In just about all types of architecture — be it houses, office buildings, museums, you name it — green roofs are more popular everyday. The benefits of having a living roof versus a non-porous flat roof are numerous: They beautify a building and views from it; they slow and reduce storm water runoff; they reduce the ambient temperature at the roof; they insulate the roof and reduce the need for cooling in the spaces below; they even provide a habitat for birds and other small creatures.

A number of types of green roofs exist, most generally split into two types: extensive and intensive. Extensive green roofs have a shallow soil depth (a few inches) and typically feature sedum, a hardy flowering plant that survives well on rooftops. Intensive green roofs use more soil (six inches and more) in more varied applications, such as planters. Each has their own benefits, but the majority of the following examples feature extensive green roofs. ZeroEnergy Design For this residence, designers Zero Energy Design incorporated a green roof in a raised section that allows people in the living room and adjacent terrace to experience it at eye level. The hybrid system by LiveRoof uses trays with soil and plants placed side-by-side to give the impression of a seamless extensive green roof. Read more about this house. John Maniscalco Architecture The green roof on the right side of this photo may seem like a letdown after the previous example, but the reality of green roofs is also ... well, brown. Like many plants, sedum becomes dormant in winter and turns brown. (Here it may also be a case of sporadic planting coinciding with an early photo shoot, before the whole installation was completed or had time to take). Still, it helps make the points that the beauty of the green roof is varied, and that a green roof is as much about the soil as the plants. Stanley Studio This photo approaches the ideal that many people would aspire for in green roofs: beautiful native grasses and wildflowers (with solar panels, to boot). This is an example of an extensive system (5 inches soil depth), and it is actually a laboratory for Stanley Studio, whose offices it sits atop. It requires more structural support than an intensive system, and more considerations in terms of plant selection than just sedum, but the result is stunning. Natural Balance Home Builders Here is a good example of a straightforward extensive green roof with flowering sedum and other plants. Note the perimeter walkway: green roofs are typically not accessible, meaning one does not walk ON sedum plants. Gravel or other walkways are important for maintenance and accessing the roof to enjoy it. Let's take another look at this roof ... Natural Balance Home Builders ... Here we can see more of its appeal. The roof itself is pretty, but it also is located to be seen by the upper floors in the adjacent house, which has its own planters and a smaller patch of green roof. Spore Design Here is another straightforward example of a sedum green roof. This time the planting is placed on the exterior, and the walkway is in the middle. Next, another view of the roof ... Spore Design ... shows that it is used as a roof deck in an urban context, Seattle, Wash. to be exact. The roof is small, but it's a patch of green that the owners can enjoy while reaping the benefits of the green roof. Coates Design Architects Seattle Here we can see a green roof poking above the cantilevered roof in the foreground. We also can see railings set back on the right. A closer look ... Coates Design Architects Seattle ... reveals a grid-like installation of sedum green roof extending past the railings. The pavers and seating recall the previous example. The decision to install the railing is probably related to safety, making sure the residents — current and future — don't walk on the cantilevered section of the roof. Feldman Architecture, Inc. The last few examples all come from Feldman Architecture. They illustrate the variety that can come from one designer (and the landscape consultant) when dealing with the unique circumstances of each client. This first house is one of the few sloping green roofs in Houzz. A closer look ... Feldman Architecture, Inc. ... reveals the color and variety in the plantings. This installation really melds with the surrounding landscape as well as the architecture, the latter well considered in terms of structure. The architecture itself appears natural in some regard, like an old house that seems like it was meant to be there. See more of this house. Feldman Architecture, Inc. This urban example isolates the green roof to a small terrace. Planters are interspersed with an intensive green roof system and pavers for accessing the terrace. Feldman Architecture, Inc. From inside the house shown in the previous photo, the green roof terrace is a little slice of nature through the glass door. It's a strong draw from the house, with three walls looking upon the terrace. See more of this house. Feldman Architecture, Inc. This last example is a completely inaccessible green roof, composed almost like a Japanese rock garden. It is an aesthetic element, something to be looked at from the second floor.

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