The High Cost of Victory

The new Green Roofs for Healthy Cities award winner have been announced for 2010, and an interesting addition is the ASLA Headquarters Green Roof.  While an aesthetically and technically solid project, I have before, and will question again, the rhetoric about this building as a model for green roofs (which an award surely reinforces). given the insane costs for implementation.

:: image via Businesswire

Some quotes:  The first from Nancy Somerville:  "We are deeply honored by this award,” said ASLA Executive Vice President and CEO Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA. “We wanted to create a space to push the envelope of green roof design, educate the public on the benefits of green roofs, provide an amenity to our staff and facilitate easy data monitoring – all within a 3,000 square foot footprint. This is a proud day for us.”

And from Steven Peck from GHRC: "“This is a fabulous demonstration project that illustrates the potential of creative design work on green roof projects,” said Steven Peck, GRP, Hon. ASLA, Founder and President of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. “There is no question that ASLA’s green roof delivers on its promise as a showcase of multiple benefits.”"

As a card carrying ASLA member, I'm really happy that this project is getting attention as a beautiful addition to rooftop greening, but bemoan a number of much more worthy models in the world that offer greater applicability, transferability, and are actually low-cost, low-maintenance models for the green roof industry.  Awards, that's all great - and congrats to all involved - but let's call this what it is... an overpriced example of green roofing adapted to a difficult building that would probably have been axed.  Perhaps not on the same scale as other overpriced projects that have been vilified in the media (why not an award for the High Line if we're going there) - but worth a look, and some frank discussions about value and its relationship to 'model' projects.