Green Roof Caps Ore. Food Plant

The 33,000-square-foot Turtle Island Foods production facility (makers of Tofurkey and other vegetarian foods) is now equipped with a green roof, featuring grasses, vegetables, accent plantings and seating areas for employees. Turtle Island is pursuing LEED Platinum certification for the site.

Turtle Island Foods has topped off its new production facility in Hood River, Oregon, with a 1,400-square-foot green roof. The project completed a landscaped green space on the facility's rooftop, overlooking the Columbia River.

"Using a green roof to landscape the rooftop makes a wonderful green space for our employees and visitors to enjoy," said Seth Tibbott, Turtle Island Foods' founder and president.

The Hood River, Oregon facility's 1,400-square-foot green roof also features a bocce ball court that overlooks the Columbia River. More than 270 accent plants were installed on the roof, aided by the deeper soil specified by the project architect.

Key Development Corporation partnered with the vegetarian food maker in building the 33,000-square-foot food processing facility, located at Point of Hood River, a half mile from downtown Hood River. A green roof was included from the initial planning stages, for the environmental benefits of stormwater runoff reduction and lowered energy needs from the shaded and insulated rooftop.

Turtle Island is pursuing LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

"The design of the green roof evolved," said Mark VanderZaden, project architect and creative director at Portland-based firm Surround Architecture. "We specified deeper soil than the typical green roof so it could have areas to grow vegetables and taller accent plants, designed a bocce ball court, incorporated seating areas and walkways, and wired the roof for sound so music can be enjoyed outside."

Andrea's Garden Works installed the LiveRoof???(R)???AE???? hybrid green roof system green roof in collaboration with Barone Holdings, LLC.

"For Turtle Island, we grew two special Sedum mixes with a total of 13 different types of Sedum," said Grace Dinsdale, founder and president of Blooming Nursery and GreenFeathers. "With the depth of the modules, we were also able to use more than 270 individual accent plants, such as feather reed grass and dwarf fountain grass. These taller grass plants harmonize the landscape of the roof with the natural scenery visible across the river."