LiveRoof® Green Roof Spotlights Environmental Leadership at KU's School of Business
Lawrence, KS (PRWEB) March 29, 2016 -- A 7000 square foot LiveRoof® green roof will be installed on Capitol Federal Hall at the University of Kansas School of Business beginning March 28. The green roof will serve as a focal point for students and faculty to examine new practices for creating economic prosperity, and maintaining social responsibility. The building’s design, set to stimulate entrepreneurial innovation, is complemented by a lush, vibrant planted rooftop providing students with a tranquil study space.
“Though its innovative design and features, the Capitol Federal Hall honors our school and its traditions,” said Jim Guthrie, associate dean, the KU School of Business. “KU embraces a sustainability culture we feel is vital to growing the next generation of remarkable business leaders. Our new building will support our mission of teaching and knowledge creation in a collaborative, supportive climate.”
Capitol Federal Hall will celebrate its public grand opening May 16. The four-story, 166,500-square-foot building will be the largest facility at KU to be financed through private support. The $70.5-million facility is built on two wings, north and south, joined by a central atrium. With ample natural lights and views, it will house 18 classrooms, a 350-seat auditorium, 205 offices and labs and spaces for students’ use, with state-of-the-art technology throughout the building. Located on 1654 Naismith Drive, across from Allen Fieldhouse, the School of Business will form a new southern gateway to the KU campus.
“The KU School of Business has delivered a remarkable student-focused design in the new Capitol Federal Hall,” said Roxanne Nagel, Co-Owner of Roof Top Sedums. “It’s supports entrepreneurial innovation with open, breathable work-study spaces. At the same time, the school continues to emphasize the importance of sustainability stewardship among tomorrow’s business leaders.”
Roof Top Sedums has grown a custom-mix of draught-tolerant sedum plant for the new green roof at Capitol Federal Hall. Livability planners and designers, Vireo, created the green roof design, and Lawrence Landscape will install the green roof on Capitol Federal Hall.
LiveRoof is a patented, subterranean modular system that unites soil and plants creating a beautiful, meadow-like aesthetic. These green roofs provide numerous, significant environmental benefits:
. Reduces stormwater runoff by 50 – 90 percent
. Lowers interior sound levels by as much as 40 decibels
. Improves air filtration; one square foot of green roof can filter seven ounces of dust and smog per year. Plant photosynthesis also reduces greenhouse gases in the air
. Increases roof life; soil and plants provide a protective barrier, along with a waterproof roof lining, to extend roof life by as much as 200-300 percent.
Green roof owners can also expect to mitigate the urban heat island effect, while reaping energy conservation value, and gaining habitable space when including patios, walkways and seating in the rooftop garden design.
A planted roof also provides financial benefits including: energy conservation and conservation of municipal septic systems. Green builders and remodelers can expect between 10–19 percent higher return on investment, as much as 10 percent increased building value, while enjoyed a marked reduction (up to 14 percent) in building operating costs. (2)
(1) Terrapin Bright Green LLC. “The Economics of Biophilia – Why designing with nature in mind makes financial sense” TerrapinBrightGreen.com. http://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/report/economics-of-biophilia/ (retrieved February 2016)
(2) Bernstein, Harvey M. “Green Outlook 2001: Green Trends Driving Growth through 2015” EcoCosm.com. http://www.ecocosminc.com/img/2011_McGraw_Hill_Green_Outlook.pdf (retrieved February 2016)
MEDIA ALERT: Roof Top Sedums/LiveRoof General Manager Roxanne Nagel invites members of the media to meet her on the Capitol Federal Hall from [TIME] to [TIME], on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. View the green roof as its being installed and learn more about the benefits of a living roof. ***VIDEO & PHOTO OPPORTUNITY***
About LiveRoof® Global, LLC
LiveRoof® Global, LLC (http://www.liveroof.com) is the leading horticultural science company in the green roof industry. LiveRoof’s natural function and natural beauty offer the highest level of green roof performance with ultra-low maintenance costs. Exceptional in design, function and endurance, the patented LiveRoof® Hybrid Green Roof System establishes a healthy, sustainable ecosystem that covers the rooftop with seamless, verdant vegetation. LiveRoof and its network of industry leading licensed green roof growers test and develop plants and soils designed to thrive in native climates and grow them in an environmentally responsible manner. LiveRoof has successfully installed over 2000 projects featuring more than five million square feet of green roofs in North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond. LiveRoof®. Natural Function. Natural Beauty.
Media Contact:
Mike Haynes
Marketing and Sales Facilitator
LiveRoof Global, LLC
616-935-1964
http://www.liveroof.com
About Roof Top Sedums
Roof Top Sedums was established in 2007 when co-owner Teresa Nelson and her sister, Roxanne Nagel began providing custom grown green roof vegetation for LiveRoof from their family farm in Davenport, Iowa. Today, Roof Top Sedums is a Regional LiveRoof® Licensed Grower servicing Iowa, Western Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. The business is 100% women-owned and certified nationally as a Women’s Business Enterprise as well as an Iowa Targeted Small Business.
Roof Top Sedums has completed over 60 LiveRoof projects in Iowa, Illinois, Kansa, Missouri and Nebraska – and they just keep growing! Roof Top Sedums is Growing Above Expectations
Media Contact:
Roxanne Nagel, GRP
General Manager
563-505-7032
http://www.rooftopsedums.com
About the University of Kansas School of Business
The University of Kansas School of Business is the flagship business school in the state of Kansas and home to nationally ranked undergraduate and graduate business programs. In 2015, the KU School of Business ranked second in the Big 12 for its undergraduate programs. Its MBA programs rank No. 1 in the Kansas City region and top 50 nationally. Poets and Quants ranks the KU MBA top 10 for salary-to-debt ratio and U.S. News places the MBA program in the top 10 for career outcomes.
Media Contact:
Austin Falley
Communications Director
785-864-3852
https://business.ku.edu/
About Vireo (Landscape Design)
By focusing on three key areas of place making – healthy communities; parks, trails and greenways; and natural resources – Vireo is able to make a real impact, bringing life to public spaces and contributing to both the livability and economic success of our cities. Whether it’s large-scale planning for the future or starting with small-scale improvements, we listen to the people who care about the places in their lives. Vireo creates ways to make their cities more vibrant, welcoming, inclusive and a reflection of the people who live and work there.
Media Contact:
Patti Banks, PLA, LEED
816-756-5690
http://www.bevireo.com
About Lawrence Landscaping (Landscape Installation)
Established in 1987, Lawrence Landscape, Inc. has been providing superior landscape services in the city of Lawrence, Kansas and the surrounding area by using the highest quality products, the latest technology and the best people available in the marketplace today. Lawrence Landscaping pursues continuous improvement through research, training and introspection. Residential and commercial property services include Landscape Design, Installation and Maintenance, Sprinkler System Installation and Maintenance, and Swimming Pool Installation and Maintenance.
Media Contact:
Glen Westervelt
President & CEO
785-843-4370
http://www.lawrencelandscape.com
Amber Ponce, LiveRoof Global LLC, http://www.liveroof.com, +1 (616) 935-1964, [email protected]
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