Michael Molaro | Green Roof Professional (GRP)
Michael Molaro, GRP
Michael’s education includes architectural and construction engineering technologies and prairie horticulture with work experience in architectural practices followed by a career in Facilities Management at the University of Saskatchewan.
Michael has served on various boards and committees. He co-founded the Canada Green Building Council’s Saskatchewan Chapter and was vice-chair of the City of Saskatoon’s Environmental Advisory Committee. He has delivered numerous presentations including university guest lectures, providing education and advocating for green roofs and rooftop gardening.
Michael is Principal of Higher Groundwork HortiCulture designing and implementing green roofs within Treaty 6 Territory of the Northern Great Plains. He completed his first project in 2015, a non-irrigated residential roof which is still growing well.
Contact him via email or LinkedIn
Why did you become a Green Roof Professional (GRP)?
I became enamoured with green roofs over 15 years ago while working at the University of Saskatchewan. I took a green roof course delivered by Steven Peck no less. In 2006 I became involved with a campus research project, where we put 16 test plots on an accessible rooftop. In 2007 I did some initial work on the largest green roof in Saskatchewan at the College of Law and was very inspired by the designer Goya Ngan, a local landscape architect and experienced green roof consultant.
Non irrigated 2015 roof allium, sedum & pasture sage. Photo: Michael Molaro
In 2013, after leading the Office for Sustainability for almost a decade I became one of many laid off university employees. I pondered about what to do next and wrote my GRP exam later that year. I decided to go into business and launched my company, Higher Groundwork Horticulture, in 2014.
What does your job entail? What does your day to day look like?
Many days are quiet, as we’re still in a very immature market here. I used to do just about everything by myself, but now my time is spent scouting, designing and creating concepts for projects, and talking to potential clients, trying to derive what their green roof vision may look like. I farm out installation labour now (at my wife’s insistence).
What is your favourite part of your job?
Discovering all the potential reasons for green roof implementation, and developing a vision with the client. Once a project design starts I have trouble shutting my brain off. I end up creating potential concepts and scenarios in detail. I research and derive practical solutions. I try to push the envelope on benefits, including plants like native grasses which provide beauty in all seasons and insulation in the winter too. My clients have been primarily residential, since they have a passion and care about green roof maintenance and long term success.
The least favourite parts are the stressful days during actual implementation. Equipment, materials, sequencing, coordinating all activities, and the weather and plans B and C; as you can see I’ve lost hair in the process.
What advice would you provide to someone interested in pursuing a similar career path to yourself?
Grass visible on the green roof in the winter. Photo: Michael Molaro
This person should be patient, outgoing, energetic, able to provide education awareness to owners, architects, and the building community. Be prepared to become an advocate, and find allies wherever you can. Be aware that green roof projects that fail can negatively affect your ability to do more in our small marketplace. Given our rather extreme climate, green roofs are assumed by most people here to not work or to be too complex or risky. Sadly when one is actually considered, it's usually after the building design is complete or even worse, during construction. Get involved and early.
What trends about green infrastructure/sustainability make you excited for the future?
Whether it’s using space on a balcony or a green roof, implementing urban agriculture is important and urgent. Climate change and failing supply chains make it clear we need access to local food and soon. I’ve long been promoting sub-irrigated container planting.
Our recent projects have moved away from sedum used native plants from our region, and my clients now recommend them to others. I have included some of my own plants seeded from nearby native prairie.
It’s also exciting to see cities work collaboratively with other municipalities, creating incentives and making their cities more permeable. Green and living infrastructure is gaining acceptance among more traditional engineering and accounting disciplines.
In my mind cities are in the best position to foster this environment, by demonstrating successful practices, programs and projects in civic infrastructure and buildings.
What do you see as the role of green infrastructure in resilience and the COVID-19 recovery?
I see opportunities in green infrastructure market development, and considerable job potential. Green infrastructure projects typically require less large equipment and materials but more labour hours in construction, monitoring and maintenance. Covid has not only shone a light on the supply chain but also on those who are privileged and those who are not.
The green roof’s second year. Photo: Michael Molaro
Green infrastructure can provide entry level jobs, increase food security and food sovereignty for those who need it most. The world slowed down and forced us to think. Natural infrastructure can inform us about other aspects of sustainability. We should continue to seize opportunities that challenge long-standing grey infrastructure thinking.
How does having a GRP on projects benefit the company?
It not only let me confidently start my own company, but allowed me to provide green roof education and awareness to civic administration, design professionals, architects, and others and assured clients of a standard, given the GRP accreditation.
Rubbing shoulders with other GRP people is such a great opportunity. Attending conferences enhanced my knowledge and thinking and led me to valuable connections including people like Kerry Ross and Nathan Gill in Alberta.
Tell us about a recent project:
We did a project in Saskatoon in 2020 just after the onset of Covid-19. The previous year I implemented a remediation project to help save their small green roof which was poorly done. Long story but the plant material was brought in from Ontario and wasn’t appropriate for our climate conditions so almost all of it died. A much larger part of the roof was still available and the owners allowed me free rein on a design. I recommended mostly native plants, our first real venture in this area. I learned a lot including keeping weight on the roof minimal by layering high-density insulation. It was a project that won me over with native species. The client was happy and has recommended me for other work. We considered it a successful milestone project.
Native grasses trap over 30cm of snow. Photo: Michael Molaro
Interested in becoming a GRP?
Enroll in The Living Architecture Academy, our online training platform which is dedicated to bringing you the best, most up to date professional development resources on design, installation and maintenance practices. See our Green Roof Professional (GRP) program for more details.
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC)is a non-profit 501(c)(6) professional industry association working to grow the green roof and wall industry throughout North America since 1999. Our mission is to develop and protect the market by increasing the awareness of the economic, social, and environmental benefits of green roofs, green walls, and other forms of living architecture through education, advocacy, professional development, and celebrations of excellence.
Read The Living Architecture Monitor, our quarterly online magazine that follows industry design, policy, research and technology developments.
GRHC’s next event is a half day Virtual Symposium on Urban Agriculture Technology, Design And Planning is March 16, 2022 from 1 to 4:30 pm est. www.greenroofs.org/events.
From the Living Architecture Monitor
