Capital One, Mclean, VA

Completion Date: Fall 2008
Former Network Contractor

The 15,000 square foot Capital One building is located just outside of Washington D.C., in Mclean VA and was completed in the fall of 2008.  Established with pre-grown sedum mats to provide immediate coverage, this roof has managed to endure the hot humid summers of Virginia, and looks great to this day.   This retrofit project presented unique challenges involving weight restrictions, so a light weight growth media was used to meet the 18 lb per square foot load limitation.  The Roofmeadow Type II green roof system is only 2.50 inches deep and is irrigated with a base capillary irrigation system.

It was pretty hot and humid up on the roof today, but that didn’t really seem to faze the sedums at all!  Species such as Sedum kamtschaticum and S. floriferum ‘Weihenstephaner Gold’ present themselves in wonderful mounds throughout the roof and are just about in bloom.  The sedum pulchellum was the only sedum species in full bloom and has a very  unique flower.   Other sedums that are thriving on the roof include S. acre, S. rupestre ‘Blue Spruce’, and S. sexangulare to name a few.  It’s always very important to include a good mix of fast establishing species, like S. sexangulare and broad leaf verities such as S. kamtschaticum, to establish good media coverage.   Monocultures are risky ventures since climate conditions are unpredictable form year to year.  One year’s weather may prove to be beneficial to a certain species, and the next year may not.

See what it’s like on the green roof in this video and stay tuned for more!