Friday, October 24, 2008

Mingo Design, LLC, a female owned and operated company, continues to spread the knowledge of Green Roof technology in Manhattan. Kari Elwell Katzander, owner and principle designer, was brought in as a consultant on an existing designed residential Green Roof project to review and collaborate on it prior to its installation. Careful attention was paid to thinking about long term maintenance issues well after the "fun" part of planting. Details, such as the height and gauge of the edging, the right plant for the right space, as well as bringing in the Green Roof system from Green Living Technologies were reviewed. Stay tuned for more information on this project and to see a fabulous after-shot of a Green Roof as this is going in before the snow flies.....now!

Here is a Before pic




Also another note from Kari...

I think of Manhattan rooftops as underdeveloped real-estate. Building owners need not look any further for purchasing more space, but rather to reinvent the outdoor space that they already own. This space could be created for the people of the building to enjoy, thus increasing the resale value and assisting in overall cooling and heating costs, all the while helping the environment....who would have thought all of these ugly rooftops would be , in the end, the possible solution to the Manhattan's environmental issues.....reducing energy consumption and storm water run off to name a few key issues. Helping the environment will only go so far with most discerning of New Yorkers. If the space does not look great of have the amenities that they want, it will not fly. I try to bring these new methods of landscaping to an urban jungle and create a coexistence between traditional rooftop/terrace gardening and the cutting edge Green Roof and Living Walls that are being written about. There is ample rooftop space for a dining area, and outdoor kitchen, a play area for children, as well as a Green Roof.


Saturday, October 18, 2008

Mingo Design in dwell Magazine March 2008

Check out the original article Pretty Super at Dwell.com

"new outdoor space transformed"
-Michael Canell


"Working with Kari Elwell Katzander of Mingo Design, a landscape designer specializing in pocket-sized city gardens, the Zizmors built a perforated green wall with English ivy the climbs wire mesh and hanging boxes sprouting with herbs and spider plants."

- Michael Canell