Project
Bike Box Living Roof Lab
Location
Cleveland, OH
Award Winner
Kent State University
Project Team
Communication Lead: Kent State Student Volunteer – Leno Esposito
Construction Lead: Kent State Student Volunteer – Josh Thomas
Design Lead: Kent State Student Volunteer – Neil Reindell
Drainage Membrane Supplier: The Garland Company
Planner: Land Studio
Project Manager: Kent State Student Volunteer – Clair Markwardt
Sponsor: Northeast Ohio Sewer District
Volunteer Lead: Kent State Student Volunteer –Megan Haftl
“The Bike Box Living Roof Lab reclaims a sliver of the concrete jungle for one of the best neighborhood bars in Cleveland while working hard to discover how living architecture can aid global conservation efforts.”
The Little Green Roof That Could
The Bike Box Living Roof Lab reclaims a sliver of the concrete jungle for one of the best neighborhood bars in Cleveland while working hard to discover how living architecture can aid global conservation efforts.
Funded by the local sewer district to profile urban green infrastructure, the 149 sf green roof caps a shipping container transformed into a bike shelter for one of Cleveland’s most popular neighborhood corner bars. The Happy Dog is place of community sharing and learning, a tradition the green roof extends.
Situated in the public right-of-way along a new bike lane, the roof softens a very hard urban streetscape. Scruffy native prairie plants provide a resilient display throughout the year while signage tells the story of stormwater runoff to passersby.
The roof operates as a long-term research site for Kent State University, exploring the potential of green roofs to reintroduce endangered or threatened plants. The cultivation of these plants from non-threatened populations in neighboring ecoregions provides a method of sourcing uncommon plants and the success of these species indicates innovation for reintroduction practices in future living architecture collaborations. The roof is the subject of doctoral and master’s study, visited each year by hundreds of professionals and students, and has been a part of national education programs. This small roof has a big impact and is responsible for subsequent collaborative projects involving multiple stakeholders, funding, and market development.
Judges praised the project for its educational outcomes, and relatively large impact for a project of such a small scale.
