5 Buildings That Keep It As Green As It Gets

Records show that green roofs are not a new concept; they have been in practice for centuries, especially across Europe. But they have again come to the limelight, with French Parliament last month passing a law to make it mandatory for the roofs of new buildings in the country's commercial centres to either be partially covered with plants or solar panels.

Common across Europe and the Americas, green roofs have various advantages. PropGuide takes a look at some of those:

Energy savers: Green roofs are great energy savers — they help keep the building temperature high in the winters and low in summers. In a city's commercial centre, this amounts to conservation of a lot of energy through combating the urban heat island effect.

Rainwater retention: Green rooftops retain rainwater and cut any drainage issues that may have occurred by their absence. There have been plenty of examples of facilities using treated rainwater for other purposes while getting rid of any clogging around them.

Green cover: By keeping their roofs green, commercial centres, which are largely concrete jungles, get to maintain urban green space and also increase a city's green cover.

Commercial value: Financially, a green cover increases the life span of a building and increases its real estate value. Most governments also offer incentives to keep a green rooftop. In fact, Germany, a pioneer in the green-roof technology where 10 per cent of all houses have green roofs, provides a huge financial support to buildings that go green. Switzerland, Canada, the US and UK have also been promoting this concept by offering several perks.
However, as a green rooftop costs twice as much as a normal one, implementing the green-roof concept in developing countries is yet to catch up.

PropGuide looks at five remarkable buildings across the world that have green tops.

Moos Water Filtration Plant, Zürich, Switzerland

Constructed in 1914 at Wollishofen, Zürich, the facility was meant to provide citizens clean drinking water from the Lake Zurich. The green shoots later followed on their own. This government building now has a total of five green roofs, spanning nine acres and boasting rare orchid species.

Ford River Rouge Complex, Dearborn, Michigan, US

The automobile factory of one of the US' biggest players incorporated a green roof in 1999, with help from architect William McDonough. Apart from providing the facility, built in 1928, a green cover, the project also helped the company save millions that would have otherwise been spent on setting up a mechanical treatment facility to clean a great amount of rainwater.

Vancouver Convention Centre, Canada

The West Building of the centre is the largest convention centre in Canada. The six-acre green roof with an excellent ecosystem and rainwater management system is also the largest non-industrial living roof in North America. No wonder the green centre has won the convention centre many awards for setting a 'green' example.

Rockefeller Center, New York City, US

Built in 1930, the Rockefeller Center is not only a structure that attracts art lovers, but it also invites accolades from environment champions, despite it being a hidden urban treasure. The beautifully maintained roof garden can easily be called one of the oldest gardens in New York City.

Canadian War Museum, Ottawa

A building with a military past, the Canadian War Museum saw a relocation during 1990s from its original site and moved closer to the Parliament Hill. The new construction signifies regeneration (the museum has a Regeneration Hall, too) and the structure's partially grass-covered roof and the environment-friendly design go well with the key motif.