Downtown trend turns another roof green

Roofs across Chattanooga continue to receive "green" makeovers with the number of green roofs increasing.

Now the Pioneer Building, home to CapitalMark Bank & Trust, has joined the list.

"It's a new generation of awareness and social and environmental responsibility that people are starting to have," said Chris Sterchi of Sterchi Construction, whose company installed the roof.

The green roof movement has been picking up speed in cities across America for more than a decade and is slowly being embraced by Chattanoogans as more are being constructed and as myths are dispelled, according to Jeff Cannon, a director of greenspaces. Other area green or vegetated roof projects have been carried out at such sites as Girls Preparatory School and Fidelity Trust Co.

The Pioneer project, funded by greenspaces, used LiveRoof, an already vegetated system, which constructs its sedum trays from recycled plastic. Sedum, a form of succulent vegetation, is often used for green roofs.

Drew Sterchi, also with Sterchi Construction, said he encourages company owners who think they can't afford green roofs to research available grants that will often help cover the cost.

Environmental benefits include the reduction of the urban heat island effect and absorption of excess rainwater among other benefits, Chris Sterchi said.

The roofs also help companies save money by reducing air conditioning costs 20 to 25 percent and prolonging the roof's life through limiting exposure to UV rays, he said.

Chris Sterchi said employees are also positively affected by their presence.

"It makes people feel good to look out their office windows and instead of seeing a black rubber roof with air conditioners, they see these beautiful flowering plants," he said.

Mr. Cannon said the green roof trend hasn't reached full acceleration yet.

"I don't think we've even seen it begin," he said. "I expect it to grow exponentially. My hope is that we can get to be like Chicago where 50 percent of our roofs are green."