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....and One Scary Ladder!!

What Has 30,000 Square Feet, 60,000 Plants, and One Scary Ladder?

That would be Ed Dreiband's green roof which is environmentally friendly. Ed is a friend and morning workout-at-the-gym cohort at the LifeBridge Health and Fitness. With his wife Ina, he owns NorthWest Honda in Owings Mills ,suburban Baltimore. Until 2006, the dealership was in a 1950's-era building across busy Reisterstown Road. When they started to plan for a new building, Ed wanted to incorporate "green" features. "We all share this planet," he says, "and if we don't take care of the planet it is not going to be here."

I got a first-hand look at this amazing roof one day last week. It seemed simple - just go out to the building, talk with Ed, take a few pictures, and post it to Active Rain for the Buildings and Eco-All Stars groups. Ha!

Ed greeted me and said, "Are you sure you want to do this today?" Sure, why not? "Do you want a jacket?" Nope, I love cool weather.

So he led me back to a bare metal ladder that went straight up to a heavy metal hatch. It's the only way to the roof other than a fireman's ladder or a helicopter. Ed went first and secured the hatch open. As I climbed up, I realized why he asked about a jacket; it was a brisk, breezy 40 degrees and completely exposed. Brrrr....

Thru the hatch But the view of the roof was amazing, and I got busy with my camera. The roof is covered by almost 60,000 plants that are able to withstand sun, heat, cold, and being watered only when it rains. The design benefits both the building, by moderating the need for extra heating and cooling, and the environment. The plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, plus they filter rainwater so that what eventually drains into the Chesapeake Bay is cleaner and healthier for marine life. And because of the size of the building, Ed's obligation to meet storm water management regulations was covered by the installation of his living roof.

Ed didn't stop with the roof; he made sure that many of the systems in this new building were eco-friendly. Most of the heat needed for the building is generated by a furnace that burns recycled car oil.

Instead of sending car wash water right down the drain, the dealership reprocesses and recycles 2,500 to 3,000 gallons a day. Sensors throughout the building turn lights on and off as people enter and leave rooms, and external "photoeyes" read the amount of available light and turn on lighting as needed.

Now Ed, Ina, and a staff of 200 enjoy a building that is light, bright, and environmentally friendly. At the same time, Ed is gaining national recognition for his innovative approach to incorporating so many green features in a car dealership and service facility. While he expects to recoup the financial investment over time, to Ed the investment in the planet's future is more important. A recent article quoted Ed: "I have grandchildren, and many of the people on my team have children. We want to leave them a healthy environment. We only have one earth. We all share it."

I am glad I climbed that scary ladder!

www.HomeRome.com

Posted by Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com on 04/10/2007 08:32 AM

Comments (18)

scary ladder, green roof, photoeyes, environment, ecofriendly, northwest honda, environmentally friendly, lifebridge health and fitness

This post has been included in Maryland Information Baltimore County, MD Information

18 Comments on ....and One Scary Ladder!!

Margaret ~ It is so nice to read about Ed and how he takes responsibility to do the right thing for future generations. I bet it was fun climbing the ladder to find such a unique place!

04/10/2007 09:31 AM

by Kristal Kraft ~ Denver Real Estate (The Berkshire Group Realtors)

WOW that is so cool. What a great idea. I wonder if he got it from the old pioneer's homes when they had a sod roof. It makes so much sense. Couldnt do that here in Florida though, hurricanes ya know?! I love it when people use creativity to help the planet. Thanks for sharing.

Terry Haugen - STAGE it RIGHT!

04/10/2007 03:55 PM

by Terry Haugen STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495 (Stage it Right!)

KK, Climbing that ladder was a challenge. My gym work outs came in handy.

Terry, Thanks for stopping by. I love it when people use creativity to help the planet!

04/10/2007 10:15 PM

by Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com (TREC-Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome)

Margaret, I give you lots of credit. That is one HIGH ladder! But the shots and the story and what this man is doing are amazing....I'd love to hear how he did the car dealership! Thanks for a great post.

04/11/2007 08:12 AM

by Carole Provenzale Owner, Feng Shui Long Island & New York (Feng Shui Long Island & New York City)

Carole, Glad I did not have time to think too long about that ladder. It was there! I climbed it!

04/11/2007 09:20 AM

by Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com (TREC-Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome)

Margaret~

I flagged this article to be featured.
It deserves a star and so do you
for sharing this green roof and
for daring to climb the ladder to a new perspective!
Loved the photos! THX!

04/11/2007 03:05 PM

by Asheville's GREEN Land & Homes ECO-Steward Realty

Way to go ED! I hope the grand kids get a good education on what is happening at the dealership and why. Coors in Golden doesn't have a green roof but does some similar things.

04/11/2007 05:00 PM

by Dena Stevens ~ Ecobroker ~So. Colorado Realtor (Colorado Western Real Estate)

JaneAnne, Thanks for my very first green star. This post was featured in Localism.

Dena, thanks for stopping by.

04/11/2007 06:10 PM

by Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com (TREC-Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome)

What a great story! Ed deserves kudos for a job-well-done.

04/11/2007 06:53 PM

by John Cilladi, REALTOR, EcoBroker, e-PRO (Keller Williams Real Estate)

Dena and John,

I will let Ed know. Hoping he will be reading this post.

04/11/2007 07:06 PM

by Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com (TREC-Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome)

Margaret, such an Adventurer! No doubt Ed had the building designed for that type of roof since the sod and water can add quite a load. Interesting building!

04/11/2007 09:09 PM

by Sharon Simms St Pete Florida CRS CIPS CLHMS (RE/MAX Metro)

Wow, I took one look at that ladder photo and thought, whew, that is pretty high. thanks for being so brave to bring us the photos. I find that to be a very interesting way to "go green"!

04/11/2007 10:05 PM

by Jennifer Kirby, the Luxury Agent (Exit Realty Eden Prairie)

Margaret,great article. I saw a piece on the educational channel about building green homes and what some of the cities are doing to deflect the heat from the high-rise buildings and payment is to foster a greenhouse roof and it sounds like such a great idea. So, your article was very timely. And how lucky you were to see it first hand,

04/11/2007 10:36 PM

by Sacramento Real Estate and Luxury Homes, Assoc. Real Estate Broker,Gena Riede (Remax Gold, Assoc Broker)

This article was a great inspiration. I think the more that people have the courage to do these types of things and still make a profit -- others will climb the ladder to a cleaner, safer world as well. The pictures really were great to illustrate what Ed has accomplished.

04/12/2007 07:19 AM

by Joan Whitebook, ABR, e-Pro, CEBA (Buyer's Option Realty Services)

Sharon, That was an adventure ! When you are doing a brand new building, this can be incorporated into the design.

Jennifer, This was an interesting way to go green. Next time I will wait for warmer temperatures.

Gena, I felt the same way, timely and lucky.

Joan....This would have been a good title for this post..."others will climb the ladder to a cleaner, safer world.."

04/12/2007 09:01 AM

by Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com (TREC-Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome)

Margaret, I loved reading these exciting "green building" ideas. It amazes me how the roof can withstand the weight of all that soil, especially when wet...great climb Margaret.

04/13/2007 08:27 PM

by Sue Argue - NH Home Stager (Staged First Impressions)

Thanks Margaret for the informative post. The Civic Center in downtown Asheville is going to go for a green roof when they remodel. Hopefully I will be able to get some photos as well, without having to climb that a scary ladder. I get that enough just having to clean the gutters on my house!

04/13/2007 09:36 PM

by Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty)

It is amazing that the roof can hold that weight. I loved the climb and I won't "Argue" with you.

Bill, Maybe you can get photos while they are building the green roof. Careful on those ladders!

04/14/2007 05:33 AM

by Margaret Rome- Baltimore, Md.-HomeRome.com (TREC-Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome)

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