Our knowledge and ability to address sustainability can help our clients by taking the regulatory headache out of being “green”.

Case Study: Taking the Headache Out of Being Green

Our Challenge
Architects and their clients are increasingly faced with the prospect and opportunity to create environmentally responsible solutions for the architecture of their buildings. This sense of environmental responsibility may arise from a Client's desire to be socially responsible, an Architect's translation of the notion of sustainability, or city mandates and ordinances, and in many cases, all of the above. Two common built environment issues are the urban heat island effect caused by buildings, and the increased storm water runoff caused by buildings and their related development. The urban heat island effect is a major factor which impacts the microclimate. The excess storm water runoff increases the pressure on the infrastructure's capacity, adds chemicals and other pollutants to streams and rivers, and reduces the groundwater recharge that would normally occur from permeable earth surfaces.

Our Solution
In Chicago, the City mandates that large buildings have a Green Roof design to mitigate the urban heat island effect. We recommended to the client that more than half of the roof be covered with a Green Grid modular roof system. The Green Grid roof was chosen over a grown in situ roof to allow for flexibility in maintaining the plants, as well as troubleshooting and maintenance of rooftop equipment. With the site being close to the Midway Airport, we coordinated with the client to arrange the green roof grids in a pattern that graphically recreates the client's corporate logo on the rooftop of their building, thus creating a positive branding and public relations opportunity.

In Ontario, Canada, it is mandated that the rate of storm water runoff from the site should be reduced. This requires storm water detention systems to be designed and provided on the property. After discussions with the Client and the Consultants it was decided to provide storm water detention on the roof, by utilizing a flat roof system. This system will gradually release detained roof water into storm water drains, thereby reducing the impact on the infrastructure. The structure of the building was designed for the extra loads, and all the utilities and services located on the underside of the roof were coordinated. For early detection of problems and ease of maintenance, it was decided to carry the storm water pipes along the underside of the roof structure to the exterior walls.

Our Result
By playing a leadership role in educating our clients on achieving environmentally responsible building design, BRR helps our clients protect and sustain the built environment for our future. Our knowledge and ability to address sustainability helps take the regulatory headache out of being "green".