Greentop designed and installed a large-scale green roof for a new residential development on Buffalo’s East Side, providing residents with relaxing green space while managing storm water drainage

DOWNLOAD THE FORGE ON BROADWAY CASE STUDY BROCHURE

Greentop recently provided green roof design and installation for The Forge on Broadway, a new mixed-income housing development on Buffalo’s East Side. The green roof is a large outdoor space developed for the enjoyment of the occupants, including multiple lounge areas (one with premium turf), a large play area with modern playground equipment, an exercise area for adults, and 53 large planters containing shade trees and shrubs planted in a locally blended growing medium. Overall, the rooftop garden consists of over 17,021 square feet of green roof and amenity space.

One of the intentions of including a green roof on this building was to capture storm water runoff, with the goal of lessening the impact of CSOs (Combined Sewer Overflow Events) through the capture and delay of approximately 15,800 gallons of storm water per event. While the space possesses many functional qualities, it is also aesthetically pleasing, providing rooftop green space with patios for the residents of The Forge to socialize and relax while taking in a premium view of Downtown. The Forge on Broadway’s green roof provides residents with luxury amenities and outdoor spaces that are unique to this affordable housing development. Green spaces are beneficial for both the environment and the residents that inhabit the building, being associated with better physical and emotional health.

PROJECT DETAILS

The Forge green roof consists of several large patios, over 8,500 square feet of ¾” porcelain pavers on an adjustable pedestal system; this method is flexible enough to compensate for the roof’s 17” elevation change over a span of 110 feet. The same combination of materials was used to create the deck. Underneath the pavers we installed sub tile support trays where required. This created differences in our pedestal elevations, increasing the time and skill required to complete.

Covering the other half of the roof is 8,500 square feet of pre-grown sedum mix in modular trays, which are watered by irrigation during the establishment phase and as needed after that. Two areas also include turf, a playground and an exercise area. The balance of the green roof consists of large outdoor planters with plantings of shrubs and trees, which should work with the sedum to provide a cooling effect on the surrounding area.

The future maintenance for this project will consist of weeding, inspection of plant health, and monitoring of watering. The maintenance will be provided by Greentop, with an opportunity to contract with Greentop for further services after that.

CHALLENGES

The Forge green roof was a complex project on a short timeline due to local and global issues, which required Greentop to be flexible and fluid in our management. Challenges arose from labor shortages and international supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID pandemic, resulting in an accelerated timeline. Because of these disruptions, our supplier of pedestals and support trays could not deliver a large portion of what was promised, requiring training in a new system in the middle of the project. However, Greentop is a nimble company and adjusted smoothly to handle these challenges and still come in on-time and on-budget.

Thank you to our material suppliers on this project: