Nothing exciting about most building roofs, which are made of ballast and tar.
But a change is slowly gaining traction around the world: first championed in Germany, “green roofs” are growing in popularity with China launching a nationwide drive last month to make energy-saving buildings that help ease fuel shortages and reduce greenhouse gases.
This trend toward environmentally-friendly technology is being showcased on the leafy rooftop of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) building in downtown Washington. It was officially inaugurated April 26.
The ASLA roof costs US $946,000, but the organization says two-thirds of the budget was to make the showcase roof accessible. Typically, only maintenance staff would need access to green roofs. Experts say green roof installation can be as cheap as $9 per square foot.
Green roof associations are springing up in Mexico, New Zealand and Australia, with plans to reach eastern European and developing nations.
Green roofs are used to cool temperatures, filter air, and lessen the burden on sewers by absorbing rainwater.
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