Green roofs are something that may interest landscape designers, they have been around for a while and are basically a gardening style that includes using your rooftop as a garden space where plants, and also grass can be planted.
Green roofs are a great answer to growing environmental problems, when plants or grass is grown on your roof, they can minimise the homes energy costs, improve air quality, extend the roofs lifespan, can be used as insulators, and also reduces water runoff.
This practise has been done for a very long time in Europe, but recently Americans are starting to use green roofs in design, with Australia a potential place for this to be implemented. In China, they are planning to have 45% of homes and buildings with green roofs by the year 2008.
Firstly your building or home needs to be strong enough to hold up the weight of a garden, manufacturers have created a new product called Green Grid systems, which are like canturf, but for your roof, or trees and shrubs could also be used.
Green roofs look great, but can also be used for useful purposes, in areas of mass population such as cities, green roofs provide an area on high rise buildings for workers to use as a rest and relaxation place, they can also be used to grow food, which can be harvested by the home owner, and improve air quality in places normally polluted.
Many people believe that in the future large cities such as New York will be covered in green roofs, making the city a more pleasant place to be.
Green roofs are a great way to maximise the potential of a space that is normally not used, providing a visual statement, that is not only attractive but beneficial.
Here a few links to sites about green roofs:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2004/10/building_the_gr.php
http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden_product/sustainability/landscaped-architecture.htm
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/07/chinas_learning.php
1 comment:
I study Landscape Architecture as an elective at uc and as a first year student I am surprised at how far ahead the landscape industry is in dealing with contemporary issues. While other industries are beginning to take on environmentally frindly practises, many landscape designers are already implementing them, for instance they have for a long time been saving water through the use of xeriscaping and also by using native plants and turning to styles beyond the traditional water wasting lawns. I really like the idea of green rooves, I have come accross the idea recently before your blog, but never understood that the idea is actually not just aesthetic, but also a way to solve issues that relate to climate change and lack of water. I found the links that you provided were also interesting and I think that one day we will see more green roofs, as they are a great way to make your house ook great while doing your little bit for the environment.
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