Green Roof Rx

My interest in green roofs began because I design gardens at Healthcare Facilities. There is a rapidly growing movement called Evidence Based Design that researches, applies and educates designers,healthcare administrators and their staff on the effects of the physical environment as a component that can improve health outcomes. (Ulrich, Zimring, Joseph, Quan, Choudhary 2004) In studies done by Roger Ulrich in 1984 one of the evidence based design principles that reduced the length of hospital stays, blood pressure, requests for pain medication and complaints of gall bladder patients was exposure to nature and positive distractions.

As part of my ongoing research at healthcare facilities, I tour patient rooms and views whenever I get a chance. What do most patients see? A large number of patients spend all day in bed looking at ugly roofs and air conditioning units. Wouldn't it be great if they could look out the window and see plants and flowers in a green roof planting instead?

It has been hard enough over the years to build my practice in healing gardens on the ground floor. The medical profession often looks at things in black and white, because they continuously have to make life and death decisions. Trees and flowers, though proven to improve health outcomes, seem less important than expensive machines and pharmaceuticals. Convincing hospital administrators to try a construction/planting method like green roofs that is largely untried in South Florida will not be an easy sell when they have so many other things to worry about.

It is so important that we get green roofs going in South Florida so that hospital administrators, government officials and commercial ventures can all take advantage of the many benefits green roofs offer. By testing materials and constructing demonstration green roofs we can determine the best design practices for South Florida and educate the public on their benefits.

Sprout!