Omni Ecosystems

01/07/2025

New Year, New Era!

2025 marks a new era for Omni Ecosystems! Back in 2006 when a tiny prototype proved that microbial communities and zucchini plants could thrive on a Chicago in an ultra-lightweight aggregate, few would have predicted the hundreds of projects that followed. After years of research and development, stands at the forefront of the industry because of the hard work of so many dedicated people. Construction and stewardship teams informed best practices and continued to make iterative improvements while pushed the boundaries of . Enthusiastic adoption by roofers, architects, landscapers, and engineers helped introduce Omni Infinity to municipalities (and pollinators!) around the country. Long-term performance tracking has confirmed continued efficacy and resiliency. We are now able to step away from doing design, installation, and maintenance ourselves, and concentrate on up the supply of our while equipping design & trade professionals to grow life in even more unexpected places. As we kick-off 2025, we are especially thankful and proud of design studio and know that they will thrive with Greenprint Partners, democratizing nature for all!

01/02/2024

Worth reading.

Roofs, envisioned as programmable spaces, offer a profound opportunity to positively influence all life. Symbiotic systems are advancing the concept of shared space, weaving together green infrastructure, sustainable energy, and urban agriculture.

Take a tour of a rooftop laboratory where scientists show how growing crops under solar panels can produce both food and clean energy.

12/22/2023

From the entire Omni team, may your holidays be merry and bright!!

The countdown is on. We're eagerly anticipating the start of the and all its possibilities with you!

12/22/2023

The shorter and colder days make a conventional rooftop less alluring for many. However, early sunsets beautifully accentuate the seasonal colors and structure offered by an , where a good coat or sweater allows for the continuous observation of native ecologies throughout the year.

12/15/2023

One of our favorite green roof plants is Dalea purpurea, Purple Prairie Clover, a native species that grows in drier sites from Alabama to Montana. Purple Prairie Clover thrives on hot green roofs and is multifunctional: it fixes nitrogen, offers nectar and pollen for insects, is a host plant for Dogface Sulfur and Reakirt’s Blue butterflies, and is gorgeous when blooming, often for a month or more in early summer.

It is also high in protein, a welcome plant in livestock pastures. Eastern cottontail rabbits love to eat Purple Prairie Clover which can make it hard to establish in home gardens.

We fortunately don’t have a rabbit problem on the green roof of Omni’s headquarters, and we harvested a bumper crop of Dalea seed last week which we will distribute as part of our mix for other projects.

Mike Repkin, ’s Director of Product Development and Bioresource Management, took some close-up images of this roof-adapted seed using a yesterday. The hairs kind of look like rabbit fur!

12/13/2023

More recommended reading.

The next few decades will present increased flooding risks to hundreds of thousands of residents in our own . This will be echoed in other dense urban areas.

Inherently flexible, (GI) is highly capable of addressing and resolving diverse environmental challenges such as pluvial flooding. Fortunately, federal and local authorities, as well as nonprofit sources, are recognizing this potential with grants and funding.

An ABC7 data analysis found more than 200,000 Cook County properties are at major or severe risk of flooding in the next 30 years

12/12/2023

A worthwhile read.

Emulating natural processes to establish sustainable solutions, (GI) offers a range of benefits across environmental, social, and economic dimensions.

With the increased occurrence of heavy rains, local administrations are turning to GI to mitigate the impact of catastrophic flooding.

Rebecca Greenberg has more on the story.

12/08/2023

Wintertime butterfly and moth sightings are scarce in except for one species, the Wooly Bear, the larvae of Pyhrrarctia isabella, also commonly called the Isabella Tiger Moth.

These caterpillars hatch from eggs in autumn, feed on asters, clover, and sunflowers, then go into a dormant state, hibernating under leaf litter. They endure freezing temperatures by producing cryoprotectants (antifreeze proteins) that prevent cell damage, a common survival adaptation for Arctic and Antarctic insects. In late winter, the larvae will thaw out, pupate, and emerge as moths in spring. We’ve found these cocoons in irrigation valve boxes on a fifth-floor green roof in Glenview, IL, well-protected from harsh weather.

We’re continually amazed at the ingenuity of and wonder how high on a building these adventurous Wooly Bears can persist.

12/07/2023

was glad to introduce our work at the Carle Foundation Hospital to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students and Illinois ASLA members Max Rouser, Vanessa Arteaga, and Matthew Jenkins.

Their research on will be available to the general public as accessible insight into the intentions and outcomes of these spaces. Keep an eye out for their work.

Please visit the Portfolio page of our website where you can learn more about our work at the Carle Foundation Hospital, including the integral role of ’s .

📷: Scott Shigley

12/05/2023

The punchlist phase has begun at 920 N Wells, marking a significant milestone for Chicago's largest residential development in decades!

’s President Michael Skowlund, Associate Dena van der Wal, and Senior Designer Meg Schroeder, joined Power Construction’s Mary Cunningham in ’s neighborhood to meticulously check off every detail, ensuring an extraordinary outcome.

At grade and soaring 20 stories above, this collaboration with landscape contractors and Twin Oaks Landscaping, Inc. is a key component of a larger initiative reintroducing unparalleled green spaces to enhance sustainable community wellness.

12/01/2023

is here in !

Some light snow and daytime freezing temperatures have pushed most of our rooftop meadow plant species into dormancy. We prefer to leave meadow foliage intact through the winter to offer habitat for . Aesthetically, we also love the intricacy of plant forms highlighted by snow on an , expressed nicely in this image.