Schoonover Green Roof

As of July 2020, Schoonover Center is the home of Ohio University's newest green roof supporting research and interdisciplinary engagement.

Caroline Van Hook

February 24, 2021

Green Infrastructure Tour

The following tour displays green infrastructure and sustainability measures around Ohio University campus. To access the full tour click below.

Sustainability Full Tour

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Schoonover Green Roof

This green roof is a research installation that stores rainwater in soil and plants, reducing discharge. Therefore, less rooftop water from Schoonover will discharge to the storm sewer and ultimately the Hocking River. Learn more about this project by exploring the rest of this Storymap!

Ridges Rain Gardens

There are two rain gardens on the Ridges, the one highlighted and one at the Child Development Center. Rain gardens are comprised of native plants, which are both drought and water tolerant. These gardens are located in small depressions that are generally formed on a natural slope. It is designed to hold and soak in rain water runoff that flows from impermeable surfaces. Rainwater is being captured from the rooftops on the buildings and routed into the rain gardens to allow for natural infiltration. This helps to alleviate excess stormwater in our streams and rivers. Rain gardens are effective in removing nutrients and chemicals from rainwater runoff.

Ohio University Green Roof Project

What is a green roof?

A green roof is designed to mitigate storm water, slow water runoff, and prevent flooding while still protecting the building it is constructed on. In urban areas, rooftops account for an estimated 25% of the associated land use and are largely unused. A traditional rooftop increases the air temperature due to materials that heat up quickly with sunlight, also known as the “Urban Heat Island Effect”. Since traditional rooftops are also impermeable, they lead to rapid storm water runoff, which acts as a major contributor to pollution and flooding.

Funding

The green roof planning and implementation was a collaborative effort among OHIO administrators, faculty and students across the university. The project would not have been possible without grant funding and support from: Academic Innovation Accelerator, PepsiCo, 1804 grant, and OHIO Office of Sustainability.

Timeline

Click through the timeline to explore the evolution of the green roof.

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2013

The new rooftop on Schoonover was designed to sustain the demands of a green roof. Photo of Project Manager Brody Bauers who led the design and installation team.

2017

To create the concept of this green roof into reality, an interdisciplinary committee was formed to evaluate and solidify the design. The committee submitted a proposal to the Academic Innovation Accelerator in 2017.

2018

Funding was secured from the Academic Innovation Accelerator and expanded the interdisciplinary group to engage more administrators, faculty and students in the project.

2019

The project was awarded grants from PepsiCo and the 1804 Fund; students build green roof models and introduce children to green infrastructure at STEM events and in schools. This was when students started doing projects like photo essays, writing articles, outreach and an independent research project on air quality.

2020

In July, the green roof was installed. Research equipment was tested and collecting data began on the roof for air quality and temperature; design plans created to maximize the space for research and installation was completed after a pandemic related delay; students began conducting research on the microbial and arthropod communities. The creation of a website, flyers, and video tour expanded the educational impact of the green roof. Microbiome research was extended to McCracken Hall and Holzer Clinic green roofs and included a Native Plants garden in an arthropod diversity study. Ohio University joined GOLA and became a Regional Center of Living Architecture.

2021

An educational display has been created, continued research, and the installation of a bat house on the roof and in areas around campus.

Green Roof Before and After Vegetation

Before photo from summer 2020 and post photo from early fall 2020 (Photos: Ben Siegel).

Construction

Careful construction and design of the roof was an essential step in creating a space achieving its fullest potential. Having the ability to hold the weight of saturated soil and the desired greenery is crucial and is not as simple as planning for the average rooftop. The Schoonover roof was built to hold an extra 20 lbs per square foot of weight from soil and vegetation after a heavy rain or when completely saturated. Our installer used very lightweight soil that could still support plant growth for a healthy ecosystem. After construction, researchers installed sensors to help monitor conditions on the roof. The green roof was also equipped with sensors that monitor the rooftop’s conditions from air quality to radiant energy exchange. These sensors are powered by solar panels and other sources of electricity. The data are then communicated and shared with the community as it is connected to a data collecting website, where all the results are recorded.

Researchers

Dr. Kim Thompson, an Associate Professor of Instruction in the Department of Environmental and Plant Biology spearheaded the innovation and has made it a goal to establish this as an educational resource across campus.

Photo by Jack Hall (2019). — Dr. Thompson on Schoonover roof before green roof construction (photo: Jack Hall).

Left to right: Kirchner, Lynch, Kruse, Rosenthal (Photo: Ellee Achten).

Dr. David Rosenthal, an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental and Plant Biology is currently monitoring plant establishment and biodiversity. He also studies carbon and energy exchange between the green roof and the surrounding environment.

Dr. Natalie Kruse-Daniels, Professor and Director of the Environmental Studies Program at the Voinovich School is conducting water quality studies and is facilitating student research.

"My students and I are examining how water is retained in the green roof and how water quality changes through the beds. We hope that quantifying these for green roofs in our region can inform use of green infrastructure for stormwater control in the future." - Dr. Kruse

Julio Arauz, Associate Professor in the McClure School has been engaged in multiple research objectives in relation to the green roof. Including the development of an in-house backend infrastructure to collect, store, and visualize sensing data from instruments on the green roof. This was done by a McClure graduate student in the Masters in Information and Telecommunication Systems program. Arauz also aided students to develop a visualization web interface that displays live information from the air quality sensors that measure particulate matter (PM) which is presented below.

Real-time air quality map | PurpleAir

Dr. Amy Lynch, an assistant professor in the Geography department is largely interested in water flow and quality from the green roof in comparison to a traditional rooftop.

Current Monitoring

Researchers use technology to measure and record all the different conditions of the green roof. Sensors on the roof are powered through electricity that is provided by solar panels or plugs. These sensors are then to transferred to a data logger which is then connected to a computer. The data can then be analyzed and shared through several different programs.

Air Quality

Pictured is one of two Purple Air monitors, each measuring how much particulate matter (PM) is in the air, a pollutant that negatively affects human health. We are interested in learning whether plants on a green roof will affect the PM concentration. Green roofs are affected by the atmosphere and the weather conditions, and can be used to measure these variables reliably. Sensors on the roof also measure air temperature and humidity which are essential to understanding the impact of the green roof's vegetation on reducing heat.

Water Infiltrated and Diverted

Water is a major player in the green roof’s success; therefore, it’s being monitored extensively. This includes measuring precipitation, runoff, and water chemistry. Precipitation rates are measured through rain gauges. We use a handheld soil moisture sensor if we want to measure saturation of the soil. The displayed image is a rain gauge. To determine how much water is being diverted through runoff, there are flow meters in drains or spouts to measure the runoff flow rate and volume. To determine the contents of the water, there are two pathways. Some of the water is tested as it flows, while some is stored for lab testing. With the technology currently available, temperature, conductivity, pH, and contamination can be closely monitored. These are important aspects in determining the quality of the water.

Light

Sunlight (solar radiation) is one of the most important variables to measure when studying energy capture and exchange on the roof. This is because the amount of light striking the green roof drives plant photosynthesis and is a main contributor to roof temperature. Radiometers measure the amount of solar radiation that is absorbed and reflected to determine the albedo of the roof (a measure of solar reflection). These data inform us about how the green roof vegetation alters roof temperature.

Habitat

To assess the habitat quality of the green roof, field sampling of micro- and macroinvertebrates, including pollinators, tell us who is using the green roof. A bat house provides shelter for bats on the roof.

Community Engagement

Ohio University faculty and students have conducted numerous outreach events, including Athens Middle School, Coolville Science Night, and the PawPaw Festival, to educate the public on green roofs and their associated benefits.

Outline of a model that is used to explain the impacts and system design aspects of a green roof. This was designed by a group of mechanical engineering students (Modzelewski, R., Hill, T., Neuhart, C. and Beierle-Joliot, P.). The models have been built and donated to 7 regional schools and the Outdoor Museum at the Ridges.

Science education event at Coolville Science Night with Ohio University.

Educational Outcomes

With the installation of the Schoonover green roof, professors will have the opportunity to use the green roof in their curriculum with tailored learning objectives. The green roof will create an environment of learning, creativity, research, and professional development for OHIO faculty, staff, and students of Ohio University and the broader community. Although the individual access to the roof will be limited due to capacity restrictions, members of the community can be actively involved with online tools, such as live streaming, video tours, and virtual reality walk throughs. This will give the community an opportunity to support and participate in the Ohio University Sustainability and Climate Action Plan.