Rooftop Agrivoltaics! The Perfect Pairing

Dec. 6, 2023 Lunch & Learn — Free Event!

Join GRiT for a presentation by Dr. Jennifer Bousselot on the benefits of combining solar panels and vegetation on rooftops. Solar panels function more efficiently, and rooftop agriculture produces higher yields when they are located together on the roof. Combining solar and green roofs makes good sense!

This is a virtual, Zoom, event. It is free, but please RSVP so we can send you the link. Email us at admin@greenroofthinktank.org You can also RSVP by clicking here

The presentation will start promptly at 12:10 and end at 12:55.

Cascadia Grey to Green - Vancouver BC November 2-3

Road Trip!!! Join fellow GRiT members including speakers at the Cascadia Grey to Green conference and Green Roof installer training - GRIMP!

Grey to Green Cascadia Conference: November 2-3, 2023

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) announces the Cascadia Grey to Green Conference, to be held in person on November 2-3, 2023. The conference will consist of a hands on training program for the Green Roof Installation and Maintenance certification, tours, and expert speakers from across Cascadia. See the agenda at a glance here, and register here.

The conference is designed for architects, urban planners, engineers, scientists, policymakers, researchers, students, and advocates dedicated to advancing environmental sustainability and addressing the challenges of climate change through the use of green infrastructure.. The event will span two days, offering training on November 2 at the Roofing Contractors Association of British Columbia as well as tours, technical presentations, panel discussions, and a small trade show on November 3.

The conference is pending approval for 7 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from professional organizations such as AIA, and ASLA. It is approved for 7 Green Roof Professional (GRP) Credits.

November 2 will feature training and tours, including the new certification "Green Roof Installation & Maintenance Professional Training" (GRIMP) session at the Roofing Contractors Association of BC (RCABC) Workshop, with an admission fee of $425 USD ($575 CAD) and limited spots.  This includes one day of hands on training, 2.5 hours of online instruction, one attempt at the GRIMP exam online, a digital resource manual and a one year individual membership in GrHC.  Tours will be announced soon.

November 3 will feature a full-day plenary-style conference and attached trade show, at the Creekside Community Center and admission fees of $125 USD ($170 CAD) for GRHC members and $150 USD ($205 CAD) for non-members.

Speakers include:

  • Jean von Bargen Root, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, NOMA, PMP, ASSOC. DBIA - Principal | Director of Sustainability, MWA Architects

  • Christine Thuring, PhD, GRP - GRIN-BC/Ecotone: Restoring Biodiversity

  • Ryan Vasseur - Manager of Living Architecture Ecosystems, Architek Group of Companies: Maximizing Biodiversity on Green Roofs


See the full agenda here, and register here.  


Past Events (see Calendar for upcoming events) GREEN ROOF SUCCESS: FROM DESIGN THROUGH MAINTENANCE VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM APRIL 2022

Join us and our partner, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, for this one-day event featuring best practices for long-term, thriving green roofs. Keynote presenter, Dr. Vivek Shandas, will discuss how disparities in environmental quality affect diverse communities and how green roofs can address these. Green roof professionals, architects, and landscape architects will discuss approaches to successful green roof design and maintenance, including examples of their work of low-income housing. There will be time for networking, and a self-guided tour will provide opportunities to meet green roof design and maintenance professionals.

Friday April 29th from 10 am to 4:30 pm: virtual symposium and happy hour networking

 Saturday April 30th 11 am to 5 pm: self-guided tour and informal gathering at Shine Distillery 

Approved for 2 credits from LA CES credits. Pending approval for 2 credits from AIA CES, and GRP credits. We also have sponsorships opportunities available.

To register, go to the GRiT home page.

 

 

Green Wall Design Presentation Jan. 26th, noon - 1 pm

Join GRiT as we delve into green wall design. This lunch-time event features presentations about two innovative green walls that strike out from the usual trellis or pocket planting designs. Mike Faha will present the Expo Center Green Stormwater Wall, an innovative green wall that captures and distributes roof runoff from the adjacent building through a series of parallel channels. Meghan Blackson will present the Tinder Headquarters green wall. This project repurposes wastewater from the foundation drainage to irrigate the green wall.

This event is free and open to all, no registration required. To attend this virtual event, click HERE

GRiT in 2019

2019 is going to be an exciting year for GRiT and for you! We have presentations, tours, and a symposium planned. At our January Jan. 24th, meeting we will start planning the symposium. That may sound boring, but we are starting with a blank canvass, and all are welcome to join us as we paint the picture of what the symposium will focus on and who will present.

Our February 21st meeting will feature award-winning landscape architect Randy Sharp, who will share photos and information about many of his beautiful and innovative and very green projects.

The March meeting will feature City of Portland staff who will talk about the ins and outs of complying with the City’s new ecoroof requirement. This will be a great opportunity to ask specific questions about your project.

All meetings are held at Rogue Eastside, 928 SE 9th Ave, Portland, OR 97214. The meeting starts at 5:30 pm (plenty of time to order off the happy hour menu) and end around 7 pm.

We hope you can join us at any or all of these events!

GRiT Holiday Cheer! December 19th 5pm - 8pm

Please join us Wednesday, December 19th from 5:00 - 8:00 for the GRiT Holiday Party!  We have a lot to celebrate this year, especially with the adoption of the Portland Ecoroof Requirement.   We would like to extend a special invite to all of our sister organizations with similar sustainability initiatives, as we continue to build alliances in 2019.  

If you have never been to GRiT this would be a great first meeting!  We'll have a raffle, free hors devours, a slideshow (send me your favorite green roof pictures to include!) and some updates about GRiT 2019 tours and events.  We have the Barrel Room as usual, hidden back behind the brewery, from 5:00 - 8:00 at Rogue Eastside Pub at 929 SE 9th Street, Portland 97214.

Can't wait to celebrate with everyone!!

GRiT Visit to Japanese Garden Green Roofs

In November, GRiT hosted a tour of the Portland Japanese Garden’s green roofs. The tour was given by Japanese Garden curator, Sadafumi Uchiyama, and project manager, Desirae Wood. The green roofs use a Japanese product made from waste sludge that is left over from fabric dying. The sludge is heated to 2,000 F to form ceramic tiles. A thin layer of soil is set on the tiles and a variety of sedum are planted. To read more about the Garden’s green roofs, go to https://japanesegarden.org/2016/12/01/living-rooftops-come-to-life/

Tour the Japanese Garden's green infrastructure with GRiT!

Showcasing Japanese traditional gardening techniques for managing water, a beautiful green infrastructure system blends seamlessly into the landscape while addressing modern stormwater requirements.  Our tour and narrative of this ecological design challenge will begin with the recently completed Cultural Crossing village buildings and follow the flow of water downhill. 

 Using a Japanese porous ceramic paver called Greenbiz, a thin profile second story ecoroof absorbs rainfall, echoes a traditional Japanese farmhouse vernacular, and merges into the forest visually.  Water not absorbed by the ecoroofs is collected and daylights in an ephemeral creek which slowly winds down the hillside around buildings, under bridges, and along pathways.  Please join us for this great tour of a local, award winning project!   

 Our guide for the tour is GRiT board member Desiree Wood.

 Wednesday November 28th, 2018, from 3 pm to 4 pm. 

The tour is limited to 20 participants. The tour is free, and pre-registration is required.  To register and for additional information email GRiT at  admin@greenroofthinktank.org