Green Roof Design: Student Instruction Sheet
1. Your Group Task:
You and your group will demonstrate your understanding about green roof
technology, urban heat islands, and managing heat transfer through green roofs.
You will do this in the form of writing an engineering document known as a
Request for Proposal (RFP) that proposes a green roof solution for an urban
building. You will describe it in words, pictures, and graphics.
2. Instructions
You are part of an engineering team competing to win a new client (Stern MASS)
who wants a green roof built on the roof of the building. The client has not
specified how the roof should look and is asking for your engineering team to
design a roof that will reduce the heat, be beautiful, easy to maintain, and will
allow students to use the roof as a hang out spot. The client has issued a
Request for Proposal, called an RFP. This is a formal engineering document.
3. Group Research:
Your group will need to research green roofs to complete the RFP. Please see
“Urban Heat Island” reading and graphic organizer completed in class.
Additionally, please see your notes from the PowerPoint Mrs. Ko gave in class.
Other Useful Websites include:
Penn State News: Green Roofs
As you read this article, consider these questions:
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What motivated Europeans to be leaders in green roof technology?
Why are Americans slower to adapt?
If we think of the green roof as a “sandwich,” what are the three
layers?
Now that we know the three layers, explain the role of each.
What data did the Pennsylvania researchers have to suggest to
them the green roof might help manage heat transfer? What would
be a next good step to complete the experiment that measures
green roof success?
Urban Heat Island
Beating the Heat
Whites vs. Greens
As you read these articles and look at the graphics, consider these
questions:
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What conclusions can you draw from a comparison of the two
enlarged Landsat images of New York City?
The color distribution of this image correlates with temperature
variance in New York City. Where does it look the hottest?
What areas look the coolest?
To what do you attribute the difference?
What general principles about urban heat islands does it suggest?
Construct a hypothesis about energy interactions and transfers.
What information is NOT on this graphic that would be helpful in
making a scientific summary of the problem?
4. Your Job:
Your engineering team will submit a design for this green roof that includes the
following 4 RFP elements:
1. RFP Written Proposal: No more than two pages of double-spaced, 12point font, written text answering the following questions:
a. site description of the building, neighborhood, climate
b. statement of problem green roofs address
c. advantages of green roofs
d. drawbacks of green roofs
e. recommendation of methods to use to build a green roof—which
of three main types we discussed in class (a list of plants to use is
optional)
2. Site Drawing: This is a form of visual information that concisely conveys
the building’s context, as well as your proposed green roof. The context
includes information such as streets, neighboring buildings, their size and
type, and the building in question, with proposed dimensions of the green
roof; perhaps a cross-sectional drawing of the construction of its green
roof, such as those included in the Waitakere City Council's Green Roof
Information book
(http://www.waitakere.govt.nz/abtcit/ec/ecoinit/pdf/greenroofinformationbook.pdf) which offer just one way to approach a cross section;
and perhaps photos/drawings of plants you suggest be planted.
3. Cross Section of Green Roof: See Green Roof Technology
(http://www.greenroofplants.com/green-roof-technology/) for an example.
4. Group Presentation: Your group will present your proposal to the class
to sell your idea. Your presentation (PowerPoint or Prezi) will include:
A. Summary of your written proposal to include your design,
benefits, and drawbacks.
B. Picture of your design.
C. Cross section of your design
D. Why your design is the right choice for Stern MASS.
Grading Rubric:
RFP Written
Proposal:
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To Get a 4, You must include: Score:
All aspects of the proposal (site
description, problem addressed,
advantages and disadvantages, and
recommendation.
Typed neatly with little to no
grammatical errors.
Citing evidence or claims from your
research on green roofs.
Persuades reader to choose your
design.
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Colored
To scale
Realistic
Labeled
Cross
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Section of
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Green Roof: 
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Colored
To scale
Realistic
Labeled
Group
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Presentation:
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All group members participate equally in
the presentation.
Presentation is not read but delivered
with enthusiasm and energy.
All information is present (summary,
pictures, why your design should be
selected).
Presentation is organized and visually
appealing.
Site
Drawing:
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Average: