by Brianna Crandall — September 5, 2016 — Online retail giant Amazon’s first tower in downtown Seattle is purposefully being built in a dense urban area, and green roofing expert Columbia Green Technologies (CGT) has been selected to provide part of the building’s sustainable design. Columbia Green has worked on green roofing projects in the Northwest, Canada and along the East Coast. The CGT team transformed Amazon’s Doppler and Meeting Center rooftops to manage stormwater, retaining water that would otherwise flow into the city’s stormwater system.
The CGT team transformed Amazon’s Doppler and Meeting Center rooftops to manage stormwater, retaining water that would otherwise flow into the city’s stormwater system.
Columbia Green CEO Vanessa Keitges points out:
Green roofing has grown tremendously in the last few years because building owners are realizing the benefits of utilizing green roofs on empty space instead of having a retention tank. Especially in an area where it rains a lot, this makes sense. More companies are also changing their building environments to make healthier places for people to live and work — greenery and green roofs are part of this.
This sustainable lifestyle, combined with fiscal reasons and efficiencies, is why Amazon chose to work with Columbia Green Technologies on this green roof project to manage stormwater and provide other benefits, says the company.
Amazon.com director of Global Real Estate and Facilities John Schoettler notes:
We have the opportunity to do things right. Our urban campus is part of the broader cityscape and provides our employees with all of the urban amenities they would want. We also focused to ensure the environment we created is sustainable, a place employees will feel good about working in. These new green roof buildings help us do that.
The partnership between Columbia Green and Amazon shows an ongoing trend for large companies, says CGT, as the company plans to continue to bring the green lifestyle to many industries as part of building the resilient model in the Pacific Northwest.
Columbia Green Technologies offers innovative green roof solutions for extensive, semi-intensive and intensive roof gardens. Cities across the world are using vegetative roofs to manage environmental issues related to stormwater, urban heat islands and loss of habitat. The company’s products were engineered to maximize stormwater retention and create an environment for optimal plant health. Columbia Green partners with leading manufacturers of waterproofing materials to offer a complete, single-source warrantied solution for every type of roof construction. The company says it is committed to improving the environment and the economy; its products are made in the USA and support low-impact development LEED buildings.
