The Green Roof Innovation Testing Lab ("GRIT Lab") is a

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

research facility at the John H. Daniels Faculty for Architecture, Landscape and Design. The only facility of its kind in Canada, the GRIT Lab tests and researches the environmental performance of

green roof A green roof or living roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage ...

green wall A green wall is a vertical built structure intentionally covered by vegetation. Green walls include a vertically applied growth medium such as soil, substitute substrate, or hydroculture felt; as well as an integrated hydration and fertigation ...

s, and

solar photovoltaic A photovoltaic system, also called a PV system or solar power system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to abs ...

technologies in Canada to help mitigate climate change. The GRIT Lab is run by a team of

landscape architect A landscape architect is a person who is educated in the field of landscape architecture. The practice of landscape architecture includes: site analysis, site inventory, site planning, land planning, planting design, grading, storm water manage ...

s, civil engineers, building scientists, and

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

s from the UofT Daniels Faculty, including Director Liat Margolis as well as professors Robert Wright, Dr. Ted Kesik, Dr. Brent Sleep and Jennifer Drake. Related industry partners such as Tremco, Bioroof Systems, and Sky Solar, as well as government agencies including the

City of Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, and other academic institutions are also involved in the project.

History

The GRIT Lab was established in 2010 on the roof of the Daniels Faculty at 230 College Street in Toronto by the Daniels Faculty's Centre for Landscape Research. The opening of the lab came after the City of Toronto introduced a

by-law A by-law (bye-law, by(e)law, by(e) law), is a set of rules or law established by an organization or community so as to regulate itself, as allowed or provided for by some higher authority. The higher authority, generally a legislature or some othe ...

in May 2009 that required all new developments in the city larger than 2,000 square meters to incorporate a certain percentage of

space. Operations began in 2011 to monitor the performance of the city's recommendations. This is done by testing the effectiveness of various green roofs, green walls, and solar photovoltaic technologies in the Toronto climate. The experiments aim to reveal the optimal construction of green roofs and how to maximize environmental performance. In addition to testing, the lab also offers private educational seminars to related organizations and those interested in green-thinking. To date, the GRIT Lab consists of 48 boxed plant testing beds, a variety of green walls, and its own weather station. Data is regularly collected on soil moisture, flow rates, temperature, rainfall, humidity, solar, and wind to determine which combinations can produce the greatest cooling and stormwater benefit. In 2013, a website was established to share the results of the lab's research with the public. In 2017, the lab moved from College Street to the fifth floor roof of the Daniels Faculty's new home at 1 Spadina Crescent. The new lab at 1 Spadina focuses on both testing the absorptive qualities of green roofs, as well as the effectiveness of cisterns or holding tanks at keeping rainwater out of storm sewers and the ground.

Awards

In 2013 the GRIT Lab received an Award of Excellence from the

American Society of Landscape Architects The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is a professional association for landscape architects in the United States. The ASLA's mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education, and fellowship. ...

References

External links

* http://grit.daniels.utoronto.ca/ {{coord, 43, 39, 35, N, 79, 24, 03, W, region:CA-ON_type:landmark_scale:2500, display=title Laboratories in Canada University of Toronto