Wow, we just took little break to visit the first green roof we built, and it was amazing how much it had grown in since our last visit. We completed this Green Roof on Heatley and Alexander Street about a year and a half ago, just as we were moving out of the same building. Luckily though, we didn’t move far, we’re still on the same block, and the roof is really cared for well by friends in the neighborhood.
What amazed us most was how quickly the tiny sedum plants had exploded with flowers, and how the whole colorful roof mass was covered with bees rumbling from plant to plant.
Sitting in the sunlight, smelling the honeysuckle, and watching this little oasis of color and life, we were overcome with a sense of happiness and pride. We built this green roof! As a company, and as a group of people, we chose to put our resources and time to build this living engine that works around the clock to save energy and protect the roof, support local biodiversity, cool the area, grow vegetables, look beautiful, and make people happy! Not to mention the value it adds to Eclipse Awards in terms of regenerative marketing and how we measure our worth in terms of contributing to our community. In our society today, how do we determine the "value" that a business provides to a community, if at all?
Of course we didn’t build the living systems, but we did create a nice place for them to gain a foothold in a sea of concrete and pavement. When you put this against the backdrop of the challenging neighborhood we’re in, it really adds a sense of accomplishment. Not only is Eclipse Awards creating beautiful crystal awards, we’re also creating environmental and social value within our community.
In the meantime though, we’ve got our hands full with our newest green roof that we’re creating on the building Eclipse Awards is currently in.
Now there are 2 green roofs on this block of Strathcona in Vancouver…how many more will come?