Photo courtesy Gardens in the Sky

Part of the Toronto Transit Commission's (TTC's) subway system, the Eglinton West station now boasts a 790-m² (8500-sf) green roof. Located in the middle of the Allen Expressway, this greenery not only provides visual appeal, but also helps reduce smog and pollution from traffic.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) announced 130 delegates have completed the newly launched Green Roof Professional (GRP) Accreditation Exam.

"We are very pleased with the calibre of the new GRPs and the fact they come from both the 'green arts' side—the living components of a green roof—and the 'black arts' side—the nonliving components," said Jeffrey L. Bruce, GRHC chair. "Industry experts from both the black and the green arts have worked hard over the past six years to develop training materials and a professional exam that covers best practices across the spectrum of professionals to improve multi-disciplinary knowledge and practice in the field."

The test, which had an inaugural sitting at GRHC's conference in Atlanta, Ga., earlier this summer, encompassed five areas of concentration:
• pre-design;
• design;
• contract management;
• quality assurance and support; and
• maintenance.

The GRP designation is intended to verify the holder has attained a level of the interdisciplinary knowledge needed in the design, installation, and maintenance of green roof systems. Accreditation exams will be conducted throughout the fall in Chicago, New York City, and Seattle, and in GRHC's home base—Toronto. Visit www.greenroofs.org.

According to the group's founder and president, Steven W. Peck, the North American green roof industry grew by 35 per cent in 2008. Buoyed by recent bylaws, this growth is likely to increase dramatically over the next few years. For more on green roofs (including the Toronto transit project pictured below), see the September 2009 issue of Construction Canada.