by Vladimir 
The Heat Island Effect
If you’ve ever been on top of an urban office building during the heat of summer, you know all about the “Heat Island” effect.
The term refers to how big cities (with their preponderance of buildings made of glass and steel) create and trap heat.
NYC, for example, is four to ten degrees hotter than surrounding rural areas; nowhere is this increased heat more apparent than atop the tallest buildings.
The typical office roof compounds the problem: made of asphalt, most roofs prevent a building from “breathing”—they trap heat in as well as absorb sunlight, resulting in high cooling costs as well as wasted space.
Transforming Urban Skylines
But developers and architects have recently discovered “green roofs.” Fast becoming a key ingredient in the recipe for eco-wise construction, green or “living” roofs are an enticing addition to any space.
Picture the typical office roof with its expanse of steaming black asphalt (sort of like a parking lot in Scottsdale); now picture New York’s Silvercup Studios (home of The Sopranos and 30 Rock), whose roof is a ¾ acre garden of the hardy plant called sedum, the color palette changing with the seasons, from mossy green to a silver-tinged emerald; or picture Chicago’s City Hall, whose 20,000 sq. ft. roof features over 20,000 plants of more than 150 varieties, including 100 shrubs, 40 vines, 2 trees, and a network of pleasantly meandering cinderblock paths.
Imagine your lunch break in such a space: instead of the usual trek to the company cafeteria, it’s off to the rooftop garden, where the panoramic skyscape provides the perfect backdrop for a relaxing meal among the cooling greenery of nature.
Ecological and Aesthetic
This enticing scenario only improves when you consider the numerous ecological and financial benefits of green roofs: durability, low maintenance costs, energy savings, natural cooling and air filtration, and stormwater absorption.
But while the economic and ecological benefits are substantial, the main attraction of green roofs is that they improve quality of life by enlivening the monotony of the surrounding cityscape, providing relaxing and inspiring gathering places for urban workers, and attracting wildlife—each of which adds an element of nature to life in the city.
Green Roof Architecture Worldwide
Green roofs are by no means limited to our side of the world. The impressive School of Art, Design, and Media at Nanyang University in Singapore is a great example of how innovative architecture can make the best of the living roof concept.
Designed by Johnny Lim and CPG Corp. of Singapore, the five-story structure has an organic aesthetic that integrates it with the surrounding lush landscape.
Enveloping a courtyard peopled with reflecting pools and shade trees, the twin sweeps of green roof look to have been painted atop the glass facade with double strokes of an artist’s brush.
Not only is the structure fascinating to look at, but it’s also quite functional: the living roof reduces heat gain and a/c costs; provides a protective envelope for sun exposure through the facade; absorbs and distributes stormwater to reduce pollutants; and provides an attractive communal gathering space. All these benefits grew from the idea of organic integration with the landscape.
According to Lim, “Instead of imposing a building onto the landscape, we let the landscape play a critical role in molding the building. It allows the original greenery of the site to creep and colonize the building, creating a non-building in the overall setting.”
Indeed, CPG Corp’s ingenuity is written all over the Nanyang School of Design: from the surrounding canopy of lush green trees to the glass curtain wall, and especially to the living roof, the structure provides a shining example of a truly creative space.