April 22 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, an annual event that supports environmental protection. To commemorate the occasion, we are highlighting a Multifamily Midrise LEED Platinum–certified project in Washington, D.C., developed by Valdosta, Ga.–based RISE: A Real Estate Company.
The project, Trellis House, was designed by local architecture firm Niles Bolton Associates with a 29,262-square-foot green roof, environmentally preferable product choices, water efficiency, enhanced air ventilation, and several other green attributes.
Courtesy Niles Bolton Associates
Trellis House also includes environment-oriented amenities, including a rooftop hydroponic garden on the building’s sixth-level sky terrace. Used typically to grow herbs, vegetables, and fruit, hydroponic gardens grow plants without soil. Instead, the roots are submerged directly in nutrient-enriched water or in soil alternatives, such as perlite, sand, or coconut fiber, to allow the plants to grow indoors year-round.
In addition to the hydroponic garden, the terrace also functions as a greenhouse-like social space—complete with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, a partial glass roof, and indoor plants. Residents can gather and relax on the terrace’s couches and chairs or utilize the garden to grow food for a farm-to-table experience in either their private units or the community’s demonstration kitchen.