Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2012 - (Page 21)

error and equipment failure have proven to be the most frequent causes of plant casualties, closely followed by the underestimation of the early maintenance requirements,” as explained by Genevieve Noel, owner of Mubi in Vancouver, British Columbia. All outdoor installations depend upon frequent maintenance visits and rigorous assessments during their acclimatization period. The learning curve is steep and onsite observations of how the plants are adapting to their new microsite may significantly alter the original maintenance plan, due to local influences. In 2010-11, Vancouver experienced its coldest winter on record, which greatly impacted living walls. This cautionary tale indicates that it would be wise to build elasticity into our plant palettes by including a wide range of species, especially from harsher adjacent climate zones. This strategy would increase biodiversity and resiliency. As we implement a wide number of living wall type green wall systems in different climates, we will continue to gain a better understanding of their performance. Maintenance however, will remain absolutely critical to the long term success of these technologies. GRP IN FOCUS: MARY ANN UHLMANN How long have you been a GRP? MU: I’m proud to say that I participated successfully in the first GRP accreditation testing given in my hometown, Atlanta, GA in June, 2009. It was exciting to be among this select, dedicated group of green roof professionals, many of whom I had the privilege of working with and/or knowing since attending my first CitiesAlive Conference in 2003. Did you ﬁnd the process to become a GRP difﬁcult at any point? MU: At the time, the process to become a GRP involved travel to sites where the classes were held. While my position at Tremco Roofing involves a lot of travel, syncing up those dates become a little problematic. I’m happy to see that GRHC’s response to the growing demand for this accreditation has been to make this process much easier. Have you worked on any projects that your GRP designation particularly assisted in your success? Is there anything you would like to see added to the GRP program? Green Roofs for Healthy Cities MU: For me, as an Environhas an online course mental Horticulturist and Introduction to Green Walls Certified Sustainable Landavailable through the Living scape Professional, the GRP Architecture Academy www.livingarchitectureacademy.com. designation provides an instant, distinctive description of my To purchase: Green Walls 101: unique professional expertise Introduction to Systems and Design 2nd Edition please visit and experience. I make sure to www.greeninfrastructurestore.com include the GRP accreditation RESOURCES in all of my bio material, signatures and in particular, when introducing myself in all business situations. While admittedly, this accreditation is still gaining momentum as a recognized and important professional designation, the mention of it always creates a distinction none other can. It would be very beneficial to create regional climate-based learning sessions. For those of us who are fortunate enough to be involved in projects all over North America, it would be invaluable to tap into those types of resources. What are some of the projects you’ve worked on since becoming a GRP? MU As Manager, Vegetated Roofing Program Development at Tremco Roofing, I am involved at some level with all of the vegetated roofing projects for which our Senior and Asso- ciate Field Representatives provide system approaches and materials all over the US. Some recent projects include the Dupage County Courthouse, Dupage, IL, the MD Anderson Labyrinth Garden, Orlando, FL, the Ortega Library, San Francisco, CA and the Atlanta Sam Nunn Federal Courthouse Vegetated Roof in Atlanta, GA. Certainly, the installation of the vegetated roof at our Tremco Incorporated headquarters in Beachwood, OH has been particularly satisfying professionally and personally. What element of the GRP program are you most fond of? MU Without any doubt, it was the shared experiences with other green roof professionals and the GRHC instructors I met while attending the courses. The interaction and synergy was amazing and inspiring. LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / WINTER 2012 / 21 http://www.livingarchitectureacademy.com http://www.greeninfrastructurestore.com

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

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2012
Contents
From the Founder
Bookshelf
New Kid on the Green Roof
New Incentives for Green Roofs
On the Roof with Ben Flanner
Award Winning Green Roof and Wall Projects Represent!
Awards of Excellence Profiles
CitiesAlive 2012 – Building a Legacy of Outstanding Performance in Chicago!
Recognizing the Pioneer that was Malcolm Wells
Green roof and wall performance standards volunteers required!
Plant Profile: Thymus
Project Profile: Green Wall Maintenance Madness
GRP in Focus: Mary Ann Uhlmann
Project Profile: Healthy Haven for Community Members
A Positive Outlook for Urban Greening of Vacant Lots
A Green Space is a Clean Space
The Ambassador Program
Professional Calendar
New Corporate Members
GRHC Buyers Guide
Back to Planning’s Roots

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2012