Sustainable Design for the New Millenium (5)
rates and help maintain increased levels of occupancy. Resale prices also
increase with the added value of additional greenspace.
Emerging Synergy with Solar Power
Greenroofs can be successfully combined with solar power projects. In
interest.
Studies show that the cooler temperatures found on a greenroof enhance
the performance of photovoltaics, while the greenroof buildup provides a steady
base for solar installations.
Combining greenroofs with solar power not only will capitalize on the
technologies' energy use reduction potential, but also will help create a
renewable energy source -- all without utilizing more land.16
Aesthetic Benefits
The restoration and revitalization of our cities should include adapting
exterior architecture to meet the desires of communities. Few people would deny
that urban areas are enhanced with the natural beauty and soothing aesthetics of
living roofs.
The sections that follow briefly detail some of the aesthetic benefits of
greenroofs.
Visual Relief
Commercial and industrial roofs no longer need to be unattractive, harsh
eyesores. With the addition of greenroofs, we can create pleasing, vigorous,
sustainable native and naturalized plant communities.
Integration into Natural Surroundings
Greenroofs can help buildings blend unobtrusively into suburban areas or
the open countryside. Overhead views could actually be camouflaged if the
planting design mimicked its surroundings.
Varied Design Possibilities
Greenroofs can be designed in many different forms, and can be used on
sloped or flat roofs. Some owners might want naturalistic landscapes that
resemble meadows planted with wildflower drifts. Others might prefer wildly
geometric plans.
Psychological Benefits
Recreating natural landscapes through greenroofs can create beauty that
is soothing to our psyches. And in utilizing greenroofs, we also accomplish many
other objectives that help fulfill our need for purpose.
Through greenroofing, we nurture the built environment and incorporate
the tenets of high-performance building and environmentally preferable design.
We help clean the air and water, and promote energy efficiency. We create
ecologically sustainable sites. We make better use of cultural and natural
resources and materials.
Some of the key psychological benefits of greenroofs are highlighted in
the sections that follow.
Appealing to Biophilia
A connection to nature appears to be a part of our evolutionary heritage --
a concept that sometimes is called "biophilia."
Perhaps because of this connection, being able to view and experience
nature is excellent for our mental heath. Therapeutic roof gardens are becoming
popular in hospitals, care centers, and similar settings. Experiencing the change
of seasons is life-reassuring.
Frederick Law Olmstead, who is recognized as the founder of American
landscape architecture, once said, "Humans have physiological reactions to
natural beauty and diversity, to the shapes and colors of nature, especially to
green, and to the motions and sounds of other animals."17
Making Employees Happier
If you were working in a typical stark office environment, what would you
rather look down onto -- a natural scene (such as a flowing riverscape or
flowering meadow) or a dreary grey and black expanse of roofs?
Clearly, greenroofs have the potential to make workers happier by
enhancing their surroundings. This in turn could improve business profitability
since it has been theorized that enhancing the emotional or physical comfort of
employees can increase productivity and lower absenteeism.
Greenroofs help visually ease the stress created by the lack of
greenspace in urban buildings. Natural views reduce aggression and increase
calm.
Fostering a Sense of Community
Greenroofs can create sustainable interactive community spaces where
people can garden, visit, play, and relax together. They also offer opportunities
for educating the public through displays and interpretive signage describing the
greenroof design process.
Conclusion
With greenroofs, we can make the decision to design with nature, instead
of against her. Greenroofs can help mitigate some of our most pressing urban
development issues, while also allowing us to reap economic benefits through
reducing various building-associated costs and promoting a growing design and
construction industry. Organic greenroof architecture can actually help restore
the health of Earth’s ecology.
Next Time
In a followup article that will appear in a future issue of this journal, I plan
to offer more detail on greenroof design and related issues.
______________
Linda S. Velazquez, ASLA Associate, LEED AP, holds a Bachelor's of
Landscape Architecture (cum laude) from the
founder and publisher of Greenroofs.com, the international greenroof industry's
resource and online information portal, and publisher of The Greenroof Directory
of Manufacturers, Suppliers, Professional Services, Organizations & Green
Resources. Greenroofs.com serves as a clearinghouse and reference resource
for articles, upcoming events, and organizations, and includes the global
Greenroof Projects Database, a free online resource. Greenroofs.com is listed
by the USGBC's LEED Green Building System as the website resource for green,
or vegetated, roofs. Ms Velazquez is a LEED Accredited Professional who
designs, consults, and presents on greenroofs nationally and internationally. She
has written and reported extensively about greenroofs, including her bi-monthly
column entitled "
Greenroofs.com. For more information, see www.greenroofs.com.
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