AI created picture of Paul Hall with green roof infrastructure with Adobe Firefly.
From August 2024, Dr. Aaron Collins, Associate Professor Chemistry, environmental science students together to work on an upcoming project to put Paul Hall a green roof.
Green roofs are an advantageous feature of the modern infrastructure, since it can reduce the rainwater drainage of roofs and reduce the effect of Heat Island. Plants that cover part of a building reduce the radiant heat of the surface and provide micro -levels for birds, butterflies and insects. Paul Hall currently has a 1600 m² roof section that is structurally ready for the storage of soil and plants and even has a drainage infrastructure.
This project began when the previous student Trevor Harrington ('24) carried out the initial examinations for the types of Green roof characteristics that are realizable in the building and most effective. This included “extensive” and “semi -intensive” plant boxes, which differ in floor depth and plant species that they can grow.
After presenting his ideas to the stakeholders in the spring semester of 2024, they believed that the project was worthy of further development, and set Dr. Collins on the task of finding students who were interested.
“The best thing about this project is that it was completely powered by students,” says Dr. Collins. “It can be a shop window for the nobility of the students who work on the project and create a lively legacy of their hard work.”
This year it was the main goal of the students to create a prototype for the presentation of data on water storage and the environmental advantages of a green roof at the study studies. “I think the project went well and prove that we can actually make changes. It was great to be in a team and to have the feeling that we could make the campus for students a better place,” says Matthew Wiktor, Studental -Student of Environmental Science ('26).
Many of the students who return next year would like to continue the project as an independent degree and want to expand the team into something that brings everyone together.
“Another main goal for this project is to create a strong interdisciplinary community. This process can include all schools and would benefit from a variety of heads,” says Dr. Collins and emphasizes that the team has room for students outside the environmental science program.
A challenge for such an infrastructure is that the vegetation period is usually in summer, in which the students do not take any courses. Fortunately, sensors are implemented to record data and can be used by the faculty in courses and students who carry out independent studies.
“We will design the room so that summer management is low. Faculty and student ownership allow everyone to research in the room and to properly manage the systems and equipment.”
The process to maintain funds and to make the room properly is long, the project is not implemented for some time, but Dr. Collins and the team encourage students from all disciplines to get involved.
“The process of researching, collecting data and the presentation of meaningful results is a really amazing experience,” says Liberty Kehmers ('25), student of environmental science. Since many of the students come back next year, the project will have a strong team to continue this legacy and create a “living laboratory” for students.
If you have any questions about the project and would like to find out more about how you can get involved, send an e -mail to Dr. Aaron Collins at A.Collins1@snhu.edu