Client: Chicago Department of General Services

Location: Chicago, IL

Size: 7,892 ft²

Installation Contractor: WESTON

Landscape Design: WESTON

Rooftop System: Intensive and Extensive

Status: Engine Company #57 completed August 2002, Engine Companies #13 and #98 completed December 2003, Engine Company 46 completed July 2004.

Project Narrative: In a continuing effort to combat the urban heat island effect in Chicago, the Chicago Department of General Services contracted WESTON to design and install green roofs on four of its fire stations. The first project was at Chicago Engine Company #57 near Chicago’s Westside. The design was simple and included the use of both the GreenGrid^® 4-inch system and 8-inch system. Modules were assembled in a 6-foot ring along all four edges of the building. GreenGrid^® 8-inch modules were placed on the leading edge while GreenGrid^® 4-inch modules were placed on the interior.

The second project included green roofs to be placed on two fire stations. The Chicago Department of General Services asked WESTON about the feasibility of installing GreenGrid^® roofs at Engine Company #13 and Engine Company #98 in December. Because the actual planting for a GreenGrid^® roof is done at a nursery, and not at the rooftop site, installing two green roofs at the two firehouses during December was indeed feasible. Engine Company #98, a site on the National Register of Historic Places, was designed with 1,056 ft² of GreenGrid^® modules planted with a mix of sedum species, three plants per square foot. This project was located on Chicago Avenue, just off of the Michigan Avenue “Miracle Mile.” Engine Company #13, which is highly visible from skyscrapers in the vicinity, was designed with 2,072 ft² of GreenGrid^® modules, planted with the same number and variety of plants. This project was located on Columbus Avenue, in the Chicago Loop.

In summer 2004, WESTON was contracted to provide the GreenGrid^® at Engine Company #46, on the south side of Chicago. For this project, WESTON provided 3,124 ft² of GreenGrid^® modules, planted with a mix of sedums, three plants per square foot.

Intensive plant species included Yarrow (Achillea milefolium ‘Paprika’), Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Autumn Joy Sedum (Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn Joy’), and Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) to grow over the roof edge. Extensive plant species included Sedum kamtschaticum, Sedum spurium ‘Fuldaglut’, Sedum floriferum ‘Weihenstephaner Gold’ and Sedum x ‘Bertram Anderson.’