Chapel Restoration goes green — again
Agreen roof at the Chapel Restoration in Cold Spring is enjoying a rebirth and will soon flourish — but rejuvenating the biologically diverse rooftop has taken nearly 15 years.
Also known as a “living” or “eco” roof, a green roof consists of soil, vegetation and a waterproof barrier established over all or part of a building’s rooftop.
In 2009, a chancery was added to the historic Chapel Restoration on the village riverfront. The design by Peter Smith included a 500-square-foot green roof, but problems developed not long after construction.
Smith’s design was “excellent” but his specifications weren’t followed, said architect James Hartford of Cold Spring. As a result, the roof flooded, sending water through the electrical panel and creating a fire hazard. Moisture and humidity also caused mold growth.
Hartford was hired by the Chapel Restoration board in 2013 to restore the roof’s integrity and repair the drainage system. In 2022, the board voted to give the green roof a second try and began fundraising and recruiting volunteers.
Rebekah Tighe, president of the Chapel’s board, said the new green roof cost about $14,000. The nonprofit received a $10,000 grant from the New York State Council on the Arts for the project and also raised $2,450 from its annual appeal and a 2022 lawn party, she said.
Construction began Oct. 3 with two weeks of planting, and the roof was dedicated on Sunday (Oct. 22). More vegetation will be added in the spring.
Liz Campbell Kelly, a landscape architect in Nelsonville who, with Hartford, was among about 20 people who volunteered to install the green roof, said most of Smith’s planting plan was used as the starting point. The roof will have more than 600 plants, from warm-season grasses and cool-season sedges to wildflowers that will bloom in three seasons, providing habitat for birds and insects. There will also be a sedum layer, drought-resistant groundcover that will provide a “living mulch.”
Campbell Kelly said the 6-inch-deep soil is manufactured specifically for green roofs and contains no weed seeds, reducing the need for maintenance.
The ability of the roof to bear up to 75 pounds per square foot of soil and rain or snow is a crucial part of the design, she said. The soil rests on a waterproof membrane similar to the one used at Manitoga in Garrison and New York City landmarks such as the Chrysler Building, Carnegie Hall and the Empire State Building. While the chancery roof is flat, Campbell Kelly said green roofs can include berms or be established on gentle slopes.
Once the plants are established, the green roof will reduce runoff and augment climate control inside the chancery. “Its greatest contribution will likely be in summer,” Hartford said. “The roof’s vegetation will absorb sunlight, converting it to plant growth rather than thermal energy, helping to keep the building’s interior cooler.”
