CHICAGO
Completed in 2001; the Chicago City Hall rooftop garden was designed to test different types of green roof systems, heating and cooling benefits, success rates of native and non-native vegetation, and reductions in rain water runoff. The three systems integrated into the design include lightweight soils, at 4, 6 and 18 inches in depth. These varying green roof systems are recognized respectively as Extensive, Semi-Intensive and Intensive green roofs. Soils were fabricated using lightweight soil mixture guidelines developed in Germany over the last 20 years.
NEW YORKThis Manhattan building has a great Sky Garden covering the top of this privately own building. The direct benefits of this Green Roof is lower energy costs due to insulation (to keep the warmth winter time) and shadowing (to keep the buildnig cooler summer time and therefore, less air condition is needed, which means less power generation from nuclear and fossil fuel burning, which improves air quality further). Other aspects is of course the contribution to a better air climate in New York city benefitting every new yorker, longer roof quality expectancy and a higher re-sale prize!
