Thursday, May 07, 2009

Good article on living roofs in National Geographic


Perhaps its because I'm now a homeowner again, after a few years of renting, that I've been thinking more and more about the long-term benefits of various building options, such as improving windows, insulation, lighting, etc.

One thing I've been intrigued by for a long time is the "Living Roof" or Green Roof, as it's also know by. There are getting to be more and more buildings that are adding natural elements to their roofs, like plants and grasses. And in some countries, the law mandates that new buildings incorporate designs into their structures.

I came across a good article at the National Geographic's website on this topic, which I enjoyed and I thought you might too.

And if you're interested in the subject, there are some other websites out there to explore, such as:

- Wikipedia article on green roofs

- City of Toronto article

- Centre for Architectural Ecology - Collaborations in Green Roofs and Living Walls

And here's a video about the Vancouver Convention Centre's Green Roof, which is mentioned in the Geographic article.



Photo Credit: Victoria's Marriot Hotel from pnwra on Flickr

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

you can find some info here too (my sister's website)

http://www.gnla.ca/library.htm

Green roofs even have a role in one of my favourite short stories: "Summer Ice" by Holly Phillips (found in her collection In the Palace of Repose).

- Colby