LaSalle Bank expands green roof at Troy HQ

LaSalle Bank finished expanding its green roof late this fall at its Michigan headquarters in Troy at 2600 W. Big Beaver Road, making it the state’s second largest green roof, says Kevin Kmet, First Vice President and Facility Manager for LaSalle Bank.

The office building was built with a 16,415-square-foot green roof. LaSalle expanded it 34,000 square feet this fall to a total of 50,563 square feet of green space.

The original green roof consists mainly of grass, shrubs and trees, serving as a patio for the building’s cafeteria. The expansion is an extensive green roof made up of moss-like vegetation.

Installing the green roof cost the same as building a normal commercial roof, however, the green roof allows for significant energy savings. Temperatures on a hot summer day on a normal commercial-building’s roof can reach 150 degrees. That requires the building’s cooling system to use more energy on air conditioning. A green roof stays the same temperature as a lawn, keeping the building cooler.

LaSalle’s Michigan headquarters was built in 1989 and houses 1,000 employees.