MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee has an ever growing and changing skyline, and I’m not talking about the buildings. Instead, I am talking about what is on top of these sky towers: green roofs.
These are roofs that are constructed so that gardens, plants and grass are embedded in the fabric of the ceiling. It’s not just a planter on cement, it’s really grass like the roof. These plants and grasses die and grow all the time. In fact, these roofs perform an incredibly important function.
James Groh
Rockwell’s roof is a 49,000 square foot green space.
“So the green roof was designed to save up to a million gallons a year. We can say that in the ten years we’ve had, it has actually surpassed that performance, totaling about 11 million gallons, “said Aryton Bryan, an environmental and safety manager at Rockwell Automation.
On the roof of Rockwell, next to the clock tower, there is 49,000 square feet of green space that traps and absorbs rain.
It saves water by absorbing rain instead of sliding off roofs and entering sewers.
When there is too much rain, as on August 7th and 8th, Jones Island, Milwaukee’s water treatment facility, cannot handle the sudden surge of water. Instead of treating the water, it can be poured directly into our streams, rivers and lakes and brings pollutants and wastewater with it. That’s the first time it happened in 2021. It usually happens a couple of times a year.
James Groh
This display inside Rockwell shows how the green space sits on the roof.
Green roofs help prevent this.
“The more green roofs we have, the more green roofs we have, enable our cities to be sustainable, not only from the point of view of infrastructure, but also from the point of view of everyday life and environmental health.”
Rockwell’s large square footage plays another important role in the city’s ecosystem. It actually helps cool the city down as well.
“Temperatures in one city are typically a few degrees higher than in other areas because sunlight is not reflected in the same way on green spaces,” said Majo Thurman, director of environmental health and safety at Rockwell.
This is known as the heat island effect. Green spaces absorb heat, which helps lower the overall temperature. On the other hand, asphalt, buildings, and concrete reflect heat, resulting in higher overall temperatures.
Obviously, the Rockwell roof doesn’t change Milwaukee’s temperature by a full degree, but with enough green space, the city’s temperature can be affected.
Rockwell isn’t the only building with a green roof. According to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District, the organization that helped build many green roofs, there are 68 in the city that occupy about 11 acres.
Another notable green roof is that of the Grohmann Museum in downtown Milwaukee.
“That way we could effectively save about 50 percent of this water from entering the sewers and sewers, and now we’re making very good use of it to provide the water for our roof garden,” said James Kieselburg, director of the Grohmann Museum said.
Its green roof is also a sculpture garden with 18 bronze statues, which is open to all museum visitors.
James Groh
There are bronze sculptures on the Grohmann Museum, surrounded by green spaces and gardens.
“So we show art and industry and engineering. These sculptures fit exactly with this theme, as they are all working figures. “
On this special roof there is an interesting juxtaposition of old and new. Eighteen bronze statues of giant workers recall the history of work, industry and technology. These works of art are surrounded by modern environmental practices. It’s a mix of old and new.
“Well, I think it’s great to have these urban oases,” said Kieselburg.
Another plus point of green roofs is that they save energy costs for buildings. As they absorb heat, they help insulate the building more efficiently. Additionally, green roofs like Rockwell’s last around 40 years, which is much longer than the average roof, according to Majo Thurman, Rockwell’s director of environmental health and safety.
Not everyone can have a green roof, but you can help. Just put off any barrels, containers, or items that can catch water and use them again at a later date.
So the next time you admire the Milwaukee skyline or think it was going to grow more, just know that plants and grasses grow on some of these rooftops every day.
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