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June 2008
1957 E Street Goes ‘Green’ with New Roof
By Julia Parmley The building that houses the Elliott School of International Affairs will be a little greener this fall as the result of a new pilot project spearheaded by GW’s School of Business and alumnus Brett Kaplan, M.B.A. ’08, former vice president of environmental initiatives for GW’s Net Impact. The project—installing a green roof on 1957 E Street’s City View Terrace—aims to raise awareness of sustainable initiatives and provide both environmental benefits and educational opportunities for the University community. The benefits of a green roof, defined as a building roof partially or completely covered with soil and vegetation, include reduced heat and UV exposure, lower storm water run-off, and a life expectancy twice that of a regular roof. At 1957 E Street, several varieties of sedum, a frost-resistant, green plant with yellow flowers and water-storing leaves, will be planted around the existing seating areas on the terrace. At GW’s Earth Day celebration on April 22, President Steven Knapp announced that the Office of Executive Vice President and Treasurer Louis Katz will provide $18,000 for the $25,000 project, with the Class of 2007 Green Campus Fund and GW’s Student Association Social Responsibility Initiative providing the rest. Kaplan says outside vendors and companies have also expressed interest in participating in the initiative. According to Kaplan, the idea for the project originated with alumnus Evan Weisman, M.B.A. ’07, and came to fruition this year after a series of meetings with members of the Presidential Task Force on Sustainability. He credits task force co-chair Lewis Rumford III, senior advisor for business development, and task force member Nancy Giammatteo, campus architect for facilities planning, with being instrumental in getting the project off the ground and says GW’s Facilities Department and task force members reviewed the green roof blueprints. Giammatteo also consulted with local company D.C. Greenworks on the materials and methods best suited for the location. Rumford hopes the project will encourage the University community to come together and share ideas about future sustainable initiatives. “Green roofs hold great promise for storm water retention, but there are legitimate questions about whether they are the best answer,” says Rumford. “GW needs to be thoughtful about its long-term plans and even a small green roof pilot project is a useful start. I think this kind of collaboration between administrators and students should be the hallmark of the University’s sustainability mission.” Kaplan adds, “This project puts environmental initiatives into the consciousness of the campus population, faculty, staff, and alumni.”
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