Eco-Roof - Central Library. 801 SW 10th Avenue Portland, OR 97205 In 2008, Multnomah County's Central Library became the first library in Oregon to feature an eco-roof. Constructed with living plants and simulating the processes that occur in nature, eco-roofs (also known as green roofs) absorb rain water like a meadow in a natural setting. The Central Library eco-roof provides a unique opportunity to showcase sustainable green roof technology in the context of a beloved historic landmark. Its palletized structure represents the next evolution in eco-roof designs. Tours Frequent backstage tours allow you to see the roof from windows overlooking the roof. Registration required; register online, in the library or by calling 503.988.5234. Green roof benefits Green roof technology has been used in countries around the world for decades. Reducing rainwater runoff.
Plants on the Central Library eco-roof Map of plants (PDF, 361KB) Over 17,000 plants were used to create the Central Library eco-roof. Project details Monitoring. Portland taking eco-roofs to a new level | kgw.com | KGW News | Portland, Oregon. PORTLAND -- The city of Portland wants to take the eco-roof concept to a new level by transforming building rooftops into actual wildlife habitats. An international eco-roof expert says it can be done. Wednesday, Dusty Gedge, president of the European Federation of Green-roof Associations, took a tour of some of Portland’s green roof-tops. Gedge says Portland is internationally known for its traditional eco-roofs which help reduce annual storm runoff by about 70 percent. But he says, with a few modifications, the green roofs also provide a home to wildlife like insects and birds.
"Roofs are a really good place to put these dry riverbed habitats. In summer it's really dry. In winter its quite wet and there's an ecology and nature that likes that, and roofs are the perfect place to do that," said Gedge. Tom Liptan, Environmental Specialist with Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services was on the tour and also sees the benefit of bio-diverse rooftop gardens.
Enviros and city of Portland cultivate a movement to top buildings with plants. Torsten Kjellstrand/The OregonianAnne and Franz Hanchek's ecoroof absorbs water and insulates the family room addition to their house. On the circa 1965 split-level home of Anne and Fran Hanchek an 18-by-18 -square-foot roof grows thyme, sedum and crocuses -- something you might expect to see in hip Portland neighborhoods or on newer buildings downtown -- but not in an area of Washington County outside the city limits.
If ecoroofs are sprouting up in the suburbs, does that mean they've gone mainstream? Not quite. But it could mean that vegetated or green roofs, as they're also known, are near a tipping point. "The idea is gaining recognition," says Tom Liptan, a landscape architect for the city of Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services and a nationally known ecoroof expert. The number has grown steadily since, here and abroad. City leaders recently upped the ante by penning a goal: to grow 43 acres of new green roofs in the next five years. Why the big push?
Projects - The Portland Building. Designers at Macdonald Environmental Planning, a Portland-based landscape architecture firm, were awarded the design contract, bringing their green roof experience to this challenging project. While green roofs are becoming more common in the Northwest, an experienced design professional is necessary to identify and avoid potential pitfalls related to proper plant and soil selection and green roof design and structural requirements For a high-profile project such as this, MEP chose to bring together the same design team that worked together on the successful Multnomah County Building Green Roof in Portland, a 15,000 square foot retrofit project just across the river from downtown.
MEP is continuing to lead, with 8 Portland green roof projects completed or underway, totaling over 50,000 square feet of green above ground. The individual experience of all design team members has helped contribute to a successful project process. 'Green' Roofs Sprout Up All Over. Oregon Field Guide — Green Roofs · Oregon Public Broadcasting.