Building Overview
- The Emma Park Neighborhood Center was built to accommodate programs to benefit poor and low-income households and serve as a social gathering place to help improve and rebuild the uptown area, which had fallen on hard times. The funding came largely from donations.
The Challenge
- The roofing work needed to begin in January 2014, which can be a challenge in Butte, as it’s 5,300' above sea level. In previous years, they had seen record temperatures hit as low as -52°F degrees. Luckily that year, 75% of daytime temperatures were above freezing.
- Specs for garden roofs require much planning. K&K Roofing needed to consider the membrane, slip-sheet requirements, load-bearing capability, and the edging.
- Another challenge was that the owner and design team wanted to install solar racks on the TPO months after it was first installed, so extra care had to be taken to ensure it stayed weather tight.
Solution
- The end result was an integration of both a reflective and vegetative roof with solar panels that is in a spot where people could see and interact with it.
Key Facts
- Not only does the roof save energy, but it saves water as well. The vegetative roof is an ideal method for capturing excess rainwater.
Materials Used
• GardenScapes™ Roof System with 3/4" smooth river rock for edging
• Rack Solar PV system gifted from Northwestern Energy, the primary provider of power and gas in the state