Ninkasi Protects Local Watershed with Rooftop Garden

Ninkasi BrewingEugene, ORNinkasi Brewing Company’s administrative building, opened in Eugene this summer, featuring a rooftop garden. A living, planted roof was installed as part of a plan to green the entire facility. The LiveRoof┬« Hybrid Green Roof System was selected for the green roof system, which was installed this summer.

The living roof reduces the total amount of stormwater runoff and filters pollutants that would otherwise be deposited in local streams, lakes, and rivers. Additionally, the green roof will moderate the temperature of runoff water, which minimizes its effect on local aquatic life.

“We strive to improve the lives of our customers, the residents of our communities, our employees and our business partners,” said Nikos Ridge, CEO and co-founder of Ninkasi. “Pure, clean water is an essential ingredient to our beer, so it makes sense that we would design our facilities in a way that is sensitive to local waterways. The green roof helped us to achieve this and had the added benefit of a spectacular view for our visitors and staff.”

GreenFeathers, the regional grower for the LiveRoof system, grew and delivered mature flowers and greenery for the rooftop, which was designed by Cameron McCarthy and installed by Rexius. This new brewery is part of a larger growth project for Ninkasi, which includes a new local distribution facility and second brewhouse. All buildings are registered to be LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified under the new LEED campus platform.

“This project has been very rewarding,” said Grace Dinsdale, president of GreenFeathers, Inc. “We knew that sustainability was a high priority for Ninkasi, and feel proud to have contributed to those efforts through use of recycled materials, locally sourced plants and soil, and sustainable growing practices.”

The green roof is visible above the front entrance, and from windows throughout the facility.

Photographers and videographers welcome. Arrange interviews and for more information with Naomi Morgan, 503-207-0269.

About Ninkasi Brewing Company

Founded in 2006 by Jamie Floyd and Nikos Ridge, Ninkasi Brewing Company continues to grow from its first batch of Total Domination IPA, to two brewhouses, a 55-barrel and a 90-barrel brewhouse, located in Eugene, Ore. Ninkasi’s Flagship beers—Total Domination IPA, Tricerahops Double IPA, Believer Double Red, Oatis Oatmeal Stout, and Vanilla Oatis Oatmeal Stout—are sold throughout Oregon; Alaska; California; Idaho; Montana; Washington; Nevada; and Vancouver, British Columbia. The brewery remains privately-owned and is committed to community support and giving. Ninkasi’s Beer Is Love program offers in-kind donations and support for organizations throughout its footprint.

About GreenFeathers, Inc.

GreenFeathers, Inc. (http://www.greenfeathers.info), the Pacific Northwest regional distributor and grower for LiveRoof, is the green roof division of Blooming Nursery, Inc., one of Oregon’s largest wholesale nurseries with 100,000 square feet of greenhouses and more than 45 acres of growing fields. Since 2008, GreenFeathers has custom grown over 50 green roof projects in the states of Oregon and Washington.

About LiveRoof

Based in Spring Lake, Michigan, LiveRoof┬« Global, LLC (http://www.liveroof.com) is the top horticultural science company in the green roof industry. Exceptional in design and function, the LiveRoof┬« Hybrid Green Roof System is the proven green roof system. LiveRoof establishes a healthy, sustainable ecosystem covering rooftops with seamless vegetation. Licensed regional growers customize plant selection for every LiveRoof project. They deliver the system’s modules abundantly vegetated with locally cultivated, full-grown plants for an instant green roof and trouble-free ownership. LiveRoof has been used on over 1000 projects totaling more than 4,000,000 square feet.

About LEED

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the green building rating system developed by the US Green Building Council (usgbc.org/leed). The LEED system’s intent is to provide a standard certification process that registers and quantifies buildings for design and construction methods that promote five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selections, and indoor environmental quality.