Temple University Installs Green Roof Atop New Library

May 12, 2016 2402 Views Clow Social Science Center, Eastern U.S., House Bill 2, LLP; Manhattan Construction Group; presidential library; Southern Methodist University, Miron Construction Co. Inc., Obama administration, Part 2, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

PHILADELPHIA — Temple University in Philadelphia has constructed multiple buildings to achieve LEED certification in the past years and continues to work towards a sustainable campus. The university’s current project is installing a green roof on top of the new library. The green roof will be one of the largest in Pennsylvania, according to Temple Update.

The 46,000-square-foot rooftop garden will feature a stormwater management system, permeable paving and rainwater harvesting cisterns. The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) loaned Temple University more than $6.7 million in low interest funding for the installation. The project will be one of seven water infrastructure projects supported by the loan, said Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf in a statement in late April, reported Temple Update.

The loan for the green roof installation is part of an effort to stop erosion and sediment runoff from entering the public sewer and stormwater systems. The loan will specifically help the university’s efforts to design innovative projects while engineering buildings that will lower energy requirements and stormwater runoff.

Not only will the green roof boost sustainability for the library, but it will also feature a terrace and seating area outside the library’s fourth-floor reading room, according to Temple Update. The terrace will face a hillside portion of the rooftop garden that is fully covered with different low-level plants. University officials believe the roof will absorb rainwater and will act as a thermal barrier to regulate temperature in the building.

Over the next 20 years, Temple University plans to redevelop a large part of the campus to be sustainable, but many of the projects will take place within the next five years and will add a lot of green features, according to James Templeton, Temple’s director of Architectural Services, in a statement by Temple University’s Office of Sustainability.

Temple University is already home to buildings that are LEED Gold and Silver certified as well as environmentally friendly transportation options. Due to the university’s central location, regional rail lines and a bike share program are available to students and will help keep the university’s footprint smaller, according to the Office of Sustainability. Kathleen Grady, Temple’s director of sustainability, said that university leaders are constantly looking for ways to either reduce overall energy demand or find more renewable options for powering the institution, according to the Office of Sustainability.