green roof, definition of

A green roof is a conventional roof covered with a layer of vegetation, also known as “living roofs”. Green roofs serve several purposes for a building, such as absorbing rainwater, providing insulation, creating a wildlife habitat and helping to lower urban air temperatures and combat the urban heat island effect. There are two types of green roofs: intensive roofs, which are thicker and can support a wider variety of plants but heavy and require ongoing maintenance, and extensive roofs, which are covered in a light layer of vegetation and are lighter than an intensive green roof.

• What is a green roof and should you install one?
  Green roofed structures date back thousands of years, even before the concept of housing as it is known today was birthed. The earliest green roofs came in the form of sod roofs above caves. Plants were used on top of the caves for ceremonial and agricultural...
• Lake house rooftop garden helps ease the interior heat
  A concrete 4,900-square-feet modern home in Connecticut is turning heads with its cantilevered roofline. Horizontal roof planes step down the steep grade to make this house a part of its surroundings, with large glass lookouts to take in the view. A rooftop...
• Biophilic villa with a green rooftop minimizes solar gain
  Villa KD 45 by Studio Symbiosis is a villa designed for a joint family in Ghaziabad, Delhi NCR, India. The villa creates a connection between the residents and nature, while maximizing comfort through passive sustainable design solutions.[...]
• Green roofs cover this sustainable school in Prague
  Architecture firm XTOPIX has won first prize in an architectural competition for the design of Komořany Elementary School in Prague. The school utilizes green roofs, rainwater capture and recycled materials to build a unique facility that follows the...
• Biophilic design drives this home topped with a green roof
  Singapore-based design firm A Solid Plan created The Envelope House as an experiment in biophilic design and microclimates. The result? A landscaped "double-skin" design that explores new ways to create tropical architecture in a dense urban environment.[...]
• Green roofs and solar bring Snhetta's Wendelstrand to life
  Snøhetta and developer Next Step have designed a green, walkable neighborhood near idyllic Landvettersjøen Lake in Sweden. The project will transform a quarry into an eco-friendly housing project called Wendelstrand. Wooden homes with green roofs will...
• A green design makes this home a sustainable masterpiece
  Venice House is a green design by FINNE Architects that brings the firm's "crafted modern" sensibility to Los Angeles. The house is designed to be a garden sanctuary in the city. Located on a long, narrow lot in L.A.'s Venice neighborhood, the Venice...
• A green roof disguises this gorgeous villa in Norway
  A historic farm with pristine views of Oslo Fjord has found an utterly modern way of preserving a protected site. A new home designed for the family living on the farm was bermed under a green roof to make it nearly invisible from the road. Outside the...
• Green roofs top Marmormolen's sustainable timber architecture
  The timber design for Copenhagen's upcoming large commercial building Marmormolen shows sustainable architecture leadership from designers Henning Larson and Ramboll...
• University under a hill in India has a green roof
  India's new Prestige University designed by Sanjay Puri Architects features a fully walkable angled green roof that is accessible to staff and students from the ground...

Related Tags: sustainable housing, green building, sustainable housing, passive solar