Creating spaces where nature, learning, and resilience grow side by side.
Vegetated roofs transform the school roofs into vibrant, biodiverse spaces embedding resilience and biophilia into the daily life of students, staff, and visitors.
Overview
The vegetated roofs play a vital role in cooling the school, reducing rainwater runoff, extending the life span of the roofing, and serving as an immersive educational tool while boosting biodiversity and biophilia. As these roofs thrive, they demonstrate how infrastructure can be beautiful, functional, and impactful all at once.
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Completion Date: 2024
Size: 9,706 Services
Provided: Design Studio, Construction, Care & Maintenance
Awards: AIA NC Merit Award
Green Roof System: Henry Vegetative Roof Assembly
Irrigation: Hunter
Pavers: Hanover
General Contractor: LeChase
Roofer: Martin Roofing
Architect: Evoke Studio
Landscape Architect: Revington Reaves
What’s in the build?
Our services in action
Construction x
Murray Massenburg Elementary
Navigating Tight Timelines with Precision
With only six weeks from initial mobilization to the first day of school, our team's exceptional planning, coordination, and problem-solving skills were critical to the project's success. Early in the installation, unforeseen issues outside our scope caused a three-day pause and a subsequent two-week delay, leaving just four weeks to complete the vegetated roofs.
Within that compressed timeline, our team rescheduled deliveries of 144 cubic yards of media, nearly 6,000 plants, cranes, blower trucks, and subcontractors, all while continuing to meet obligations on other active projects. The Living Roofs team's leadership and precision ensured that the green roofs were delivered on time and built to the highest standards.
Design Studio x
Murray Massenburg Elementary
More than a submittal. An opportunity.
The LRI Design Studio went beyond the typical submittal process and contributed not just documentation, but meaningful design leadership that elevated the project’s vegetated roofs’ performance and impact. Working closely with the owner, architect, and general contractor, we increased the vegetated area by over 10%, deepened the media by 20%, and developed custom plant species lists and planting plans to support greater biodiversity and enhance visual interest.
Care & Maintenance x
Murray Massenburg Elementary
A+ Care
Our Care & Maintenance team ensures that the vegetated roof systems perform and look their best and poised for long-term success from initial establishment through maturity. Managing these on-structure landscapes requires precision, consistency, and deep expertise, and our team’s knowledge shines through in every detail.
