Award of Excellence – Yorktowne Square Condominiums

In addition to the extensive media coverage concerning the green roof project at Yorktowne Square Condominiums in Falls Church, Virginia, Building Logics received national attention when it was presented with an Award of Excellence at the 2005 Green Roof Conference in the nation's capital, the District of Columbia. The conference, hosted by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, created the Awards of Excellence in 2003 to recognize green roof projects that display remarkable leadership in integrated design and implementation. The Yorktowne project won the award in the Extensive Residential category because it serves as a model for how green roofs and other storm water management designs can be implemented into residential building design to improve declining water quality, decrease erosive storm water, and conserve flora and wildlife resources in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The project included the removal of existing roof membrane to the deck, installation of an asphalt base sheet and the EnviroTech green roof system. This system was selected due to its lightweight characteristics and ease of installation. This 4,700 square foot green roof was the first initiative undertaken to implement an effective storm water management plan for the entire condominium site. "Building Logics was thrilled to win an award of such prestige," said President Mike Perry. "We look forward to building on its success and furthering the green building movement in the United States."

Award of Excellence News Release

River Star Membership, The Elizabeth River Project – The Atlantic Building

The River Star program, managed by the Elizabeth River Project, is a growing way for commercial and industrial businesses to demonstrate and receive recognition for their environmentally sound practices, a characteristic of businesses that is becoming increasingly important to consumers. By applying for certification as a member of the River Star program, businesses demonstrate their environmental stewardship to consumers, as well as receive assistance in maintaining a positive environmental track record through the well-established Elizabeth River Project.

Every year, the River Star program accepts new members who are qualified to bear such a strong commitment to environmental activism. River Star's 2004 inductees included Atlantic Associates, an associate of Building Logics, who recently became home to downtown Norfolk's first green roof. The 4,000 square foot environmentally friendly roof, designed by Mike Perry of Building Logics, was planted to filter and reduce stormwater runoff, reduce heating and cooling costs, reduce the heat island effect, and improve air quality while extending the life of the roof. We are very proud to be associated with the River Star program of the Elizabeth River Project and hope to become increasingly involved with it as our business continues to grow.

Virginia Tech Graduate Class Presentation – Mike Perry

This past April, the President of Building Logics, Mike Perry, was asked to participate in a field trip for graduate students attending the Virginia Polytechnical Institute of Hampton Roads. The students, taking a class in Sustainable Landscape Systems, visited four sites considered sustainable developments around Hampton Roads. Included in the four sites was the Atlantic Building, downtown Norfolk's only green roof. The program consisted of one hour of classroom time where students were educated as to the various elements involved in a green roof system. They were shown a variety of roof membranes, root barriers, water retention systems, drainage components, growing mediums, and Sedum species. Afterward, Mike led the students to the rooftop for a hands-on demonstration of how a green roof functions. Feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive. Further proof that green building movement is growing at every level, especially in secondary education.

Intern - Billy Paulson

This summer, Billy Paulson, a senior at James Madison University, became the first student to be hired by Building Logics for an internship. Billy became interested in Building Logics when he heard they were going to be involved in a green roof project on campus, which consequently became the focus of his senior thesis. James Madison is currently in the preliminary stages of installing a new building in their arboretum, featuring a green roof to be used for stormwater management. Billy is spending the summer with Building Logics, getting both field and office experience that will greatly benefit his work on the new building, which will begin construction in the fall of 2005. His responsibilities include observing green roof installations, propagating new plants, and maintaining existing green roof systems. Billy will be visiting Saarbrücken, Germany for five weeks this summer to complete courses in industrial ecology.

S.J. Morse Company Installs Cool Roof

When Steve Morse of S.J. Morse, a veneer manufacturer located in Capon Bridge, West Virginia, contacted Building Logics, his intentions were to install a green roof system. Shortly thereafter, it was determined that the additional upfront cost as well as the structural limitations of the building would prohibit him from installing such an environmentally friendly roofing system. Steve, a member of the United States Green Building Council, is extremely interested in sustainable building products and utilizes many FSC-certified products in the production of his top quality veneer panels. With this in mind, Building Logics recommended the installation of our EnviroTech CR (Cool Roof) system.

EnviroTech CR, a fleece backed Envaloy system was installed with cold adhesives. Heat welding was used for the seaming and flashing work to insure the integrity of the entire membrane. The EPA Energy Star-rated cool roof system is extremely energy-efficient and exceeds the EPA specifications for reflective roof products. It can lower roof surface temperatures by up to 100° F, resulting in a reduction of peak cooling demand by 10 to 15 percent. This, of course, translates into cost savings and potential payback to the end user.

Shawn Havranek of Outdoor Maintenance Service, LLC, located in Winchester, Virginia, was selected to install the lightweight single-play membrane. The project included the removal of the original membrane, installation of tapered insulation to prevent ponding, and installation of new metal flashings.

In the near future, Steve Morse hopes to install a green roof on the expansion area of his production facility to minimize the environmental footprint of his entire operation.

EnviroTech Green Roof PODS Installed On River Side Residence

Building Logics' pre-vegetated Green Roof PODs were recently installed providing instant vegetative cover for a green roof project on a private residence along the Lafayette River in Norfolk, Virginia. The house, just a few hundred feet from the rivers edge and part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed area, had a flat-roofed addition that was ideal for the use of pre-vegetated PODs. The homeowner was extremely pleased with the improved view of the river from the home's second story windows and the environmentally friendly nature of the green roof. The reduction in storm water runoff and the improvement to the quality of the water that does run off is just one more step toward improving the environmental quality of the Chesapeake Bay.