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One can’t always measure a space by square footage; it’s what homeowners make of the real estate that means the most. So when homeowners meet with architects and ideas are flying, often distance, as in time to contemplate, is what determines the final plan.
For John and Joyce Prange, the decision to add a total of three green roofs when designing and building their new two-story screened porch followed years of repurposing, or renovating, interior spaces. Working with Architect André G. Fontaine and Jayne Vanderwaart of Vanderwaart Interiors, the homeowners redesigned their owners’ suite first. Then they extended the main level living areas after consulting with both André and his wife, Designer Stephanie Fontaine.
So when the Pranges decided in the summer of 2005 to enhance and expand the landscaping started years ago by Landscape Architect John Slater and to build an outdoor living area, they again turned to the Fontaines as well as builder John D. Miller.
A Capital Idea
The original plan called for replacing the deck but soon grew to adding a two-story porch so the Pranges could enjoy the existing terraced gardens and creek running along the east side of the property. André started the process by building a model of the house and backyard with various options, including a traditional pitched roof. But one of the biggest concerns was blocking the woodsy views from the second floor windows. Then André introduced a flat roof. It could work, but a green roof could work better, Joyce said.
While the concept of a green roof was familiar to the Pranges because their daughter, Stephanie Proestel, works for a non-profit organization that rehabs old buildings and recently added a green roof to an apartment building project, they hadn’t heard of green roofs used on residential properties. But the homeowners and architect were willing to investigate. This client-driven solution to architecture was one that André embraced since it was his first green roof undertaking, but not his last. He has since worked on two additional green roof designs.
Forging Forward
Calling in the experts, André, John, and Joyce worked with green roof specialists at Magco Inc., a Jessup, MD roofing company of TectaAmerica, to design the three-tier green roofs. These “extensive” roofs, which include smaller, shorter plantings as opposed to “intensive” roofs which feature taller plants and shrubs, use soil or “growing media” engineered to hold some water, but not too much. Weight limitations of the soil and the amount of sun the roofs get are also of concern. Plants found in nature in rocky terrains are ones that work well on roofs, says Angie Durhman, a green roof specialist at Magco Inc. “They’re used to harsh climates and limited water and nutrients.”
It can take years for the plants to fully take hold, but for the most part, two of the three green roofs at the Prange home have flowering plants throughout much of the year. Durhman consulted with Ed Snodgrass, owner of Emory Knoll Farms and specialist in green roof plants, to select the Sedum varieties for the flat roofs. The whole concept of green roofs has really taken off since the North American Green Roof Conference in 2003, Durhman says.
The benefits of a green roof go beyond the aesthetics of it, albeit seeing a green roof from a top floor bedroom window is certainly more appealing than viewing asphalt roof shingles. But what one may not know are the environmental and economical advantages of planting greenery on the roof, such as keeping the air around the roof, including the rooms below it, cooler in the summer as well as insulating the rooms in the winter. Storm water management and increasing the longevity of the roof itself are additional amenities.
Positive Influence
Once started on the trail of green products, the Pranges and André continued to incorporate eco-friendly components inside and outside the two-story porch. Wood-plastic composite Trex decking, pressure treated ACQ structural wood, which protects against decay and termites, Georgia-Pacific Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL), and AZEK trim, a PVC product that can be recycled with other PVC components, are among the sustainable construction products. The lower level porch flooring features Cambridge Pavers, which are made from pulverized granite and silica sand that also can be recycled.
Stephanie assisted the Pranges in selecting complementary Smith & Hawken furnishings with bright English Garden fabric cushions for the two outside living levels. The Pranges also installed Minka Aire wicker fans and Tansun Algarve heaters so the porch can be used from about March to most of December. The Pranges’ porch and green roofs not only have positive environmental effects, but also maximize the owners’ ability to enjoy the beauty of nature throughout the year.
