“I LOVE SAINT MARY’S BECAUSE I GET TO TAKE EVERYTHING I’M LEARNING – ITALIAN, PSYCHOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY – AND PUT IT INTO MY ART.”
Spes Unica's new LiveRoof® was installed 10-2-10 thanks to a generous donation. The different variations of seedum will increase the aesthetics, improve social and environmental benefits.
What’s so special about the LiveRoof® system?
With its unique patent pending Soil Elevators™ and Moisture Portals™, the LiveRoof® system gives you the look and function of a conventional green roof “membrane” system, with the turn-key benefits of a modular system. LiveRoof® represents the best aspects of modular and conventional green roofs combined in one simple, attractive effective system. LiveRoof® is an integrated system designed by growers in conjunction with experts in the fields of architecture, roofing, logistics, and ergonomics. It is designed to grow plants! Composed of recycled plastic materials, LiveRoof® is based upon sound horticultural principles. It is earth-friendly, as well as rooftop functional and aesthetically pleasing. LiveRoof® systems, because they are pre-vegetated at the nursery, require minimal maintenance. Compared to site-built green roofs, which are time-consuming and costly to install and maintain, LiveRoof® offers a turn-key alternative that doesn’t require you to be a horticulturist. LiveRoof® modules can be vegetated with various plant assortments to address your particular design needs and climate. And if there is ever any need to make changes to the roof, LiveRoof® modules are easily moved aside and replaced after the work is done.
What is the biggest financial advantage of LiveRoof®?
LiveRoof extends the lifetime of the roof; typical estimates are that a green roof extends the lifetime of a roof between 100 and 200 percent, by protecting the rooftop from ultraviolet radiation, large temperature fluctuations, drying winds, and punctures. Not only does the roof last longer, but there is reduced membrane maintenance. All this brings about significant cost savings over time.
Energy savings - What Can I Expect?
Green roofs have been proven to bring about significant energy savings, particularly during the summer cooling season in which single story buildings can experience a reduction of greater than 25% energy use. Plants transform heat and soil moisture into humidity, to create natural evaporative cooling. Each gallon of water that is transpired by the plants or evaporated from the roof surface liberates 8000 BTU of thermal energy.
