Miami's New Parking Structure To Have Green Roof

June 2007

Miami University in Oxford (OH) is undergoing a number of changes to the physical appearance of its campus.

With nearly 16,000 students on campus, comes the need for an increase in parking spaces for those students. GBBN and 360 Architecture are once again collaborating on a MU design project, this time on the North Academic Quad Garage located on the north end of campus, once the site of the original Goggin Ice Arena. GBBN and 360 worked together on the recently completed, new, state-of-the-art ice hockey and skating facility.

Surrounded by five academic buildings and a dormitory, the unique design element of the three-level, 400-car parking structure is that it will have a ‘green roof’. The roof will be covered with turf made out of buffalo grass. It will require little care and maintenance in that it doesn’t need to be cut or treated with pesticides. In addition, it is both drought and flood resistant.

“This is a great project to be involved with,” said Mark Lee, AIA, LEED AP – GBBN’s Construction Administrator. “According to greenroofs.com this will be by far the largest green roof in the State of Ohio.” Measuring nearly 70,000 square feet, the next closest in size is a mere 8,000 square feet and is located in Dayton. Lee added, “To be working on such an innovative and unique project further illustrates GBBN’s commitment to doing sustainable design, green architecture projects.”

  • Buffalo grass is perhaps our only truly native turf grass.
  • Its tolerance to prolonged droughts and to extreme temperatures together with its seed producing characteristics enables buffalo grass to survive extreme environmental conditions.

According to Jack Williams, Miami’s project manager, the primary reason for building a ‘green roof’ over the new garage is to preserve as much green space on campus as possible, while still providing maximum parking capabilities. “The green roof will provide an additional landscaped plaza in an important location on campus,” said Williams. “In addition it will continue our theme of interesting green spaces throughout the campus.”

The new parking facility, which will replace three existing surface parking lots, is scheduled for completion in the Spring of 2008.