Celebrating 10 years of Developing Green Roofs
Nelson and Nagel have risen above expectations over the past 10 years, environmental, economically and politically, making them regional experts in the green roof industry!
Roof Top Sedums, owned and managed by Teresa Nelson and Roxanne Nagel, is a nationally certified Woman Business Enterprise (WBE). Nagel and Nelson are both accredited green roof professionals with hands-on experience growing over 100 green roof projects.
In 2007, Roof Top Sedums became one of the first licensed growers of LiveRoof brand systems. Nagel, a horticulturist, previously managed a family greenhouse operation and Nelson (ASLA, LEED AP BD+C) worked as a landscape architect and green building design professional.
Roof Top Sedums is proud to have partnered with clients throughout the Midwest to bring more green roofs from concept to reality. Their showcase proudly displays the following St. Louis community projects:
- Ritenour High School Auditorium, a 1600 sq. ft. project, was installed in 2012, with the LiveRoof®Standard System.
- Louis Community College,Florissant Valley Campus Engineering Building, a 1500 sq. ft. project was installed in 2010 with the LiveRoof® Standard System multi-plant mixes in the design.
- Louis City Garden, a 1472 sq. ft. project, was installed in 2009 with the LiveRoof®Standard System.
- SSM St. Clare Health Center in Fenton, a 1500 sq. ft. project, was installed in 2009 with the LiveRoof®Standard System.
“I was first involved with LiveRoof® as a landscape architect. I found it very easy and stimulating to design with the system, so much so that I jumped on the opportunity to be a part of the organization,” recounts Nelson. “In the past ten years, we have grown through focusing on continual improvement to stay at the forefront of this rapidly developing industry. We are excited to use this opportunity to interface with and share our experience with more designers, contractors and building owners.”
The name “Roof Top Sedums” reflects a majority of the green roofs the company supplies, which are lightweight systems, planted with a blend of cold-hardy succulents primarily of the genus Sedum. These shallow-rooting alpine plants are a favorite of green roof designers for their ability to withstand winter’s cold and to store water inside their fleshy foliage during periods of drought. A growing portion of the business is for an expanded palette of plants, including adapted and native perennial forbs and grasses.
“We do so much more than our name implies,” says Nagel. “We are supplying green roofs in a range of soil depths with hundreds of plant options. We grow natives such as black-eyed susans, coneflowers and prairie dropseed, as well as adaptive favorites like alliums, liatris, and feather reed grasses.
Green roofs help cities control untreated storm water runoff and sewage discharge. Many Midwestern cities have combined sewage overflows, which means that during the wet season, untreated storm water can mix with raw sewage and overflow into local waterways. Green roofs help to absorb and slow down rainfall, which eases the burden on municipal storm water systems. This means healthier waterways and lower costs of treatment and cleanup.
Communities which incorporate green infrastructure can also expect to mitigate the urban heat island effect, while reaping energy conservation value, and gaining habitable space when patios, walkways and seating are included in the rooftop garden design.
A planted roof also provides financial benefits, including extension of roof life, reduction in energy use, and by storm water management on the roof. Employers can experience significant gains in productivity and up to a 10% reduction in absences by adding natural views such as those provided by green roof systems. (1) Green builders and remodelers can expect between 10–19 percent higher return on investment, as much as 10 percent increased building value, while enjoying a marked reduction (up to 14 percent) in building operating costs.
Roof Top Sedums was established in 2007 and is a Regional LiveRoof® Licensed Grower servicing Iowa, Western Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. The business is 100% women-owned and certified nationally as a Women’s Business Enterprise as well as an Iowa Targeted Small Business.
LiveRoof Global, LLC (http://www.liveroof.com) is the horticultural science company that developed the LiveRoof® Hybrid System, whose natural function and natural beauty offer the highest level of green roof performance at the lowest level acquisition-installation-maturation-maintenance costs.
Roof Top Sedum’s Project Showcase Links:
Ritenour High School Auditorium http://www.rooftopsedums.com/showcase/showcase.php?gallery=117.
St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley Campus Engineering Building http://www.rooftopsedums.com/showcase/showcase.php?gallery=88
St. Louis City Garden http://www.rooftopsedums.com/showcase/showcase.php?gallery=107
SSM St. Clare Health Center in Fenton http://www.rooftopsedums.com/showcase/showcase.php?gallery=109