Michelle Lazarz | Green Roof Professional (GRP)

Michelle Lazarz, GRP

Michelle Lazarz is a Master of Landscape Architecture Candidate, Research Assistant, and ASLA Student Chapter President at the University of Colorado Denver. Her goal as an aspiring landscape architect is to encourage people to understand, respect, and admire both the natural and built environments, as well as the richness of ecological and climatic variance throughout our planet. She enjoys watercolor, sketching, plant ID hikes, and nature photography.

What are you studying in school or did you study? What was your area of research? Was the program helpful to your learning and would you recommend it to other students? 

I am currently wrapping up my last semester in the Master of Landscape Architecture program at the University of Colorado Denver. Throughout my studies I focused on ecological restoration and design interventions for sustainable and place-inspired public spaces ranging from parks to the urban public realm. 

This program was crucial in my professional development as a landscape designer. While my previous career in event planning built my skills in aesthetic design and logistical planning, the MLA program taught me so much about how to integrate multiple disciplines and through creative design. It has also been a great place to learn about landscape architecture in a semi-arid environment so close to the Rocky Mountains. I definitely recommend it for students who may not have a design background already and are looking for a supportive environment in their education, rather than a studio with a competitive atmosphere.

Close up photo of alpine plants taken at Mount Blue Sky. Photo: Michelle Lazarz

How did you find out about green roofs and the GRP program? 

Green roof design was one of the initial things that attracted me to the realm of landscape architecture, so I was eager to learn more! I read the book Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls by Nigel Dunnett and Noel Kingsbury, which only continued to pique my interest. 

During my first year in the MLA program Leila Tolderlund requested a list of students interested in the GRP program as our Colorado Living Architecture Regional Center of Excellence faculty lead. I unfortunately didn’t make it into the program that year, but followed up again the next year, applied, and received one of the PREP Fellowship slots!

Why did you become a Green Roof Professional (GRP)? 

Receiving the PREP Fellowship enabled me to pursue the GRP as a student without the financial barrier. I wanted to learn more about this complex design intervention, and grow my skill set in hopes that I can work on green roof designs after graduation. The City of Denver has somewhat incentivized green roofs and cool roofs through policy, so I hope to advocate for them to be included in designs and development moving forward.

How has it enhanced your career/opportunities/confidence/knowledge? Being a GRP is something that I can proudly list on my resume and portfolio, and has provided many resources to reference when implementing green roof designs in the future. It has also given me the opportunity to network with others who are just as passionate about green roofing, and build a sense of community through education. 

Because so much of the research and case studies focus on more humid and wet climates, I am excited to explore green roof applications for semi-arid climates like Denver, through practice. 

What are your plans for the future?

After graduating in May, I plan to stay and work in the Denver metro area and beyond. I would love to focus my work on public space design, implementation of green infrastructure solutions, like green roofs, and supporting local habitat through thoughtful native and adapted planting design and ecological restoration projects. 

Botanical illustration of Salvia pachyphylla. Photo: Michelle Lazarz

What trends about green infrastructure make you excited for the future?

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Dr. Jennifer Bousselot, touring the CSU Spur campus green roofs and learning more about agrivoltaics and the opportunities for combining urban agriculture and solar power generation. I am so excited to continue learning about biosolar roofs and especially the combination of vertical double-sided pv panels with native plants that support local pollinators and wildlife. There is so much room for innovation and conservation of resources through design. 

Light and Dark Drawing – Graphite representation of light and dark. Photo: Michelle Lazarz

What do you see as the role of green infrastructure in resilience and the COVID-19 recovery?

While in many ways the general public has moved past the state of pandemic, we will always be faced with COVID-19, and future pandemics are always possible. One of the few positives to come out of this emergency was the increased awareness of our biophilia and the power of being outside. Our environments can directly influence our human microbiomes and anything that we can do to increase urban access to green space, improve air and water quality, increase biodiversity, and mitigate some of the damage we have done to our local ecosystems, the better our outcomes. The indoor generation is a very real threat to our physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing, and getting outside, immersing ourselves in green, and breathing fresh air is the solution. In these regards, green infrastructure can be a key tool in building our resilience, and continue to inspire reconnection to nature.

Tell us about what you’re working on right now

I currently work for the University Technical Assistance Program at CU Denver, through which we provide conceptual and schematic design services for public projects in rural and outlying communities throughout the state of Colorado. Much of our work involves sustainable site planning and architectural design of municipal facilities, like town halls, recreation centers, and multi-purpose facilities.  My team is currently working on a handful of different projects including the Park County Fairgrounds Vision Plan, Monument Adult Activity Center, a redesign of Pool Park in Green Mountain Falls, and a Multi-Purpose Adaptive Re-use of the former Frontier High School in Elizabeth for workforce housing, business incubator, and rec center, among other things. In all of our projects we look for innovative solutions for sustainable design, and green roofs and solar energy are always up for consideration!

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Green Roofs for Healthy Cities is a non-profit 501(c)(6) professional industry association working to grow the green roof and wall industry throughout North America since 1999. Our mission is to develop and protect the market by increasing the awareness of the economic, social, and environmental benefits of green roofs, green walls, and other forms of living architecture through education, advocacy, professional development, and celebrations of excellence. 

We publish The Living Architecture Monitor quarterly online magazine where industry leaders share their insights and expertise. These articles increase awareness of the economic, social, and environmental benefits of green roofs, walls and other forms of living architecture.

We also offer free access to The Living Architecture Academy, an online professional development platform which is dedicated to bringing you the best, most up to date professional training information on design, installation and maintenance practices across a wide range of green infrastructure topics. The LAA offers short lectures and multi-day courses such as: Green Roof Professional Training, Introduction to Green Walls, Biodiverse Green Roof Maintenance, and more.  

We also publish the Green Pages: Industry Green Roof and Wall Directory which is designed to support you with your living architecture projects by providing a list of trusted manufacturers, suppliers of accessories, green walls, nurseries, and certified Green Roof Professionals (GRPs). From small-scale residential projects to large commercial installations, this directory has everything you need to find support to create a sustainable and beautiful living space.

From the Living Architecture Monitor