Green Wall and Roofs

Green Walls
In the fall of 2018 Trent will reopen Bata Library and reveal a twelve-meter long green wall.  This new wall is expected to provide aesthetic and psychological benefits to staff and students using the space and to help provide cleaner air as plants naturally filter the air.  The intention of this green wall is to eventually incorporate edible plants and connect highly specialized experiential learning for students.

Green Roofs
Trent has a productive green roof where students grow food that is later cooked and served in the Seasoned Spoon Café on campus.  Less well known is that this is not our only green roof!  Trent has approximately 3,500m2 of green roof space on campus.

Chemical Science Building - On the Chemical Science Building there are a series of rooftop gardens that largely go unnoticed, as they appear to be at ground level. Walking from the Faryon Bridge to Peter Gzowski College or even Otonabee College, staff and students walk past these green roofs every day, many thinking that they are standard grasses and gardens. These roofs are ‘extensive green roofs’ which means that they typically have low growing, low maintenance, and drought resistant ground covers. When recently mowed, you can smell the thyme!

Enwayaang - Built in 2004, this building is home to Peter Gzwoski College and has extensive green roofs.  At first glance, the Enwayaang green roofs would look like a typical lawn; however, they are on top of the first floor of the building.

Environmental Science Complex - The Environmental Science Complex has two green roofs. One is an extensive roof planted primarily with sedums and has no public access. The other green roof on this building is ‘semi-intensive’. Intensive green roofs require a high level of maintenance.  Researchers originally used this roof to study the effects of ground level ozone on crops.  When this research was complete, volunteers just kept growing!  This roof has become an iconic image for Trent over the years and during 2009 underwent an extensive reconstruction.