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A Chat With Paul Kephart, Principal of Rana Creek (the Living Roof People)

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Tell us about what's in store for the Transbay Transit Center's rooftop urban park. We know it's got a graywater and rainwater system. Any other details you can share? This is going to be a spectacular public space in the heart of the city where congestion, traffic, and noise are the norm. What the park will become is a refuge for people, plants, and animals. It’s a place of connection. It will be a place where people can relax and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the City streets. The graywater features demonstrate water conservation measures on a large commercial scale. The Transbay Terminal demonstrates what’s possible.

The California Academy of Sciences, Transbay Transit Center, The Drew School?it's quite obvious that Rana Creek's been responsible for the bulk of prestigious and innovative living roofs throughout the Bay Area. How did your company score so many awesome and noteworthy projects?

We have the knowledge, the experience, and the desire as a leader in sustainable landscape architecture and living systems.

People recognize our skills and our work speaks for itself. We support everyone we work with as we are their best advocates. We don't just work in commercial enterprises as we are also dedicated to public education and the interpretation of living architecture.

Whenever folks visit the California Academy of Sciences, their minds are blown by how different the living roof is from others that they might have seen or read about. How did that come about?

Renzo Piano and CAS supported the ecological approach to plant a diverse selection of native plants to the Bay Area. The unique topography, the plants selected, and the dedication of the Academy have made it a globally recognized project. Rana Creek worked with the Academy of Sciences, Piano Workshop, SWA, and Chong Partners in a cohesive, well coordinated, and collaborative manner. And when that happens great projects results.
· Rana Creek [official site]