SYMBIOS

The Green Roof Manual

The Green Roof Manual: A Professional Guide to Design, Installation and Maintenance  

Green roofs- the ultimate in sustainable building practices- continue to generate enormous interest and enthusiasm among architects, landscape designers, and urban planners. Increasingly strict stormwater regulations and the appeal of LEED-related projects have also boosted the popularity and desirability of green roofs. Those who want to build green roofs, however, have few resources to guide them. Until now, no book has taken a comprehensive look at how to effectively adapt green-roof technology to the variable and extreme North American climate, and how to design projects that will function and endure as successfully as those in Germany, Switzerland, and other European countries. At last, those seeking basic information about how to design and build green roofs have a concise, authoritative guide to this exciting new technology.

Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House

By Carol Venolia & Kelly Lerner - Numerous projects of SYMBIOS are exhibited as examples in this informative book about eco-remodeling. An excellent resource!

Prescriptions for a Healthy House

By Paula Baker-Laport, Erica Elliot, and John Banta (New Society Publishers, 2001) - This is an invaluable guide for any homeowner, architect or builder. Prescriptions take the mystery out of healthy house building by walking you through the construction process. It explains why standard building practices are not helpful, what to do differently and how to obtain alternative materials and expertise. Highly recommended!

Green Building Products

Edited by Alex Wilson and Mark Piepkorn, Forward by Sarah Susanka - A comprehensive directory of green building products specifically for home building and remodeling. It features more than 1,400 descriptive listings and 250 photos for products from ag-fiber panels to zero-VOC paints. All phases of residential construction are covered, from sitework to flooring to renewable energy. Products are grouped logically by function, and each chapter begins with a discussion of key environmental considerations and what to look for in a green product. Green Building Products is a user-friendly version of the GreenSpec Directory. It is focused on residential building, and does not include the guideline specifications. Like the GreenSpec Directory, it has no advertising, nor is it sponsored by any industry or manufacturer fees, so you get unbiased information you can trust.

Green Spec Directory

Edited By: Alex Wilson, Nadav Malin and Mark Piepkorn, Guideline Specifications By: Larry Strain, AIA - Arguably the single best resource for green residential and commercial building, the 6th edition of GreenSpec Directory includes information on more than 2,000 green building products carefully screened by the editors of Environmental Building News. Organized according to the 16-division CSI MasterFormat system, directory listings cover more than 250 categories—from access flooring to zero-VOC paints. Included are product descriptions, environmental characteristics and considerations, and manufacturer contact information with Internet addresses. More than 300 changes have been made since the 5th edition, and all have been verified and up-dated based on new tighter criteria. Also included in the GreenSpec Directory are guideline specifications on selecting and using environmentally conscious products and systems. GreenSpec has no advertising, nor do any industry or manufacturer fees sponsor it. You get unbiased, reliable product information you can trust. You can also save hundreds of hours of research time.

Green Roof Plants

A Resource and Planting Guide by Edmund C. Snodgrass and Lucie L. Snodgrass - The authors have compiled the first reference tool designed to help green roof gardeners determine the best drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, temperature-hardy plants. Supported by 300-plus color photographs and including cultural details on more than 200 species and cultivars, this is an essential resource for home gardeners and landscape architects and designers looking for environmentally friendly choices.

“Edmund Snodgrass, a [green roof] pioneer…provides an overview of green roofs, from their benefits and challenges to their design and construction to their plant selection…this useful guide targeted to green-roof industry professionals will also interest a general audience.” —Library Journal, September 2006