Bunzl Administration Center of the High Museum of Art

Overview

The High recently completed the installation of a GreenGrid® Green Roof System atop the Frances Bunzl Center, which serves as the administrative center for the Museum. The installation by Weston Solutions, Inc. (WESTON®) is the largest modular system installed to date in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The 6,680-square-foot vegetated green roof will help clean and reduce storm-water runoff, reduce the urban-heat-island effect, reduce energy consumption, extend the roof life and improve air quality. This particular green roof also has the ability to retain about 62,000 gallons of storm water per year.

For the High's modular system, vegetation and engineered growth media were pre-planted in lightweight modules made of 100 percent post-industrial recycled plastic. Low-growing vegetation and hearty, drought-resistant plants such as Sedum 'Murale,' Sedum' Weihenstephaner Gold,' Sedum 'Sexangular' and Sedum 'John Creech' were then installed in four inches of soil. The modules were then placed on the administrative center's roof. The plant leaves will turn colors in the cold months of winter, and all will bloom in the spring.

The project at the High Museum of Art/Woodruff Arts Center was conceived by Woodruff Board of Trustees member David Harris and was made possible through funding by the Kendeda Foundation and matching funding provided by a Section 319(h) Nonpoint Source Implementation Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources awarded to the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management. Section 319(h) Nonpoint Source Implementation Grants are awarded to projects that prevent, control and/or abate non-point source pollution. For more information, visit www.gaepd.org.

Atlanta: Beyond Bricks and Sticks
updated 07/2009 by MODA