Urban & Institutional Green Roofs • Insteading

Hotel Foroyar – Faroe Islands. Architects Friis & Moltke. Pic by catheadsix flickr.com

L’Historial de Vendee, museum, Les Lucs-sur-Boulogne, France. Plan01 Architects, plan01.com

California Academy of Sciences by Renzo Piano calacademy.org

GrinGrin Building for Island City Central Park, Fukuoka pref, Japan. Architect: Toyo Ito.

Nanyang Technological University in Singapore by CPG Consultants

Nanyang Technological University in Singapore Pic: cpgcorp.com.sg

ACROS Fukuoka Building

ACROS Fukuoka Building, government offices and 100,000-square-foot park laid onto 15 stepped terraces.

The ultimate urban rooftop. Green roof with wastewater treatment capabilities. greenroofing.tumblr.com

Vulcano Buono Nola Mall, Naples, Italy by Renzo Piano archdaily.com

Garak Market, Seoul, South Korea. The redevelopment of the market is scheduled to last 11 years – from 2009 to 2020. Pic: worldarchitecturenews.com Architects: samoo.com

Urban Green Roofs. Image flickr.com

Green roofed school plans, Belgium. By NL Architects via designboom.com

Green roof Australia. Wildroof Landscapes.

Rooftop green. Richmond Street, Toronto. sentex.net

Green Roof, Toronto. Pic: flickr.com

Green Roof & solar panels, Brooklyn, NY. Pic by Kieran k Meadows flickr.com

Green Roof, New York City, flickr.com

Green Roof for ‘bugs’ by Green Roof Consultancy, livingroofs.org Above St. James’ Tube station, UK, the roof was specifically designed for rare invertebrates.

Green roof at Mountain Equipment Coop, Toronto, Canada. Image Sookie wikimedia.org

Vancouver Public Library. Pic by Recollective flickr.com

Green roof, ZED factory display, Shanghai Expo livingroofs.org

busroots.org

Benefits Of Green Roofs

1) Decreases Storm Water Runoff

Green roofs are capable of retaining 60 to 100% of water during a rain event. When water falls on a typical roof, it’s often funneled off into storm water drains, collecting pollution along the way and polluting our waterways or increasing the amount of sewage to be treated. Green roofs ‘harvest’ rain water and put it to beneficial use.

2) Urban Heat Island Effect is Reduced

Vegetation reflects solar radiation that would otherwise be absorbed by roof surfaces. If an urban area has numerous green roofs (or even as few as 5%), heat island effect is markedly lowered.

3) Improving Thermal Performance

Heat flow through the roofing system is reduced by 70-90% in the summer and 10-30% in the winter.

4) Protection of the Roof Membranes

Increased longevity of roofing membranes. The plants and growing medium are absorbing the solar rays, protecting the roofing materials from UV breakdown.The green roof also shields the membrane from extreme temperature variations, another cause of hastened degradation. According to Penn State research, a green roof will lengthen roof life by two to three times.*

5) Sound Insulation

Sound proofing. An extensive green roof can reduce sound from outside by 40 decibels, while an intensive roof can reduce sound by 46-50 decibels (Peck et al. 1999).

6) Aesthetic Appeal, Public Relations and Recreational Green Space

Increased aesthetic appeal and functionality. Nature relaxes; the sight, sounds, smells, colors, and movement of plants promote psychological well-being.

7) Sustaining Local Biodiversity

When planted with native vegetation – a habitat for indigenous species.

8) Improving Air Quality and Reducing Airborne Particulates

Carbon is sequestered. Through the process of photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and stored as carbon in biomass. As well, airborne particulates and pollution is taken up and rendered harmless by plant material.

Green Roof Resources

Insteading’s Green Roof Resources
EPA Reducing Urban Heat Islands: Compendium of Strategies: Green Roofs epa.gov
GreenSave Calculator. Compare the cost of green roofing with conventional roofing systems. greenroofs.org