by Brianna Crandall — December 3, 2014—Green Roof Solutions provided its expertise, materials and aid in planning to kick-start a rooftop garden at the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) in Uptown Chicago, ensuring the installation was safe and easy and the roof of the historic landmark building was properly protected.
Based on a concept drawn by Joseph Taylor, ICA’s resident “green thumb,” the feasibility was determined after considering the weight capacity of the roof and the type of roof membrane. ICA’s construction manager was able to determine the building had the capacity to hold the weight of the raised bed based on a structural analysis for a concurrent solar panel installation.
With its experience watching the green roof industry develop and improve through the years, Green Roof Solutions knew that one of the biggest issues was the potential of poorly installed or designed systems to damage the buildings beneath them. The company helped ICA determine which products would protect the ornate landmark roof and keep the roof membrane’s warranty intact.
After months of careful planning, Green Roof Solutions led the installation of the rooftop raised bed at the ICA. The components that ensure roof protection are designed to work seamlessly with GRS’s raised bed corners, which made for a quick and simple build. The Green Roof Solutions team and Taylor installed the bed in about two hours—including time for cutting the cedar lumber to size.
Currently the rooftop kitchen garden will serve residents of the ICA’s intentional living community. Taylor hopes to experiment with season extension and also increase production to benefit homeless and at-risk women from Sarah’s Circle, one of the social service agencies housed in the ICA building. ICA works to build a just and equitable society in harmony with Planet Earth.
Another exemplary Chicago organization, Chicago Conservation Corps (C3), provided the connections between GRS and ICA to launch this project. C3 recruits, trains, and supports a network of volunteers who work together to improve the quality of life in area neighborhoods and schools through environmental service projects.
