Aquascape Roof Collapses

Ellen C. Wells

On February 13, a portion of the Aquascape Incorporated’s roof collapsed onto a covered parking area below. Aqualand, the headquarters of Aquascape in St. Charles, Illinois, is one of the world’s largest green roof structures. The portion of the roof that collapsed is attached to the main warehouse, which sustained window damage. Thankfully, no one was injured in the incident. Also, no inventory was damaged.

The region had been hit with a major snowstorm during which more than 20 in. of snow had fallen in less than 24 hours. This was followed by above-freezing temperatures, causing a quick thaw. Aquascape suspect an ice dam at the base of the roof caused water to back up above the parking structure, leading to its collapse.

“Thank God it happened on a Sunday when we are closed,” said Greg Wittstock, owner and CEO of Aquascape. “We are so thankful that no teammates or customers were here. When situations like this happen, it’s how you respond that matters.”

“It was disheartening, but the office area and the warehouse did not take the brunt of the blow, which is fortunate,” said Aquascape’s president Colleen Heitzler.

Aquascape set up temporary headquarters in a nearby location within days and without delaying orders. GP