The Notre Dame Joyce Center is home to the largest green roof in the state of Indiana
The Notre Dame Joyce Center, home to the LEED Gold-certified Purcell Pavilion, at 79,096 square feet, is also home to the largest green roof in the state of Indiana. Spanning nearly 2 acres of space along and between the double domes of the Joyce Center and containing over 32,000 trays of plants from 25 different plant species, the roof surface is the fifth living rooftop installed at Notre Dame. This project won the New Municipal Best Management Practice Award (2022) from the Indiana MS4 Partnership, a major stormwater collective. There are additional green roofs on O'Neill Hall of Music, Corbett Family Hall, the Morris Inn, and O'Neill Family Hall.
Green roofs provide several sustainability benefits including increased building energy efficiency, improved air quality, noise reduction, and stormwater management.
Benefits
Green roofs provide immediate and long-term benefits to the structure and surrounding environment. They are proven to mitigate stormwater run-off, improve air quality by reducing carbon dioxide, and conserve rainwater for release back into the atmosphere.
The green roofs also provide a natural insulation to keep indoor temperatures cooler during the summer months and warmer during the cold months. Interestingly, the Joyce Center green roof shields the building from ultraviolet (UV) rays, extending the life expectancy of the roof by 200-300%