Living Roofs

Otherwise known as “green” or “vegetated” roofs, this low-tech strategy is central to ecological building design. That is, nearly every human development represents an opportunity for active engagement with natural systems in that our buildings can provide habitat, absorb rainfall, sequester pollutants and create microclimate in addition to providing green space for their occupants and enhancing thermal performance. Dating back centuries in various forms, living roofs have gained a great deal of popularity over the past decade with the surge in “green” building development. And while their cost-benefit is more difficult to ascertain compared to other high-performance components, there is nonetheless an economic value – - at minimum – - in that living roofs can reduce storm water infrastructure investment while adding decades to the lifecycle of the typical roofing system.