by Brianna Crandall — August 1, 2016 —A 15,000-square-foot LiveRoof green roof was selected to help the newly opened Korematsu Middle School reduce its environmental footprint, provide a living model of sustainability best practices, reduce energy costs, and improve air quality. This project is also LiveRoof brand’s largest green roof installation in California to date.
Fred T. Korematsu Middle School, part of the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), was converted from an elementary school to a middle school campus through “thoughtful design” coupled with the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) standards, because research shows that kids learn better in schools with good lighting, clean air, and comfortable classrooms, points out LiveRoof.
The school’s three green roofs are designed to save the district operating expenses by lowering heating/cooling costs as much as 14 percent.
The school’s three green roofs are designed to save the district operating expenses by lowering heating/cooling costs as much as 14 percent, extending the life of the roof, and reducing the urban heat island effect. Green roofs also help reduce noise pollution by lowering interior sound levels by as much as 40 decibels, and offer fire protection, following local fire codes designed to protect students and staff.
Helping students create a healthy future, the new green roofs will provide additional insulation for the new school, resulting in lower costs to heat and cool the building. Green roofs also provide natural water as rainwater is returned to the environment through evaporation. At the same time, the drought-tolerant plants filter the rainwater and capture air pollutants, creating a cleaner, healthier environment. Green roofs can also sustain a great variety of plants, insects, and birds, linking them together for improved ecosystem efficiency.
The new LiveRoof green roof at Korematsu Middle School is a patented, subterranean modular system that unites soil and plants, creating a beautiful, meadow-like aesthetic. This green roof is designed to be cost effective, providing operational and maintenance cost savings from increased roof life, and reduced energy use. The living roof will also reduce noise, protect air quality, and provide natural beauty.
FloraSource Ltd., the California LiveRoof sales representative, worked in tandem with Meadowland Nurseries LLC, the northern California LiveRoof Grower based in Watsonville, to deliver a custom mix of drought-tolerant sedum plants for the new green roofs at Korematsu Middle School. The three separate green roofs were fully grown upon installation, providing immediate function, benefit and beauty.
Green Growth Industries, of Pleasanton, CA, was chosen to install the green roof at Korematsu Middle School. Hibser-Yamauchi Architects is the architect of record, recently earning a Bronze Award for Design for its work at Korematsu.
