Oral Abstract Details

Author(s):
Russ Harrington

Affiliation:
Auburn University, Landscape Architecture

Presentation Type:
Oral

Topic Area:
Restoring/rehabilitating terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems ltered by urbanization

Abstract Text:
The purpose of this project is to introduce a new method of renovation techniques on the historical buildings on Dauphin Street in Mobile Alabama by retrofitting the roofs of these buildings by using natural living materials. This also includes the Regions Building parking deck on St. Joseph’s Street. Mobile, Alabama is city that is in need of updating its stormwater management practices and is lacking sufficient connections with the city in relation to viewpoints towards the Bay as well as the rest of the city. This project aims to correct these problems through stormwater collection, filtration, and reuse as well creating public space on one of these roofs that generates tax revenue for the city, assembles connections to the city through viewpoints, as well as with recycling the rain-water for re-use as grey water. This project is designed to collect and hold rainwater that encounters the roof and filtrate the water with the plant material. The rainwater would then be drained into a cistern that then pumps the water back within the building for grey water usage. The implementation of these green roofs also help the building conserve energy significantly through natural insulation and also help solve certain ecological problems within the city like urban island heat effect. The green roofs are also intended to add aesthetic diversity into the urban environment by providing a variety of colors and textures to the everyday experience of the city’s inhabitants as well as visitors. These aesthetical attributes are intended to give potential for places of social interaction that can in turn generate tax revenue back into the city. Green roofs that have been implemented in various areas within the United States particularly in Seattle, Portland, and Washington D.C. have proved to conserve energy through the added natural insulation up to approximately 30 – 40%. Through the reuse of the water that is collected on these roofs, water costs can be reduced up to 90%, conserving water both through reduced water needs as well as sewer costs. The project at hand aims to accomplish these same statistics at maximum efficiency while also providing desirable place for public interaction that can in turn generate income back into the municipality through tax revenue. Since green roofs are useful in decreasing the urban heat island effect in urban settings this project aims to decrease the average temperature in the City of Mobile by 5 to 10 degrees. This discussion of green roof renovations on existing historical buildings will outline necessary elements of green roof construction as well the following benefits of it’s implementation economically as well as ecologically. The goal of this project is to inform the city officials from the City of Mobile of the successfulness and the beneficial elements of green roofs that can hopefully create a template for future development in different urban areas throughout the United States.