urban agriculture and retrofit green roofs by: liza badaloo
TRANSCRIPT
401 Richmond St. West: History
Previously the Macdonald Manufacturing Co.
Known worldwide for quality metal lithographs
Building was completed in 1923.
The Transformation
1994: from historic 200,000 square foot factory to affordable downtown workspace
Most work done in 18 months
Philosophical Approaches
"Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings; new ideas must use old buildings“ (Jacobs, 1961)
vibrant mix of tenants commercial, cultural
and community activities
Rooftop Garden Elements
Began in 1995“Retrofit” greenroof 6500 square ft cedar deckLarge planters, 40 ft greenhouse, shaded
pergola (with hanging baskets, trees and shrubs)
Rooftop Urban Agriculture Project
Implemented in 2003Planter boxes constructed from leftover
plywood from the building workshopSome plants grown from seed in the
greenhouse, some purchased from Foodshare’s rooftop garden
Organic gardening methods were used
Urban Agriculture Project Cont….
Compost tumbler was used to provide fresh compost for plantar boxes, eliminating the need to hoist new soil onto the roof
local peat moss was used to add bulk and structure to soil
Benefits: Warmth and Roof Protection
The roof garden cedar deck provides an additional air pocket over part of the 3rd floor roof, which protects the roof membrane from freeze-thaw stretching, and provides a layer of winter insulation for the suites underneath
Reduction in heating costs for the building
Benefits: Shade
The roof garden deck and plants provide summer shade which serves to cool the suites that lie directly beneath
Reduction in cooling costs for the buildingReduces the urban heat island effect for
the city, thus reducing cooling costs for the entire city
Benefits: Stormwater Retention and Air Pollution
The trees and shrubs in the roof garden work to mitigate air pollution by trapping particulates and absorbing gaseous emissions that arise from the busy streets surrounding the building: increases air quality
Plants trap and hold rainfall that prevents polluted stormwater runoff from leaving part of the building roof: reduces CSO occurrences
Benefits: Biodiversity
The plants and flowers in the roof garden are selected, in part, for their ability to attract bees, butterflies, ladybugs, birds and other insects: increases insect and bird biodiversity
Benefits: Social
Provides tenants and visitors with a peaceful oasis in the downtown core for eating, meetings, relaxing, etc.
Trees and plants provide insulation from street noise as well as necessary shade
Benefits: Social Cont….
Residents can learn about organic gardening
Increases awareness about the potential of rooftop urban agriculture
Benefits: Food!
Peas, red cabbage, tomatoes, lettuce and many herbs are produced
Over $1500 worth of produce was produced in the first year of the project
Food used by the building café and donated to urban food security organizations
Improvement Considerations
Primary Usages/Functions: Open to the public (building code compliance,
such as rails, occupancy, etc.) Aesthetically pleasing Available for urban agriculture Increased stormwater retention Decreased urban heat island effects Increased biodiversity
Improvement Considerations Cont….
Building Structure Considerations: Roof load capacity (could put more weight on
columns, load-bearing walls, etc.) Roof membrane Drainage
Cost More costs in the first two years to establish
plants
Improvement Considerations Cont….
Time Can more time be
devoted to maintenance during the first two years?
How much time can be devoted to ongoing maintenance?
Improvement Suggestion
Replace large area of gravel by the greenhouse with extensive green roof elements such as hardy grasses, sedums, mosses, sempervivums, festucas, irises or wildflowers.
Why Extensive?
This part of the roof: Is a large area Cannot support high loads Is not used by tenants/guests
Extensive elements are: Comparatively inexpensive Comparatively low maintenance Do not require complex drainage systems
Improvement Benefits
More stormwater retention More countering of the urban heat island effect More reductions in heating/cooling building costs More air pollution reductions More roof membrane protection More attractive than gravel! Increases awareness of extensive green roof techniques
to a wide audience
***all the benefits of an extensive roof PLUS access!
Future of Green Roofs in Toronto?
February 2006: Toronto City Council approved the Green Roofs Strategy which includes: Installing green roofs on new and existing city
buildings when possible Offering financial incentives for retrofit green
roofs Generally recognizing the environmental, social
and economic potential for green roofs in Toronto