As part of their ongoing effort to be a leader in energy conservation and sustainability the University of Iowa chose to use the LiveRoof vegetative roof system on the new Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building. The living roof uses the LiveRoof Deep system. The LiveRoof Deep system features 6″ of soil which allowed the designers to specify many native and adaptive Iowa plants. A mix of perennials, grasses and forbs were selected. The total green roof area is composed of three different areas. Two of those areas were prevegetated with plants that are proven to thrive in the rooftop environment. The third area was delivered unplanted, which allowed the students to cultivate their own medicinal plants.
The attention to detail the designers showed while specifying the green roof has caught the attention of several publications. Roofing Magazine, Greenroofs.com, The Daily Iowan, and Iowa City Press Citizen have all featured stories on the Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building’s green roof. Follow the link to read the entire cover story in Roofing Magazine.
