Provides connection to nature

Earth Measure, a collaboration between Coldspring and Jason F. McLennan, is a dimension stone product that takes waste from stone manufacturing and cuts it into specific patterns that mimic the natural world. The Fibonacci series is based on spirals found in seashells and other natural elements; the Linear series is closest to standard dimension stone; the MUD series looks similar to drying mud; and the Reptile series mimics the look of reptile skin. Earth Measures can be used for everything from pavers to walls to flooring, so it can transition from exterior to interior and horizontal to vertical applications. Projects work with Coldspring to ensure a pattern meets the designer’s vision and create a CAD diagram that can be proofed. Once cut, the stone is packaged and delivered to the site laid out in a manner that simplifies installation; Coldspring can supply or consult on any of the necessary mounting systems. Stone can be provided from regional quarries depending on project location.

Rooflite licenses companies across the U.S. to produce its five blends of planting media using regionally available materials. The five formulas are designed for specific green-roof applications: extensive on multi-layer construction; extensive on multi-course construction; semi-intensive; intensive; and intensive agricultural, formulated to support rooftop farming.

HydRocks soil media is manufactured in Georgia in three formulas: intensive, extensive, and structural. The structural blend may be used in conjunction with the others to support hardscapes, such as pavers, while allowing the roots from surrounding areas to continue to grow underneath the hardscape.

Stalite manufactures PermaTill in North Carolina using 80% post-industrial recycled fines from the company's production of slate aggregate,15% compost, and 5% pine bark fines. Available for extensive or intensive green roofs, PermaTill has a high cation-exchange capacity (CEC) of 26.9 milliequivalents per 100g, which the company says promotes nutrient retention, reducing the need for fertilizer inputs while allowing high permeability and aeration.

Las Vegas Rock quarries meta-quartzite, a unique stone that looks like sandstone but is as hard as quartz. It can be used for flooring, where it can be polished yet still retain slip resistance; interior or exterior cladding; landscaping; or other applications requiring greater compressive strength. The company has undertaken a number of environmental initiatives: it uses no resins during finishing, creates zero waste from production by collecting fines to be sold to concrete or glass manufacturers and crushing larger pieces for use as landscaping, and filters and recycles all water back through its facilities. Las Vegas Rock is certified Silver through Cradle to Cradle.

Cold Spring Granite, an industry leader in sustainability, offers dimension stone in granite sandstone, limestone, and marble. The company owns a variety of stone quarries and processing facilities across the U.S. and has worked to make its practices more sustainable by recycling all of its industrial water, quarrying stone on demand, using diamond saws instead of explosives to minimize waste, and updating to more energy-efficient equipment. The company also participates in Declare.

The American Bird Conservancy developed BirdTape for preventing bird collisions with residential windows. Because birds cannot see plain glass, up to a billion birds die in window collisions each year, the majority on residential homes. BirdTape is designed to be visible to birds, while allowing light through a window. It is available 3/4" wide, for application in strips 2"-4" apart, and 3" wide to make squares 2"-4" apart. Easily applied and removed, BirdTape will last up to four years. BirdTape is relatively unobtrusive from a visual perspective, but it is affect the aesthetics of the window. It may be best in selective use on windows with known collision problems, especially during spring and fall when songbirds are migrating. BirdTape is made in the U.S.

Sky Factory manufactures SkyCeilings virtual skylights and Luminous virtual windows that use backlit, realistic images to provide the illusion of looking outdoors. Often used in healthcare settings to provide a relaxing source of light, SkyCeilings are available in either the standard model, which uses T5 fluorescent tubes, or the EcoSlim model, which uses 6500K (the color of daylight) edge-lit LEDs for a slimmer profile. The EcoSlim produces no radiofrequency (RF) radiation and can be used around MRIs and other areas requiring RF-free lighting. SkyCeilings are available with dimmers. Because of its narrow profile, EcoSlim is also packaged with various trim options as a virtual window under the Luminous brand. SkyCeilings are available in scalable sizes from 2’ x 2’ grids to large custom orders; and Luminous windows are available in sizes from 22” x 40” to 36“ x 64”.

GSky offers two green wall systems: the Pro Wall and Basic Wall. The Pro Wall System uses a stainless steel frame and panels that incorporate a structural growth medium made from cocoa fibers. The plants are pre-grown to design specifications, monitored for temperature and moisture, and watered automatically using a drip irrigation system. GSky’s Basic Wall Container System is designed for larger walls and uses a stainless trellis and integrated 3’ x 5’ containers to support vines, which can be either pre-grown or allowed to grow naturally. GSky has warranties of ten years on the planters, five years on the irrigation system, and a “100% Plant Health Guarantee” when paired with the company’s maintenance contract.

Made by the German company Arnold Glas and distributed in the U.S. by Roeder Windows and Doors, Ornilux glass helps avoid bird/building collisions using a coating that contains a UV-reflective random ("Mikado") pattern that is highly visible to birds yet nearly invisible to humans. About 100 million birds are killed annually in the U.S. through collisions with buildings, the second greatest cause of avian mortality after habitat destruction. Ornilux is available in several different glazing configurations, including insulated glass with a low-emissivity (low-e) coating and argon gas-fill, and a triple-laminated, non-insulated version that is visible to birds from both sides (used for outdoor displays and glass partitions, such as as zoos).




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Project FROG designs and custom-fabricates modular classrooms and other commercial buildings that feature high-performance envelopes, natural daylighting, high-efficiency mechanical systems, healthy materials, and green components. Built using central "spines," different-shaped wings, porches, and mechanical rooms, the basic configuration is about 1,200 square feet but the sections can be joined together into structures larger than 5000 square feet. These modular classrooms provide an attractive, green alternative to conventional classroom trailers and come in wide range of price points, from relatively affordable trailer alternatives to state-of-the-art, net-zero-energy, LEED Platinum classrooms. Project Frog's modular buildings can be assembled quickly with almost no construction waste yet are sturdy enough for zone 4 seismic areas and can withstand 110 mph winds. While the company was established with the portable classroom market in mind, a wide range of other markets are being pursued.

The Silva Cell system holds soil for tree growth and stormwater management in a structure strong enough to support paved surfaces. Growing trees in urban areas can reduce the heat island effect, replenishes oxygen, and connects us with the natural environment. Silva Cells support this by creating a space that holds ten cubic feet of soil, enough for tree roots and most utilities. With the proper drainage medium they can also manage stormwater runoff to reduce flooding and erosion. The 48” x 24” x 16” fiberglass and polypropylene cells have galvanized steel supports and, to provide additional space, can be stacked up to three cells high before the decking is attached. Silva Cell meets the American Association of State Highway and Transportation H-20 standards for highway loading, so it can be used under most paved surfaces, from parking lots to streetscapes. Though the company does not recommend these under roadways. For use with new trees only and may require root barrier.

Tournesol Siteworks offers two greenwall applications. TerraScreen is an easily installed galvanized grid for hanging containered plants. The Tournesol VGM is a direct-planting system for exterior applications. The 4- or 8-inch soil depths allow a wide range of greenery in a variety of climates. The planting modules are 100 percent recycled polypropylene, and the stainless steel, powder-coated mounting rails are expected to last as long as most commercial buildings. Planter modules can be removed and attached independently for maintenance or remodeling. Water-saving drip irrigation is recommended.