BB Club Padlet Wall: Project Truffula by Susan Engstrom

A: Site Description of Building,, Climate, and Neighborhood

hipsterlove39 — 2014-04-25 01:39:46 UTC

The building unit is 50 feet tall, 50 feet wide, and 100 feet deep back in an alley. Five Brownstone Rowhouses are connected to the same unit you are considering, all of the same dimensions. This graph pertains to Brooklyn because it is the climate of the area, as you can see during the months of June, July, August, and September a Green Roof is very beneficial. However, during the winter months it is not as beneficial, but still good for the insulation of your home.

B: Statement of the heat island problem that green roofs address in New York City

hipsterlove39 — 2014-04-25 01:40:59 UTC

With a green roof there are many advantages and few disadvantages. The biggest advantage of it all is that it helps the planet. There are large quantities of pollution in city air, so green roofs drastically help with the air quality in the city, which results in more city wildlife and creates ecosystems. However, the installation of the green roof, the roof's support beams, and potential repairs are costly. In addition to costing more than a normal roof, they do take a considerable amount of maintenance and require all of the needs of a normal garden. Although it is expensive, cost cuts can be made elsewhere in the money saved from heating and cooling. It helps air quality, increases fire resistance, better regulation of building temperatures, and reduces urban heat island effect.

C: Advantages of Green Roofs

hipsterlove39 — 2014-04-25 01:42:03 UTC

Advantages:

-reduction on the amount of storm water runoff, a green roof's plants will absorb some of the water

-reduced urban heat island effect because there will be less pavement, and more foliage

-roofs increase the life of roof membranes by limiting the amount of UV

-ecosystem services in urban areas

-increase the amount of urban wildlife

-better regulation of building temperatures compared to non-green roof buildings

-increase fire resistance

-improved air quality

The graph below represents the absorption of blacktop roofs. Almost all of the energy is absorbed and makes the house below over 100+ degrees. The white top roofs absorb almost none of the sunlight and keep the house cool, due to their high albedo. Green Roofs are in the middle range and absorb enough light for the plants while keeping the house below the roof cool (between 50 and 100 degrees).

The Rest of the Graphs: http://padlet.com/hipsterlove39/dvdmlnrhgucp

E: Type of Green Roof

hipsterlove39 — 2014-04-25 01:42:38 UTC

The type of Green Roof we want to introduce to this neighborhood is called an "eco-roof." This is a type of roof placed just above the actual roofing. To install the roof, the tiles are removed, an irrigation system is installed, and drainage systems and root barriers are put in as well. Afterwards soil is layered on top and grass and other vegetation grows.

Source: http://www.innovativeroofs.com/green-roofing/

F: Types of Plants on the Green Roof (4)

hipsterlove39 — 2014-04-25 01:43:19 UTC

According to this site, there are several plants that thrive well on a Green Roof. Some of these plants include: Black-eyed Susan's, blue grass, sedums, and wild flowers. Wild Flowers are among the more popular because of their beauty, however, they require more room.

Source: http://greengarage.ca/greenroofs/plants.php

Our Proposal:

hipsterlove39 — 2014-04-25 01:44:39 UTC

To Further advance the technology and "greenness" of New York, we propose that several households in Brooklyn choose a Green Roof to put on the top of their property. A Green Roof is basically a garden atop your roof used for not only the plants, but for your economic benefit as well.

D: Disadvantages of Green Roof

hipsterlove39 — 2014-04-25 13:51:00 UTC

Disadvantages

-a higher cost to build than traditional roofs

-costly repairs

-stronger roof beams to support the layers of the green roof, mostly the soil

-if built in places susceptible to bad weather there is a great chance of the plants not surviving

-some take a lot of maintenance

The graph below tells us how heavy Green Roofs are, which is one of the disadvantages.

Comparison Between Traditional Roofing and Green Roofing

hipsterlove39 — 2014-04-25 13:54:03 UTC

Source: www.greenroofguide.co.uk/benifits/

Information on Albedo

hipsterlove39 — 2014-04-25 14:03:01 UTC

The Albedo of the earth is very high. Due to the heat coming off of all the black-top roofs in Brooklyn, the Albedo is increased quite dramatically. The Albedo of the earth will decrease very quickly if one in every 10 row houses in Brooklyn adds a green roof to their structure.

H: Summary

hipsterlove39 — 2014-05-01 13:04:52 UTC

We are proposing an "eco-roof" to the climate and environment of New York City's Burro's Brooklyn. Deleloped in the 1960's, Green Roofs have become increasingly popular. We argue that that the "eco-roof" is an environmentally and economically friendly structure that will benefit the area of New York City's Burro's Brooklyn.

Average Green House Structure

hipsterlove39 — 2014-05-01 13:39:49 UTC

Peer Editing

hipsterlove39 — 2014-05-01 15:34:42 UTC

I have gone through the entirety of the site to ensure that every phrase is in the best possible context it can be.