Over the summer Middlebury College installed its second living “green roof” atop the new Squash Center. A company called Live Roof oversaw the installation process that occurred from August 18-22. The first green roof at the college was installed in 2004 on top of Atwater Dining Hall.
Although green roofs have origins in ancient times, modern green roof technology has improved the system of installation and cultivation so that they provide even larger ecological and environmental benefits. The new green roof on campus consists of many pallets and trays of sedum plants, which were transported by cranes and then arranged on the already flat roof of the building. These succulent plants are known for requiring minimal water and maintenance once established, proving to be sustainable for long-term care.
According to Project Manager Mark Gleason, who coordinated with the architects and engineers of this project, green roofs are beneficial to both the building and the environment. The plants help foster greater biodiversity, especially as when compared to traditional roofing methods. In addition to providing a small amount of habitat, the greenery also acts as protection to the roof’s membrane. “It delays the storm water run-off as it is absorbed in the plants’ soil,” Gleason said. The water then percolates and saturates, reducing peak run-off from possibly damaging the roof. The plants also naturally cool the building by absorbing sunlight. This increased thermal performance will hopefully reduce the cooling load of the building, adding an economical benefit to the project.
“[The athletic] department has a strong interest in sustainability,” said Director of Athletics Erin Quinn. “I love that athletics and facilities have this orientation to involve and engage sustainability in the decisions that we are making.” Quinn noted that meetings and discussions across different disciplines and departments — ranging from the environmental studies department to facilities — helped make this green roof come alive.
More than an ecological function, the roof provides aesthetic benefits as well. “You can see it from the golf course and Kenyon lounge. Instead of seeing a normal flat roof, we can now look out on a green space,” Gleason said.
“Because it’s visible and tangible, it prompts conversations,” said Quinn. “In part it is aesthetics—a green roof is much more preferable to an asphalt roof. The other nice part is that it creates discussions about sustainability. Most of the time, sustainability systems are invisible to viewers. Now we have a very prominently visual feature which prompts conversations that might not have been started otherwise.”
The delay in the green roof installation with the opening of the new squash facility was due to budgeting questions at the time. “The green roof was always a vision for the Squash Center,” Gleason said. “When it first opened, we didn’t have all the final costs of both projects, and we wanted to make sure we had the funding before we designated the money to go toward the roof,” he said.
Gleason noted that the college also considers solar and other forms of green energy when constructing or renovating buildings. “Middlebury has a longstanding commitment to sustainability,” he said. “With each new building project, we always consider how we can make it sustainable.”
