Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2009 - (Page 17)

A GREEN ROOF AT SEA ost people find the idea of a garden or lawn on a 15-storey building quite unusual. Now imagine a grassy playing field, 15-storeys up on the deck of an oceangoing cruise-ship. That is exactly what this year’s Special Recognition award winner is: at 122,000 tons and 1,033 feet long, the Celebrity Solstice is a recent addition to the Celebrity Cruises’ fleet with an important difference: an authentic 15,000-square-foot grass green roof that covers one-quarter of the uppermost deck of the ship. The Lawn Club provides the perfect venue for guests to enjoy bocce, croquet, a picnic with wine and cheese or a round of golf – all while cruising on the ocean. Testing was performed in Miami and Germany, as well as on a cruise ship, with various grass types leading to the development of a daunting list of requirements including: a layer set-up that could support Arctic, Northern Europe, Mediterranean and tropical weather conditions; wind resistance for wind speeds 100 miles per hour (mph) and wind gusts over 120 mph; a system stable enough to withstand sliding (the ship tilts up to 12° or 27 percent); and HOSTING EVERYTHING FROM BOCCE TO PICNICS, THIS CRUISING GREEN ROOF IS AN INDUSTRY FIRST CATEGORY SPECIAL RECOGNITION M vegetation that could be highly salt tolerant and a maximum weight of 130 metric tons for a 15,000-square-foot green roof. Finally, as the ship’s “Lawn Club,” this green roof required that the chosen vegetation be prime turf grass to support activities such as bocce, croquet and golf-putting. Although impressive on its own, the Lawn Club stands out all the more for being part of a ship-design philosophy concerned with overall sustainability including elements such as photovoltaics, reuse and refining of oil on board and a water run-off collection tank for the green roof itself. The mark of a truly innovative project is not only the questions it answers, but also the questions it invites. Our judges commented not only on how innovative and unique the Solstice was, but on the world of possibilities it opens up. New insights into salt and wind tolerance for green roof vegetation and new models for recreational green roofs on buildings are just two of the many possible spin-offs possible from this industry-first green roof. D SPECS PROJECT: Celebrity Solstice (cruise ship) – Lawn Club AWARD RECIPIENT: Green Roof Service LLC (System Design, Green Roof Expertise) CLIENT: Celebrity Cruises SHIP DESIGN: Wilson Butler Architects INSTALLATION: Borchers GmbH MATERIAL SUPPLY: Optigreen International AG TURFGRASS CONSULTANT: Dr. John Cisar, University of Florida U.S. GROWING MEDIA SUPPLIER: Skyland USA LLC Images courtesy of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and Green Roof Service LLC “The plants are confronted with wind speeds up to 100 miles per hour, occasional salt concentrations 15 times higher than a well-seasoned steak and 2500 new guest and visitors each week playing bocce, croquet or improving their putting skills on the Lawn Club.” Jörg Breuning, co-owner, Green Roof Service LLC

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2009

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2009
The Case for Mandated Green Roofs
Citiesalive!
Student Sustainable Design Competition
GIF Road Show
U.S. Green Roof Industry Grew By 35 Percent in 2008
Part 1 of 2: Risk-Reduction Tools
On the Roof With . . .
The World's First Accredited Green Roof Professionals (GRPs)
A Haven for Butterflies
A Green Roof at Sea
A Biophilic Oasis
A Green Roof for Every Angle
Community Focal Point
Nature in the City
Growing Lives
A Green Roof with Wings
A Policy Pioneer
A Dedicated Researcher
Designing a Better Future
Fire & Wind Standards
GHRC Professional Development Calendar
Welcome New Corporate Members
Green Wall Research
Standing the Test of Time

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2009