www.rcabc.org  l  33 FEATURE “Change is Good” – Engineered intensive green roof systems allow for future changes to the rooftop landscape design without involving the building envelope. Quite often after living with some landscapes for a number of years we look to change things up. This means ripping out the old hardscapes, plantings, retaining walls etc. and starting with a new, clean canvas, so to speak. If we look at the current rooftop planter approach, this would mean invasive removal of concrete retain walls tied into the suspended slab and waterproofing. That can prove to be very costly as anything involving the building envelope requires remediation and services from a professional roofing contractor and the oversight of building envelope engi- neer, plus permitting, etc. When we look at changing the land- scape design in an engineered, intensive green roof assembly, all of the hardscape and soft-scape elements are floating on top and independent of the building envelope completely. Hence, in most cases, no major waterproofing remediation or building envelope consultation is needed. To summarize, not only will an engineered approach to intensive roof top gardens greatly improve the performance of the building envelope, it provides for far more creative and interesting rooftop living spaces that can be easily added to and enhanced for years to come. Ronald P. Schwenger, GRP, Principal – Architek Sustainable Building Products Inc., is educated at the University of Guelph in architecture and fine arts, and continued his education in marketing, advertising and communications at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He started his career as an architectural technologist and draftsman, and later pursued a path in creative marketing and communications. Early in 2004, Schwenger combined his experi- ences along with his original passion for architecture, and formed Architek Sustainable Building Products Inc., which was incorpo- rated in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2007. Schwenger has 10 years of expertise in building envelope technology and living archi- tecture systems, namely: green roof systems, green façade, living walls, renewable energy and integrated site water management. In 2010, he wrote the GRP exam and obtained his credentials as an accred- ited green roof professional - GRP. Employing a biophilic design- build methodology and a fully-integrated approach to site water management with Architek’s in-house storm-water mitigation and water conservation technologies has become a driving passion for Schwenger moving forward. • Millions of sq ft installed worldwide • Local LiveRoof grower: NATS Nursery • Comprehensive warranty coverages • Highest wind uplift rating of any system tested under CAN/CSA A123.24-15 natsnursery.com liveroof@natsnursery.com (604) 530-9300 REQUEST YOUR FREE GUIDE Your Project Deserves a Unique Green Roof Free GREEN ROOF DESIGN GUIDE 1988-2018 30Years of Growth