Green roof installations
take a lot of planning- just like with any construction project. The efficiencies that I saw from proper
project management also led to profitable outcomes. However, one of the biggest challenges that
any contractor (and manufacturer, quite honestly) faces is AFTER then
installation.
When green roofs are
installed in early summer, the plant material has to be maintained with more
attention than if they were planted in late fall. The possibility of high temperatures with
limited natural rain events makes me anxious to get up there and irrigate. There is a fine balance here, because I want
the plants to acclimate so they are not reliant on anything supplemental, but
they do need to live.
In the case of the Bronx project, we had a problem getting water from inside
the building to the roof. And once we did
get water, there was not enough pressure to water across the entire roof
area. So, we rigged up a fire hose from
a bathroom and through a door. We also
brought up a pump booster. I hauled Netafim drip tube from Baltimore-
that would have been easier than trying to find it locally. But it WORKED!
We had water for the summer time.
As I mentioned, the
Courthouse was across from Yankee Stadium.
As with many rooftops in NYC, the views are amazing and you can pick out
signature landmarks no matter where you were.
Perhaps the scurry to get the irrigation working on the roof drew
attention to the fact that this roof was somewhat accessible. Late one afternoon, a group of firemen came
out and climbed a ladder to a penthouse roof and took some amazing photos with
the green roof and all of NYC in the background. But I was mostly focused on the iconic
firemen. Haha
