There are challenges to creating green roofs in communities without them, but the potential is great, according to Lee Skabelund, assistant professor of landscape architecture. A layer of light-weight planting medium and vegetation can reduce heating and cooling costs while slowing the runoff of rainwater that would otherwise burden storm-sewer networks.

Twelve fourth-year landscape architecture students in K-State’s College of Architecture, Planning and Design tackled the installation of green roofs on several campus buildings, including the wide-open spaces of the Derby Dining Complex and the sawtooth structure that shelters the east wing of Seaton Hall.

“These are really explorations of what might be,” Skabelund said during the presentations by his fall specialization studio. Because they had only three weeks to research and assemble their proposals while still fulfilling other academic obligations, the students hadn’t fine-tuned costs, specific plantings or structural limits of existing roofs.

“I think it’s something we need to seriously look into on campus, because of its potential to save energy and reduce runoff,” said Tom Rawson, K-State’s vice president of administration and finance.