Green Roof Professional Training Courses

Since 2003, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) has offered comprehensive, multi-disciplinary courses in support of the development of the green roof and wall industry in North America. A longtime partner of GHRC, Southface serves as their training provider in the Southeast.

GHRC's full-day courses are recommended training for Green Roof Professional (GRP) candidates preparing to write the accreditation exam; half-day courses are designed to complement them.

Full-Day Courses

Green Roof Design 101: Introductory Course

Green Roof Infrastructure: Design & Installation 201

Green Roof Waterproofing & Drainage 301

Green Roof Plants & Growing Media 401

Half-Day Courses

Green Infrastructure: Policies, Performance and Projects

Green Roof Design 101: Introductory Course

This introductory training course on green roof infrastructure design presents many of the tools and techniques needed to meet your green roof project objectives on schedule, to specification and within budget.

The training will enhance your skills in:

Identifying the costs and benefits of green roofs to reach your performance goals
Identifying a variety of green roof products and understanding the performance criteria of different green roof elements, and their relevance to your design intent
Understanding the major design principles for a successful green roof project and common challenges which can lead to an unsuccessful project
Determining the various professions and competencies required to optimally implement a successful green roof project.

This course is approved for 7.5 Professional Development Hours through LA CES; 7.5 Learning Units through AIA CES; and 7.5 GBCI CE Hours for LEED Professionals. It is also approved as continuing education through RCI and APLD.

Green Roof Infrastructure: Design & Installation 201

This course covers a multitude of implementation issues, including actors' roles and responsibilities, construction contracts and administration, and material implementation, including:

Essential qualifications for your project team
Critical questions you need to ask your client (matching their objectives to design practicalities)
Identifying building code/municipal permit issues
Liability issues (including insurance, waivers, guarantees etc.)
Design and implementation issues for new and retrofit buildings (including structural loading concerns, drainage, erosion control, stormwater retention, etc.)
Sub-contracting and scheduling concerns

Green Roof Waterproofing & Drainage 301

This training course on waterproofing and drainage design in green roofs presents an overview of the many tools and techniques needed to meet waterproofing and drainage project objectives. The course will focus on:

The materials used in the construction of waterproofing assemblies and drainage systems in green roofs
Waterproofing and drainage terminology to facilitate communication between the various professions involved in green roof implementation
Introducing major design principles for green roof waterproofing and drainage
Conveying Best Management Practices for the design and implementation of waterproofing assemblies and drainage systems; and
Reviewing the various professions and competencies required to optimally implement your successful green roof project.
Determining major functions and components of a waterproofing assembly and drainage system
Describing characteristics and assess various advantages of different waterproofing assemblies and drainage systems available in the marketplace
Reading and evaluating waterproofing and drainage designs

Green Roof Plants & Growing Media 401

Green Roof Plants and Growing Media 401 provides participants with an overview of plants and growing medium design considerations and maintenance for green roof assemblies. It establishes design and implementation best management practices. The course will cover:

The principles of plant physiology and soil sciences as they apply to green roofs
Identifying appropriate applications of various plant and growing media types for your green roof project
Understanding the unique technical requirements for growing media and vegetation on green roofs
Understanding the potential implementation issues related to plant care and growing media contamination

Green Infrastructure: Policies, Performance and Projects

This half-day seminar will provide attendees with a review of various vegetative technologies in urban areas (i.e. green walls, roofs, urban forests, rain gardens), present the latest research on their many performance benefits, and showcase a variety of leading edge policy and program developments in cities such as Chicago, Seattle, New York and Toronto that support the greening of our cities. Ideal for policy makers and other advocates of urban greenery.

Workshop fee includes the 250-page Green Infrastructure Manual.

This course is approved by USGBC for 3.5 GBCI CE Hours for LEED Professionals. AIA and ASLA members can earn 3.5 continuing education credits for participating. GRPs can earn 3.5 CEUs.