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?
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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, 12-point font,
written text answering the following questions:
 Site description of the building. Include neighborhood description and climate
(average temperature and rainfall of the area).
 Statement of problem green roofs address.
 Advantages of green roofs.
 Drawbacks of green roofs.
 Description of the green roof your team proposes to include how this will benefit
the students of Stern MASS.
 A list of plants to used and why they were chosen for the design.
2. Site Drawing: A digital visual model of your proposed green roof to include:
 The context of the sight such as streets, neighboring buildings, their size and
type, and Stern MASS.
 The proposed dimensions of the green roof.
 The proposed layout of the new green roof.
 Photos/drawings of plants chosen for the design.
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, Prezi, or Google slides) 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.
Green Roof Design Presentation
Names: ____________________________________________________________________
Mrs. Ko Environmental Science Period: _______ Date: ________________
Grading Rubric:
RFP Written
Proposal:
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Site
Drawing:
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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.
Description of plants chosen for your
design and why they were chosen.
Includes context (neighborhood, streets,
climate, etc)
To scale with labeled dimensions
Realistic and labeled design
Includes pictures of plants that will be
used.
Cross
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Section of
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Green Roof:
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Realistic for your design
Justification for why this type of cross
section was selected
Labeled
Colored
Group
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Presentation:
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All group members participate 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.
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Average: