Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Honors Top Projects

TORONTO, Ontario — Toronto-based, not-for-profit organization Green Roofs for Healthy Cities recently honored eight forward-thinking sustainability projects with a 2015 Award of Excellence.

The award, broken down into eight categories, acknowledges excellence in innovative and integrative green roofs and wall design, while also raising awareness of the many benefits green infrastructure can provide both to clients and the general public, according to a statement by the organization. The awards will be formally presented to recipients during the CitiesAlive conference in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Oct. 7.

Intensive Residential
New York Green Roofs LLC of New York was awarded the Intensive Residential prize for its work on the TriBeCa Loft, also in New York. The project retrofitted the rooftop of a 19th century loft building into a series of gardens described as both dynamic and diverse. The organization noted that “architecture meets nature to transform a penthouse residence into the ultimate garden apartment,” according to a statement.

Intensive Industrial/Commercial
Savino & Miller Design Studio, based in North Miami, Fla., is the winner of the Intensive Industrial/Commercial prize for work completed on the Aventura Optima Plaza in Aventura, Fla. Due to the loss of green space caused by the building’s construction, the rooftop garden was designed to return green space to the site. The finished product invites building employees to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, and includes a glass enclosed gymnasium and a tranquil space for relaxation, according to a statement.

Extensive Institutional
The Krisha P. Singh Center for Nanotechnology in Philadelphia, together with locally based designer Roofmeadow, was honored in the Extensive Institutional category. The building’s Meadow Roof is a prominent design feature that draws numbers of visitors. The project features floor-to-ceiling etched glass walls on three sides as well as a clear glass railing that opens to the city on the fourth side.

Extensive Industrial/Commercial
A formerly rundown 1950’s bowling alley in Red Deer, Alberta is now the winner of the Extensive Industrial/Commercial category award. The facility is now known as the Fidek Office Building and was completed by locally based Berry Architecture + Associates. Located in the heart of the city’s downtown, the green roof helped enhance the urban landscape both aesthetically and environmentally.

Small Scale Residential

Food security and changing sustainability demands in the region were the inspiration for the winning Small Scale Residential project. Locally based Johanne Daoust designed the green roof on a single-family home in Toronto.

Intensive Institutional

A garden atop the urban Helen Schuler Nature Center in Lethbridge, Alberta claimed the Intensive Institutional prize. Designed by O2 Planning + Design of Calgary, Alberta, the rooftop gardens help deliver diverse and dynamic nature interpretive programs, according to a statement. They also helped the facility earn LEED Gold certification and were constructed to provide a hands-on demonstration area and living classroom for center visitors.

External Green Wall

LiveWall LLC of Spring Lake, Mich., earned the External Green Wall honor for an impressive Breathe Wall installation in Grand Rapids, Mich. Located in an urban center, the wall was designed for easy redesign, with multiple rotating palettes of more than 70 different annual, edible and perennial species, according to a statement. The wall also functions as an abstract public art piece focused on plants as providers of both oxygen and natural beauty.

Special Recognition

Roofmeadow also received special recognition for its work on the LeFrak Lakeside Center in Prospect Park, N.Y. The recreation facility — inserted into a historic landscape — includes a green-roofed skating rink that blends seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. The design aimed to help preserve the historic nature of the site while also meeting the needs of a diverse and contemporary urban community, according to a statement.