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“Brenneisen also found that many sedum roofs have minimal positive effects on storm water retention, energy use, or the urban climate — core arguments that have been used to justify the implementation of green roofs. ”

He is well known for promoting biodiversity aspects of green roofs. But it is thios part of his report that is troubling.

Very true.

There is so much diversity that there are so many things that can fit or conflict from one office to another.

A quick thought on the MBA issue…

I was required to take two semesters of professional practice in my fifth year and was taught by two very different people (one who was my boss at the time). The first was aimed more at architects and was taught by an MBA with little or no design experience, but heads up large institutional projects such as the…[Read more]

I was not thinking about what might be the most employable post graduate degree, rather one that compliments landscape architecture. I have also found that having some background in architecture, in my case by work experience has been very helpful in my career and in my business. Do not expect any pay increase from an MLA unless you work for the…[Read more]

Thanks Chris and Rob for your initial thoughts.

Some additional information based on your questions:

1. We are in Denver. Mass amounts of rain are rather infrequent, so flooding the sedum beds with the occasional rocky mountain downpour shouldn’t be an issue as far as excess water content is concerned. We are more worried about it drying out…[Read more]

Why architecture? It seems that architects are just as over-worked, under-payed and /or out of work as landscape architects right now…

I’ve thought about getting my MLA but I don’t know that it’s worth it. After spending $80,000 to get an MLA, will the pay increase upon graduation be significant enough to recoup the investment?

I.E. If you…[Read more]

His beef appears to be more of biodiversity of what’s going on in the soil, not related to stormwater. Or at least I’m not gleaning that green roofs have failed in that aspect.

In my opinion, you dont really need an MLA if you have a BLA, unless you plan to teach. I would suggest architecture.

Why ruin a perfectly good automobile?

I never put anything on my cars…period. I take the dealer logo off, I take the dealer plate frame off, and if I need a window sticker, I make it easily removable. Just think of all those people who have stickers on their cars and are having second thoughts about their support or ideology…ever try to take…[Read more]

Maybe it’s just being stuck in Northern Colorado, but I don’t *think* I’ve encountered a liberal in months.

One morning at work, while I was making coffee (before office hours) a female co-worker, out of the blue, told me that I needed to vote NO on Proposition 8 (Essentially voting yes to gay marriage). She didn’t ask how I was going to vote. She told me how I SHOULD vote. It caught me so off guard, I didn’t even know what to say… I don’t care what…[Read more]

Chris,
http://www.architectureweek.com/2007/1107/environment_1-2.html

It’s a bumper sticker democracy.

I listen to what I would consider ‘propaganda’ from both sides almost every day in the workplace. I almost never divulge my opinion. What’s the old saying? ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.’

I like to think the people I come in contact with everyday can’t even guess where I stand, right or left.…[Read more]

Sarah,
Are you providing an irrigation system, or are the perforated channels intended to provide the irrigation for the entire roof? If you’re going with a traditional extensive (4″) green roof media, I’m afraid you’re not going to provide any irrigation other than immediately adjacent the channel. Green Roof media typically conducts water pretty…[Read more]

My first thought is about the sedum:
Depending on the species, they will not likely survive repeated flooding. Depends of course on how much water they are expected to put up with.

Secondly, sedum – unlike reeds and other wetland species – are not likely to do much to clean the water. You refer to “water quality” so I’m assuming this is the…[Read more]

Hmmm. In a week where I am working feverishly to respond to the deadline of the day each day after begging over and over for input on each of these projects and for several weeks have constantly been making review prints that disappear:

If you are a manager, efficiency dies when you do not manage and delegate to your personnel and only…[Read more]

Yes, it often does matter, for example if the project is a restoration project. Couple of reasons:

First, plants have ranges within which they grow “naturally” or as native to the area. Some plant species have very wide ranges, others very narrow. Many good guidebooks to native plants provide thumbnail maps showing the range for a plant.…[Read more]

“Science works with chunks and bits and pieces of things with the continuity presumed, and the artist works only with the continuities of things with the chunks and bits and pieces presumed.”

~Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance

Most people in a studio can only see one or the other and as a result those personalities are…[Read more]

I was just guessing really, I’m not that clever. I was thinking it looked like the one on the cover of that film about the woman who finds the Pollock in a garage sale.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m47RlRiYoAg/S7BXMxMZJSI/AAAAAAAAGzE/AZxGpjdSqLc/s1600/who_the_bleep_is_jackson_pollock.jpg