Recover Green Roofs

Casa B Tropical Green Wall

2011-12-13T16:55:00.006-05:00

Recover recently installed a low-light tropical green wall at Casa B, a new tapas bar opening up in Union Square, Somerville, MA.

Plant Connection planted the wall horizontally and slowly orientated it vertically as the roots established.

Recover's horticulturist, Lydia Silva, provides weekly maintenance. This involves adjusting irrigation and lighting as needed, inspecting for and removing pests, pruning, fertilizing, and replacing dead vegetation.

Please visit Casa B for delicious latin cuisine, to enjoy a beautiful and unique atmosphere, and to support great ownership.

State University of New York- Maple Street Garage Green Roof

2011-11-07T19:07:00.010-05:00

Recover recently completed an American Hydrotech intensive, 15,000 sq.ft. green roof above the Maple Street Parking Garage located at the Washington Center of the SUNY Orange Campus. Built into a hillside, the roof allows walk-on access and spectacular views overlooking the Hudson River.

Garden beds and drainage board were integrated into poured concrete walkways, allowing for drainage between garden beds, below hardscaping, and off the roof into a curtain drain system.

Design details such as granite stone curb and a river stone veg-free zone will look great for the life of the building.

Final planting of grasses, groundcover, trees, shrubs, and perennial flowers was completed just before a Halloween snowstorm. We're excited to see roof after it fills in this spring!

UPDATE: Ledge Kitchen and Drinks, 'food roof'

2011-07-27T22:00:00.005-04:00

Second season harvests from The Ledge's rooftop garden, or 'food roof' are really starting to yield. The 1,500 sq.ft. of planted roof is yielding tomatoes, cucumbers, japanese eggplant, radishes, kale, herbs and much more.

Jason, from Green City Growers, manages farming operations.

Recover's intern, Indira, visiting the site for the first time; learning about the cooperation between restaurant chefs, Green City Growers and Recover.

We're excited about full size heirloom tomatoes right around the corner...

Winchester Residential

2011-07-08T14:13:00.016-04:00

Recover recently completed a green roof project in Winchester, MA.

The ceiling was vaulted, and a 6"x14" LVL ridge beam replaced the broken 2"x8" ridge beam. All rafters were sistered with 2"x10"s.

Benjamin's Construction removed the old shingled roof, built a new roof deck, and installed a fully adhered TPO membrane. The heat-welded TPO membrane acts as both a waterproof layer and a root barrier.

Due to the 4:12 roof pitch, Recover installed anti-slip cleats to hold the green roof in place. Below the cleats are drainage, moisture retention, and capillary layers.

A lull was used to convey both the growing media and sedum blankets.

A day-one green roof:

UPDATE: Novartis Research Facility: Green Roof and Patio Hardscape

2011-05-23T17:55:00.008-04:00

Recover recently carried out planting of sedum mats at Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Inc, located in Cambridge, MA. The employee recreation space, located on the 4th floor roof, overlooks the bustling Central Square biotech campus. Sedum mats from Sedum Master were still a bit red as they are just coming out of dormancy from the cool Canadian Spring.

Installation of Wausau Tile hardscape patio and Tremco green roof components were carried out by Recover in November 2010, but cold weather delayed planting until Spring.

The protected membrane will last longer and creates an aesthetically pleasing outdoor escape for employees.

Chicken Wagon

2011-04-20T18:58:00.005-04:00

Recover kept busy this winter building a chicken wagon for Greenhorns out in Staatsburg, NY. With the help of Elise McMahon, the wagon was designed and built using all reclaimed lumber found on Greenhorns' farm.

Farmer Kiley moves the wagon around his cow pasture helping distribute the chickenpoop fertilizer.

The green roof helps cool the wagon on hot summer days.

NYC Parks & Recreation: Bioroof test plot

2010-12-10T16:14:00.018-05:00

NYC's Department of

Parks & Recreation is testing different green roof systems on top of their Randall Island Headquarters. MTech's Adie Jewett facilitated building a Bioroof test plot on the roof and asked Recover to help oversee the project.

Based out of Ontario, Bioroof uses the most advanced biomimicry of any other green roof manufacturer in the world. Pictured on the right is the Bioroof drainage/retention layer which helps the system provide a high moisture to weight ratio at 1.5 gallons to 25 lbs/square foot. In the background are the Triboro Bridge tollbooths.

Working with Bioroof's founder, Rick Buist, and the Park & Rec staff, Recover built two planter boxes, one 6 inches deep and the other 3 inches deep. Due to the late season build, the boxes will be planted in the Spring with wild flower seeds and sedum mats.

A 30-person Park & Rec bucket brigade conveyed 5 cubic yards of Bioroof's organic growing media up onto the third story roof. The crew at ground level shoveled the media into 5 gallon buckets, and a scissor lift delivered them up to the second story where the brigade pulled the buckets up to the 3rd floor using ropes.

The wind chill kept the crew in good spirits, and they made quick work of the build.

Novartis Research Facility: Green Roof and Patio Hardscape

2010-12-03T17:43:00.021-05:00

Recover completed construction of a green roof and hardscape patio located on the fourth floor of Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics, Inc in Cambridge, MA.

Built using Tremco components, the extensive vegetated roof area is a simple aesthetic accent to this employee recreation space.

Read ‘lite’ brand soil from Read Custom Soils was distributed and wrapped in burlap. A sedum mat with 13 varieties will be planted in the spring.A smooth Mexican black stone was used in the vegetation free zones along the building and parapet edges .

The hardscape patio area consists of Wausau Tile pedestals and pavers used to create an elevated and level patio spaceabove the sloped EPDM Tremco Membrane.

Located adjacent to an employee kitchen and lounge, this outdoor space will make for a great place to relax, eat or take in views of the neighborhood.

Spring planting will brighten the space and complete the project.

Nahant, MA: Green Roof Leak Repair

2010-10-22T14:52:00.026-04:00

Recover was recently contacted by a waterfront homeowner in Nahant, MA whose green roof, of unknown age, had begun leaking. The roof leak was suspected to have been caused by a contractor who had recently completed work on the home.

A membrane product number was used identify the age of the EPDM membrane to be 23 years. More overburden was removed to further inspect the membrane; revealing a 13’x8’ area.

All other areas of the roof were in remarkably good shape and a testament to the benefits of a properly installed and maintained green roof.

Tightly grouped punctures covering a 6”x6” area were repaired. A small membrane seam that had not been properly covered with root barrier was also discovered and repaired.

The job was completed with construction of raised planter boxes, an extended patio and replanting of many of the previously removed plants.

Recent rainstorms have demonstrated success in the membrane repair.

UPDATE: DEP Pilot Project: Public School 118, New York- Mayor Bloomberg Visit

2010-10-04T17:01:00.009-04:00

As reported by the New York Deparment of Environmental Protection, Mayor Michael Bloomberg visits the green roof built by Recover Green Roofs and Highview Creations atop Public School 118 in Queens, NY. The green roof was the mayors stage to announce a "new green infrastructure plan to reduce sewer overflows, improve quality of city waterways and save $2.4 billion."

The plan utilizes green roofs as one of tools to help mitigate stormwater and save money through city wide infrastructure investments.

Medusa, NY Carport

2010-09-20T16:45:00.015-04:00

Britt and Rosy Winterer hired Recover Green Roofs to build a green roof on top of their carport in Medusa, NY.

The existing structure couldn't support the extra weight so it was torn down and rebuilt using 6"x6" posts, a 32' long 4"x10" LVL header and doubled 2"x12" joists.

Recover built a 4" deep extensive green roof using pre-vegetated sedum mats sprinkled with a handful of opuntia cacti. The roof was 80% green on day one, and the family was happy to watch the sun set from their new roof deck.

DEP Pilot Project: Public School 118, New York

2010-08-23T22:42:00.009-04:00

Recently returned from New York City assisting Highview Creations on 3,000 s.f. extensive green roof located on Public School 118 in Jamaica Queens. The project is part of a pilot study by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. A single building rooftop contains a green roof, blue roof, and traditional tar-pebble roof (control roof).

The planned monitoring program will produce a cost-benefit analysis of green roofs on existing buildings. Metrics such as stormwater quality, quantity, and discharge delay of the green roof will be compared to other monitored roof areas on the same building.

Following installation of a new waterproof membrane, insulation and drainage components, 85,000 lbs of growing media was conveyed to the roof. Site conditions required use of a small winch system which lifted individual loads to the fifth floor roof. A team of five moved all 18 super sacks in three days; filling and unloading 5-gallons buckets by hand, at a cost far less than a single day crane operation in New York City.

Thirteen varieties of native species and sedum plugs were planted. A variety of seeds will also be applied to the entire roof area at a later date.

Replication of single site, comparative monitoring is important to help fill the void that exists regarding green roof benefits. More information about New York City’s efforts to better manage stormwater runoff can be found at the New York DEP website.

Cool, wet weather since planting will help ensure a high plant survival rate. More pictures to follow...

UPDATE: The Ledge Food and Drinks

2010-08-03T09:24:00.013-04:00

It's been four weeks since planting and the green roof on The Ledge Food and Drinks is healthy and growing strong. Basil, mint, and the flowers of assorted squash and zucchinis are harvested daily and incorporated into a featured menu item. Fruiting vegetables are a bit behind the calendar because of a late planting, but the unobstructed sun exposure is yielding great growth.

Cucumber and Zuchinni harvests will begin this week. Tomatoes soon to follow. We're expecting a season that extends beyond local norms because of the unusual characteristics of the roof environment.

Below is a listing of this seasons planting:
Tomatoes
7-Belgium Giant, 8-Jet Star, 29-Brandywine, 2-Heirloom, 9-Cherry, 28-Sun Cherry, 4-Grape, 6-Rutger, 20-Rose, 1-Juliet, 1-White, 8-Yellow, 3-Cherokee Purple, 4-Black Velvet, 4-Black Prince

Cucs, Zuchs, Melons and Eggplants
16-General Lee Cucumbers, 16-Fancy P Cucumbers, 20-Zucchinis, 4-Giant White Eggplants, 26-Japanese Long Eggplants, 5-Musk Melon, 6-French Melon, 4-Watermelon

Squash
3-Patty Pan, 11-Blue Hubbard, 11-Waltham, 8-Marrow, 5-Big Buch

Peppers
10-Habanero, 2-Jalapeno, 10-Red Knight, 1-Hungarian Hot Wax, 1-Flavor Burst, 4-Red Light, 8-Commandment

Herbs
Rosemary, French Tarragon, Parsley, Sage, Thyme, Chives, Basil, Italian Oregano, Greek Oregano, Chocolate Mint

Sheldon Crossing: Sustainable Residential Development

2010-07-14T18:39:00.010-04:00

Just got back from Philadelphia, PA, assisting Cory Sutter of Bio Neighbors on an innovative green roof install. The project involves a series of intensive green roofs built atop Sheldon Crossing, a sustainable residential development project located in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia.

Early design considerations for the green roof allowed for a large load capacity and deeper soil media depths that will support a variety of plant types. An extremely slow-growing fescue grass sod, sourced from Mother Plants, will be used to create usable green space, while sedum and large perennial shrubs will compliment the roof decks, walkways and ‘lawn’.

Bio Neighbors chose to utilize a recycled crushed brick blended with a small amount of leaf compost to create a locally sourced growing media. This media blend is layered atop washed pea stones and drainage board. With heavy rains dumping a few inches overnight, we put drainage to the test.

Media was blended onsite and prepared for planting later this week.

Cant wait to see the landscaping vision when it's finished...

The Ledge Kitchen and Drinks: Food Production Green Roof

2010-07-07T00:18:00.018-04:00

Recover recently completed installation of an intensive, food production green roof on The Ledge Food and Drinks in Boston, MA. The 4,000 sq.ft. roof will produce fruits, vegetables, and herbs to be used for a menu based around seasonal harvests produced on the roof. Executive Chef Marco Suarez brought his idea for the project to Recover and with the help of Highview Creations of Brooklyn, NY we created an amazing green roof that blends culinary, architectural, and sustainable objectives.

Video: Recover Green Roofs from Paper Fortress on Vimeo.

The first step in the build process involved identifying and rectifying issues with the waterproof membrane. A root barrier layer was adhered to the membrane, with drainage board, filter fabric and protection fabric covering the entire roof surface.

Planter boxes used to contain growing media were built from black locust wood grown and milled by A Black Locust Connection in Colrain, MA. Rooflite growing media was blended by Read Custom Soils in Canton, MA. Non vegetated areas and walkways were covered with a recycled rubber tire mulch that helps protect the roof from foot traffic and UV exposure. Design and build of the planter boxes was assisted by Peter Renolds and Tony Sanchez of PS Design of Somerville MA.

Heirloom tomatoes, japanese eggplant, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, basil, chocolate mint, parsley, lavender, are just a few of the many vegetables planted by Green City Growers of Somerville, MA.

Continued plant maintenance is provided by a collaboration between Green City Growers and Recover Green Roofs.

Like any vegetable garden, irrigation is necessary. Netafim drip irrigation lines are used to minimize water needs but supply necessary moisture on an automated system.

A late planting will likely not yield the roofs full potential this first season, but we are excited for the freshest most local food that will soon be served.

Turtle Bay Carport: Day 1

2010-06-30T00:19:00.003-04:00

Turtle Bay Carport

2010-06-25T23:44:00.003-04:00

This project is a great case study demonstrating all the necessary green roof steps. The first step was getting a structural engineer to assess the roof's loading capacity and draw up necessary reinforcements.

Sapia Corp built the reinforcements which included new 6"x6" posts, new 4"x10" headers, and

sistering every 2"x10" beam.

Parady & Sons installed a new EPDM waterproof membrane on top of the existing one. While the existing membrane is 5 years old and still waterproof, a best practice is to avoid building a green roof on top of a membrane over 3 years old.

With the necessary reinforcements and a fresh sheet of EPDM, we were ready for the green roof and we used a ZinCo extensive system.

In an effort to cut costs, we assembled a volunteer bucket brigade and conveyed 13 tons of dirt on top of the carport and found some old slate to use for pavers. We then spread 10 different varieties of sedum cuttings and set up a temporary irrigation system.

Now its grow time, and we're hoping for 80% coverage in 3 months.

The Ledge Kitchen and Drinks: Food Production Green Roof

2010-06-23T20:44:00.004-04:00

After much preparation Recover has commenced work on a 4,000 sq. ft. green roof on The Ledge Kitchen and Drinks in Boston, MA. The project entails covering approximately half the roof space with an intensive style green roof system that will yield produce to be served in the restaurant below.

Initial steps have been to identify and repair existing waterproof membrane issues. Although the roof was recently installed, close inspection is necessary, as tradesmen regularly enter the rooftop area. Working with a licensed roofer, all

roof details are scrutinized and prepared for

system install.

The system will be built around four large planter boxes built from black locust wood sourced from Colrain, MA. Planter boxes have been sized to account for existing roof equipment and allow maximum efficiency in both food production and mechanical equipment maintenance.

Areas between planter boxes will be covered with a rubber mulch made from recycled rubber tires which will protect the membrane from the increased food traffic as well as the natural elements which impact traditional roof membranes.

More details and photos to come...

Turtle Bay Carport

2010-06-16T16:06:00.005-04:00

Recover will be installing a ZinCo extensive green roof on top of a carport in Connecticut. The carport and house were originally designed by Hugh Stubbins and built in 1944.

While the rest of the house blends into the surrounding environment, the black rubber roof is the central view from the kitchen window as seen in the picture. We feel we are finishing Mr. Stubbins work who designed one of the first green roofs in the US on top of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston back in 1976.