Others Bring Data!
New Corporate Members
Professional Calendar
GRHC Buyers Guide
Green Supremacy by Zach Williams

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2012