9 Cooling Rooftop Gardens

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.