Commercial Roofing as a Sustainability Benefit Multiplier

June 2022
Sponsored by GAF | Siplast

Presented by Shawn Torbert, M.S., CPHC/D, LEED AP, and Kristin Westover, P.E., LEED AP O+M

Continuing Education

Use the following learning objectives to focus your study while reading this month’s Continuing Education article.

Learning Objectives - After reading this article, you will be able to:

  1. Define sustainability.
  2. Evaluate operational carbon, embodied carbon, and whole life carbon footprint of buildings.
  3. Discuss how roofing contributes to sustainability goals.
  4. Integrate holistic system design approaches to roofing overburden.

Commercial roofs can be sustainability “benefit multipliers” by integrating renewable energy, rainwater management strategies, and rooftop agriculture to address our changing environment and more severe storms.

The intent of this course is to discuss the interconnectedness and interrelations of roof strategies that can help minimize whole life building carbon emissions while, at the same time, improve long-term performance, durability, and resiliency by using overburden systems to alleviate the community burden of climate change.

GAF

Photo courtesy of Shawn Torbert


ShawnT

 Shawn Torbert, M.S., CPHC/D, LEED AP, is the Commercial Design Sustainability Manager at GAF and Siplast. He studied molecular biology, philosophy, and writing at Lehigh University and holds a Master of Science degree in Sustainability Management from Columbia University. He’s a LEED AP, a Passive House Institute Certified Passive House Consultant/Designer and volunteers as a Passive House Trainer for the Passive House Network.

ShawnT

 Kristin Westover, P.E., LEED AP O+M, is a Technical Manager of Specialty Installations for Low-slope Commercial Roofing Systems at GAF. She specializes in Cold Storage roofing assemblies where she provides insight, education, and best practices as it relates to Cold Storage Roofing. She is also on the Building and Roofing Science Team where she works with designers to review project design considerations so they can make informed roof assembly decisions. She has experience with a wide variety of projects in the civil engineering consulting industry specializing in repair and restoration of existing buildings, primarily for commercial buildings and high rise residential structures. Kristin’s project expertise includes roofing, waterproofing, facades, parking garages, and pavements. She has performed assessments, written specification and design documents, provided bidding services oversight, and performed construction contract administration. Kristin also has experience in arbitration and litigation support as well as LEED O+M certification for existing buildings.