Centre for the Advancement of Green Roof Technology

Location

555 Great Northern Way

Vancouver, BC

Canada

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Certifications & Awards
Project Team
  • Designers: BCIT students and Maureen Connelly, Faculty
  • Structural/ Mechanical/ Electrical Engineers: Earth Tech Consulting Engineers
  • Landscape Architect: Cornelia Hahn Oberlander Landscape Architect
  • Contractor: School of Construction and the Environment at BCIT

Summary

The British Columbia of Institute of Technology(BCIT) Green Roof Research Facility (GRRF) was designed as a dedicated field test site to monitor real-time performance of green roofs and to demonstrate the feasibility of green roofs in BC's coastal climate.

The facility includes three 33m2 research roofs. One is a reference roof with no green roof system, and on either side of this roof are two green roofs. The facility has an easily accessible viewing platform for educational purposes. 

The GRRF hosts a weather station which includes 93 data collection points that monitor growing medium temperature, heat loss and gain, solar radiation and reflected solar radiation, soil moisture, stormwater runoff rates, and water quality of each system.

 

This post was imported from the 'Greater Vancouver Green Guide', it's part of the 'Green Guide Portal' to the Green Building Brain.

Our History: In 2002, a stakeholder workshop identified barriers to the emerging green roof industry in BC, and agreed upon the importance of research and partnerships. A dedicated Green Roof Research Facility was devised with collaborative support from industry, government and academic partners. The Centre became the hub for green roof research and industry in western Canada.

The Centre was established in 2003 with the construction of a dedicated research facility at the Great Northern Way campus. As part of its polytechnic stream, the Centre's mandate is applied research and education. The Centre also works with industry for direction on education and policy mechanisms, and conducts third party testing of industry products to help optimize system designs according to the local climate.

The major barriers to green roof market penetration in B.C. identified by the 2002 workshop included lack of climate-specific performance data, absence of third party testing and verification of green roof systems, and lack of demonstrated feasibility.

Our Goal: to examine and optimize the interface between the natural and built environment. The first phase of research (2002-2007) quantified green roof performance for stormwater mitigation, membrane durability and thermal efficiency in the climate of coastal BC. These results can be found in Information Resources/ Publications. The second phase (2007-2010) will expand research themes to embrace acoustics, living walls, biodiversity, and materials research.

The Centre was established to:

  • Conduct applied research evaluating green roof performance in Vancouver's temperate climate;
  • Evaluate green roof performance in other parts of the region through a Regional Infrastructure Network;
  • Provide third party testing/ verification of green roof products and systems with the Roofing Evaluation Module (REM);
  • Support innovations in technology and process within the local green roof industry;
  • Synthesize links across disciplines of horticulture, architecture, building science and construction management through collaboration;
  • Provide educational and practical training opportunities for all aspects of green roof technology;
  • Increase public awareness of green roof technology and knowledge of its benefits through education and demonstration.

Tours and presentations: Available upon request

More info: http://commons.bcit.ca/greenroof/