Green roof technology is both new technology and as old as architecture itself.  Early settlers to our area often build sod homes with a roof that blended into the landscape – grass and all.  They used the natural heating and cooling of mother nature as insulation against the harsh environment of the plains.  The thickness of the soil on the structure’s roof, one of the few building materials available, insulated from the cold of winter and kept the interior of the home cool in the summer. 

 Today’s green roofs come in a variety of options.  The Urban Plains Center is one variety of green roof.  The reflective surface of the light colored roof keeps the heat of the sun from being absorbed by the building.  Since the ice sheet requires colder temperatures, reflecting the sun puts less stress on the internal cooling system, which saves energy. 

 The green roof planned for the Starion Financial building is an earthen system that insulates the building.  In the summer, the soil and vegetation act like a barrier between the heat of the sun and the internal air-conditioning.  It keeps the heat out and the cool air in.  Then in winter, the thickness of the soil acts like an insulator to keep the heat in.

 Green roofs also play a role in natural water retention.  Normally, water that hits a roof will flow through the gutters, out onto the pavement, and then into our city streets, through the sewer system and into the river or other bodies of water.  This can leach contaminants into our rivers or drinking water.  With a green roof, some of the rain water or snow melt will be retained on the roof as natural irrigation for the living garden of the green roof system.  Some of that runoff can also be stored for future irrigation needs.  The moist soil and plant life on a green roof can reduce the energy usage of a building by up to 20%.

There are many television shows now that focus on eco-friendly living and sustainable design. The most common theme of those homes is choosing to build for the climate of the area. Using geothermal heating and cooling for us here in Fargo is an incredibly efficient way of reducing energy usage. Imagine the crisp -30° morning in January. Most home heating systems are cranking out energy to warm up that extremely frigid air to a livable temperature of 70°. That is a 100° change of air temperature. Now imagine your geothermal heating system. It is pulling heat out of the ground that is already a balmy 40°F. Your heating system only needs to heat another 30°. What a difference that will make to your heating costs.

Our climate is a match for some very popular building features like heated floors, and plenty of windows. When paired with geothermal heating, heated floors are a wonderful way to combat our winter weather. The ambient heat that comes through the flooring is a comfort to your toes as well as creating the illusion of warmer outside temperatures. Add lots of windows and the natural light helps to offset the winter blues sometimes attributed to our long winters.

Plenty of windows can help capture the sun’s natural radiant heat. Placing windows on the southern and western sides of your home capture the sun’s rays when they are strongest, helping to collect both heat and the healing power of the sun. Eastern windows are wonderful for morning views, but the north side of your home should create a barrier so the collected heat in your home doesn’t get wasted on the cool, windy side of your house. Solid walls and smaller windows on the north face are cost effective ways of keeping the cold out and the heat in.

Another very popular very green, cost-saving, and in demand building feature is the open floor plan. The greenest feature of this type of design for your home is creating a smaller environmental foot print. It’s not just keeping with fashion to create a home that allows you to cook, eat, and watch TV, all in one large open space. The formal dining room and formal living rooms are fashionably out dated and a waste of space. Creating walls around spaces you barely use is wasting resources that could be put to better use somewhere else. Just think of how often your family is together in the kitchen or living room. When we think of entertaining, we think of gathering in the kitchen and being able to take care of your guests needs while not missing out on great conversation. We think of taking care of our kids in the same way. After a long day of work, when there is still food to prepare, having your family there in the same area talking about their day and sharing their lives together is our ideal. And making sure your space is designed with this in mind is a large part of responsible and sustainable design.

Urban Plains is the first development in our area that is focused on creating modern residences for the 21st century taste. Design, sustainability, function, and longevity are all part of our plan to bring modern living to Fargo. Please let us know what you would like to see in your next modern home. Talk to us about what’s important to you from design, to building materials, to price. We want to hear it all. Call Matt Baasch at 701-356-9100 or email us at matt@upfargo.com.

This is your community; this is your Urban Plains.

Bio-retention is a process that involves the naturally occurring micro-organisms in surface water to improve the water quality. While this process is seemingly cutting edge new technology, the treatment of surface water through bio-filtration has been used in Europe since the early 1900s. The runoff water from the fields surrounding the pond will gather and undergo this natural process. The water will then be suitable for recreational activities.

Eventually, the pond at Urban Plains will serve as a public park area for paddle boats and swimming. While the process is natural and it benefits the environment, are there any other reasons to utilize this type of system? Are there reasons for creating this body of water, other than for recreational purposes?

The bio-filtration system is more aesthetically pleasing than other types of filtration systems. The system is engineered so that it will blend with the streetscape and landscape. It is also easily incorporated into Green developments. These systems also contribute to the control of storm water volume. Particularly in this area there are problems with flooding during the spring thawing cycles. The run off created by snowmelt can now be retained on the property and channeled into the pond, filtered and utilized for recreation at later stages. This alleviates a percentage of the runoff that flows into the river and could potentially decrease the effects of flooding.

Also, the system is green. It is eco-friendly, cost effective and efficient. Urban Plains is a prime location for a system like this. The design fits in well with a green development and Urban Plains is proud to utilize this technology. While the system has many benefits for the environment, it is also cost effective and efficient. With the system currently in place, Urban Plains is excited about where the project can go from here.

Geothermal energy is a process of using the earth’s natural energy for heating applications in commercial and residential buildings. While the technology of today has improved the techniques used for geothermal energy, the process itself has been around since before the Roman Empire.

Benefits of having geothermal heating in your business or home are outstanding and more cost effective than you might imagine. You can expect lower maintenance costs, lower utility bills and a safe work environment. Geothermal systems provide a more relaxing atmosphere for employees and clients through more usable work space and comfortable temperatures all year long.

Top 5 Reasons to go Green with a Geothermal System:
• Environmentally Friendly – geothermal energy is non-polluting and it’s naturally renewable.
• Cost Effective – a geothermal system is easier to maintain resulting in lower maintenance costs plus it can cut utility bills by 30-50 percent compared to traditional heating and cooling systems.
• Flexible Design & Longer Lifespan – a geothermal system can be easily subdivided or expanded to fit building modifications and has a lifespan of up to 30 years.
• Comfortable, Single System – heating and cooling applications are on 1 system with geothermal energy and cold drafts are eliminated.
• Safe & Energy Efficient – with a geothermal system there is no danger of carbon monoxide poisoning or gas leaks. It can also move more units of heat energy per unit of electrical energy in traditional heating systems.