Green Roofs and Rooftop Gardens A detailed look at why and how urban rooftops are going green Living roofs cool the air, reduce water pollution, extend roof life, and cut energy costs. They also provide green space for city dwellers and habitat for birds and insects. Long popular in Europe, this building technique is now catching on in the U.S., most recently in New York City. Green Roofs and Rooftop Gardens tells the stories behind some of the city's most interesting living roofs and explains how such roofs are constructed, planted, and cared for. What's Inside Profiles of a wide range of NYC green roofs, including a rooftop farm in Queens, a high school classroom in the Bronx, and Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Visitor Center A history of how the technique evolved A detailed primer on construction methods Information on selecting, establishing, and caring for the special best-suited for living roofs Practical advice for creating a rooftop container garden or bringing a green roof to your school Book jacket.
An illustrated study of gardens built on the roofs of buildings traces the history of roof gardens, from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the present; explains how to construct safe, durable gardens; and offers tips on selecting plants, garden maintenance, and planting techniques.
If you'd like to grow your own food but don't think you have the space, look up! In urban and suburban areas across the country, farms and gardens are growing atop the rooftops of residential and commercial buildings. In this accessible guide, author Annie Novak's passion shines as she draws on her experience as a pioneering sky-high farmer to teach best practices for raising vegetables, herbs, flowers, and trees. The book also includes interviews, expert essays, and farm and garden profiles from across the country, so you'll find advice that works no matter where you live. Featuring the brass tacks on green roofs, container gardening, hydroponics, greenhouse growing, crop planning, pest management, harvesting tips, and more, The Rooftop Growing Guide will have you reimagining the possibilities of your own skyline.
A guide for architects, landscape designers, engineers, environmentalists and eco-aware gardeners, this text contains photographs and information for more than 200 species and cultivars of plants, including data on moisture needs, heat tolerance, hardiness, bloom color, foliage characteristics, and height.
Green roofs are the great green hope of many environmentalists, politicians, and architects interested in more efficient and environmentally aware buildings. From a design standpoint, however, there is less consensus. While some see the roof garden as a visual statement using plants, geometric lines, and sculptural elements, others believe concerns for sustainability should outweigh visual appeal. A green roof that combines aesthetics and mechanics has become the goal of many a landscape architect. In Green Roof Gardens, author Christian Werthmann explains the history, methodology, and design process of green roof garden construction, providing a rich source of inspiration and technical knowledge in the process for anybody interested in this simple solution to many of the environmental challenges we face today.
Until recently, most green rooftop gardens were little more than variations on sedum mats on four inches of soil. Now, designers are creating cutting-edge green roofs that focus not only on critical environmental issue like heat, storm management, and ecosystem development, but also on the aesthetics, offering beautiful, livable, sustainable landscapes. The Professional Design Guide to Green Roofs is a comprehensive exploration of rooftop garden design and the process behind it. It covers everything landscape architects and garden designers need to know to create a beautiful garden in the sky. With lush photography, international examples, and solid how-to information, this is an essential resource for all design professionals.
Green Roof Systems goes beyond the fashionable green roof movement and provides solid information on building accessible space, often as important public space, over structure. It offers brief coverage of the entire process, including planning and collaboration, and focuses on the technical aspects of these roof systems, their components, and their applications.
This richly illustrated book provides a comprehensive guide to contemporary trends in rooftop garden design, and provides definitive theory and design industry knowledge. Green roofs - the ultimate in sustainable building practices - continue to generate enormous interest and enthusiasm among architects, landscape designers, and urban planners. This richly illustrated book provides a comprehensive guide to contemporary trends in rooftop garden design, and provides definitive theory and design industry knowledge. The designers of the project case studies are leaders in their fields, and are drawn from across Australia, Chile, China, Europe, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, Scandinavia, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam. The designers provide details on the benefits of their rooftop gardens, offering readers profound inspiration and informative reviews of the work, design considerations, operation and maintenance. This book is essential for anyone working or studying in the rooftop construction, environmental landscape and design fields. AUTHOR: David Fletcher is an urban designer and landscape architect and the founding principal of Fletcher Studio, an innovative and award-winning collaborative practice based in San Francisco. Fletcher holds a Master of Landscape Architecture, with distinction, from the Harvard Design School. He also holds a Bachelor of Art in Studio Art and a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from the University of California at Davis, both with honours. He has taught urban design and landscape architecture at Harvard Design School, the Southern California Institute of Architecture, the Centre d'Etude et diUrbanisme in France, Woodbury University, UCLA, Otis College, USC School of Architecture. He is presently an associate professor at the California College of the Arts in the Department of Architecture. He was also the assistant curator and exhibition designer of Inhabiting Infrastructure at the Harvard Design School. SELLING POINTS: - Outlines key trends and advanced design theory - Accompanied by numerous full-colour architectural illustrations and spectacular detailed photography - Will appeal to architects, urban planners (particularly those focusing on rooftop gardens in urban construction projects) and design students, and educators in the design fields 400 col. 50 b/w
For the do it yourself builder, an “essential guide . . . to install and maintain a beautiful and ecological compliment to your home or office” (Kelly Hart, author of Essential Earthbag Construction). Essential Green Roof Construction is a comprehensive, in-depth guide to building simple green roofs for houses and small buildings. Packed with detailed photos, illustrations, case studies, and code compliance advice, it offers clear step-by-step instructions necessary to create your own living roof on a new build or as a retrofit. This book includes: The benefits of a green roof The basics of planning and design Assessing site conditions such as aspect, slope, and loads Navigating building codes and working with building officials Material options, including professional grade and economical or local alternatives Planting suggestions for different roof climates and conditions, including food production When to call on professionals to ensure safety and integrity Step-by-step guidance for safe roof installation and detailing Annual green roof maintenance. Where common sense meets beauty—a green roof is a system of layers that work together to support plant life, insulate homes, and make the world a greener place. Essential Green Roof Construction will give you the knowledge and confidence to install your own green roof. “Impressive . . . and, importantly, easy for the average person to understand.” —Stephen Hill, associate professor, School of the Environment, Trent University “Well-written, well-researched, and full of clear and informative drawings and photos.” —Lloyd Kahn, editor-in-chief, Shelter Publications, author, Shelter and The Half-Acre Homestead “An excellent resource for both DIY and design professionals.” —Tim Krahn, P. Eng. Building Alternatives Inc., author, Essential Rammed Earth Construction
This book provides an up-to-date coverage of green (vegetated) roof research, design, and management from an ecosystem perspective. It reviews, explains, and poses questions about monitoring, substrate, living components and the abiotic, biotic and cultural aspects connecting green roofs to the fields of community, landscape and urban ecology. The work contains examples of green roof venues that demonstrate the focus, level of detail, and techniques needed to understand the structure, function, and impact of these novel ecosystems. Representing a seminal compilation of research and technical knowledge about green roof ecology and how functional attributes can be enhanced, it delves to explore the next wave of evolution in green technology and defines potential paths for technological advancement and research.
