UDC GREEN ROOFS AND ROOFTOP AGRICULTURE

Owner
University of the District of Columbia- Van Ness Campus

Location
Washington, DC

Scale
25,500 sf

Program Value
$1.7 Million

Services
Design, Permit, Construction Administration

Reviews
DCRA

Project Type
Design – Bid – Build

BELL Architects was awarded a multiple building contract to design vegetative roof systems on four buildings located at the University of the District of Columbia’s (UDC) Van Ness Campus.  An additional fifth building will receive a new membrane and solar photovoltaic panels.  The green roofs are designed to facilitate optimized storm water management with the use of cisterns, improved air quality, reduced energy emissions and reduced ambient temperature on campus. The first of the five buildings was completed in 2015.

Inaugural crops included cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, Swiss chard and African basil. Intensive climate-friendly vegetation grown on the roof require little care, but provide coverage that helps to naturally cool the building. The roof also incorporates a pollinator garden to support bee health, as honey bees play an important part in agricultural and horticultural ecosystems.

The rooftop garden consists of four large raised “T shaped” planting boxes. One hundred seventeen raised planters measuring 3 x 1 SF and 18 inches deep line the perimeter of the garden. There are also 146 boxes growing produce, and the garden contains 11 other types of pollinator-attractant plants. Also a showcase for green infrastructure, a stormwater system harvests rainwater and captures water runoff from the roof; and drip irrigation is embedded to provide water in the plant boxes and beds located on the roof. In addition to the outside green space, the structure includes a greenhouse and research lab and classroom.