TORONTO’S RED ROCKET became a little more environmentally friendly with the recent completion of a green roof at the Eglinton Avenue West subway station. Eighty-five per cent of the station’s roof is now made up of plants. Provided by LiveRoof and installed by Toronto-based Gardens in the Sky Inc. over five days in July, the new roof is composed of approximately 5,000 modular trays. Eight different types of sedum, a plant family of more than 400 varieties requiring little maintenance or rain, provide the roof’s vegetation.
While green roofs are more expensive to install than traditional roofs (the price tag of the Eglinton Avenue roof was roughly $850,000), there are benefits that come with the higher cost. The Eglinton Avenue roof will reduce urban heat, help neutralize the pH level of rainwater entering the sewer system and extend the life of the roof by providing protection, said Bahram Farhang, senior project engineer for the TTC’s roofing programs. The roof is the first in a number of similar projects planned for TTC properties.
“For any roof replacement, if there is enough structure adequacy, we go with the green roof option,” Farhang said. “Otherwise we go with the cool roof, which is another type of sustainable design. The next in line is our Victoria Park station, which is approved and is now in the construction stage.”
In May, Toronto became the first city in North America to require green roofs on new developments. The bylaw will apply to all residential, commercial and institutional building permit applications made after Jan. 31, 2010.