Aug. 6, 2010, Vancouver – Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the B.C. Institute of Technology (BCIT) will join in a collaborative research project to evaluate green roof methods and technologies, which will cultivate the growth of the ornamental nursery sector in British Columbia.

This joint research project is one of two initiatives that will be funded by B.C. Landscape and Nursery Association (BCLNA) through an investment of over $270,000 from the federal government to maintain long-term viability and profitability of the ornamental nursery industry in the province. Up to $108,172 of the funding will be dedicated to evaluate green roof methods and technology, planting the seed for advanced research and innovation, and promoting a healthy environment and economy.

IAF chair Stuart Wilson and BCLNA president Ruth Olde (both pictured at right) attended the CAAP funding announcement made by MP Andrew Saxton (centre). Michelle Nakano (left), project researcher at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and Maureen Connelly, director of the Centre for Architectural Ecology at BCIT, are the lead researchers.

“Kwantlen’s active research program is already providing opportunities for both Kwantlen and BCIT students to gain practical experience with the technology and research,” says Deborah Henderson, director of ISH and Leading Edge Endowment Fund Regional Innovation chair. “Our students will take this cutting-edge experience into the work place, helping B.C. achieve its sustainability goals. Our communities will be big winners because healthy, sustainable green roofs provide both environmental and aesthetic benefits.”

Kwantlen’s contribution in this research project will be led by Michelle Nakano, a Kwantlen horticulture faculty member from the university’s School of Horticulture. Her research addresses challenges posed by the green roof environment for plant establishment. Nakano will bring her extensive knowledge and years of experience in horticulture to assess a number of plant communities and planting densities for overall establishment, survival and maintenance costs in our west coastal environment. This information is critical to the success of the green roof movement and industries such as the BCLNA who provide plant material and horticultural technology to support it.

BCIT School of Construction and the Environment’s acting dean Rod Goy explains the significance of this research initiative. “With the support of the Government of Canada to BCLNA, we will be able to further our research in evaluating green roof methods and technologies through the extensive work of our research director, Maureen Connelly and the Centre for Architectural Ecology – Collaborations in Green Roofs and Living Walls. Applied research at BCIT is guided by cutting-edge science and collaborative partnerships such as our research collaboration with Kwantlen Polytechnic University.”

BCIT’s contribution to the project will be led by Maureen Connelly, director, and faculty member of the BCIT Centre of Architectural Ecology, who will focus on the noise reduction capacity of green roofs through increased absorption. This study is supported through academic collaboration with the Acoustic and Noise Research Group at the University of British Columbia.