Showing posts with label Chicago City Hall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicago City Hall. Show all posts
Friday, November 23, 2012
Green Alley Project of Chicago
Chicago
is already home to the highest number of green rooftops of any city in the
world, including Chicago’s City Hall’s Rooftop Garden. The next initiative
being undertaken by the city is the Green Alley Program. This project is an
expanded approach to Chicago Department of Transportation’s existing alley
program and is designed to improve those alleyways in a sustainable way. The
city contains one of the most extensive networks of alleyways in the world,
covering 1,900 miles with over 3,500 acres of paved, impermeable surfaces. A
number of improvements have been suggested for the Green Alley Program including the use of permeable surfaces, high albedo
pavements, and recycled material.
1) Permeable
Pavement- Permeable
pavement has pores or openings that allow water to pass through the surface and
percolate through the existing subsoil. Permeable pavement comes in the form of
permeable asphalt, permeable concrete, and permeable pavers. In areas where
soils do not drain freely, permeable pavement can be used in combination with
subsurface drainage systems, like pipe underdrains or stormwater infiltration
trenches to slow runoff and reduce stress on the combined sewer system.
Potential Benefits
•
Reduces the rate and quantity of stormwater runoff
• Reduces
stress on the sewer system
•
Recharges ground water
•
Filters silt, pollutants and debris
2) High Albedo
Pavement- High
albedo pavement material is light in color and reflects sunlight away from the
surface. With less sunlight absorbed by pavement, less heat is radiated by the
pavement. High albedo pavement therefore reduces the urban heat island effect.
This reduces cooling costs, helps the survival of urban vegetation, and improves
air quality, which can help reduce the symptoms of some respiratory diseases.
Potential
Benefits
•
Reduces the urban heat island effect
•
Can be used under a wide variety of site conditions
•
Conserves energy by reducing cooling costs
•
Improves air quality
3) Recycled
Construction Materials- Recycled construction materials can be incorporated in a variety
of ways in green alleys. Recycled concrete aggregate can be used in the
concrete mix and as a base beneath surface paving. Also, slag, a by-product of
steel production, can be used as a component of the concrete mix, reducing
industrial waste. Ground tire rubber can be used in porous asphalt and reclaimed
asphalt pavement in non-porous asphalt.
Potential
Benefits
•
Reduces waste hauled to landfills
•
Reduces the need to extract virgin natural resources
Friday, November 9, 2012
Chicago's City Hall – Rooftop Garden
Chicago’s City Hall
rooftop has varying sections containing soil depths of 4, 6, or 18 inches to
accommodate the different plants and trees. Soils were developed from
lightweight mixtures similar to those used in Germany over the last few
decades. Under the soil is a 12 to 24 inch waterproofing layer that provides
structural support for weights of up to 60 pounds per square inch. The rooftop
is home to over 20,000 herbaceous, 100 woody shrubs, 40 vines, a Cockspur Hawthorn
tree, and Prairie Crabapple tree. The plants and trees are organized to bloom
in a sunburst pattern.
75% of each inch of
rainwater is collected and used before runoff begins to occur. Even more
impressive is the fact that the rooftop is that the air temperature is reduced
by 15 degrees with the actual rooftop temperature being 70 degrees cooler than
comparable, adjacent roofs. The garden rooftop also contributes $5,000 in
annual energy savings. Initial data results have been highly encouraging and
the Chicago City Hall Rooftop Garden is serving as a model for other buildings
with green
rooftops, both in and outside of Chicago.
While the garden is not
normally accessible to the public, Chicago Gateway Green has exclusive footage below
of Bill Kurtis
interviewing Mayor Daley atop the City Hall.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Rooftop Gardens from around the World!
Need some inspiration for your rooftop garden? Look no further. The gardens featured below are creative, unique, and exciting.
- Chicago City Hall Rooftop Garden
- Washington Mutual Center Green Roof
- For more rooftop gardens click here
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