Product Description

-- Cooling cities -- Reducing energy demand -- Containing water runoff -- Preserving wildlife habitat -- Enhancing urban well-being These are a few of the many reasons why green roofs are sprouting in cities around the world. Examine possibilities for city-wide green roof development through 335 color photographs, 40 case studies of exemplary green roof building projects, and 7 municipal case studies describing green roofs in Berlin, Tokyo, London, Portland, Chicago, Toronto, and New York. This book details the ecological benefits, technical requirements, architectural history, and design possibilities of vegetated rooftops. Green Roofs: Ecological Design and Construction will inform and inspire communities, designers, building owners, and local leaders by showcasing the environmental and aesthetic potential of green roofs around the world. William McDonough, an architect and leader of the sustainable development movement, provides an opening essay that considers green roofs as part of a larger project to harmonize the natural and built environments.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #314044 in Books
• Published on: 2004-02-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 158 pages

About the Author
For over ten years, 2004 EPA Environmental Achiever award winner Earth Pledge has been leading efforts to find sustainable solutions to environmental challenges. Since 2001, Earth Pledge’s Green Roofs Initiative has worked with the many sectors necessary to achieve widespread green roof infrastructure. The organization has educated hundreds of design and building professionals, conducted scientific inquiry into green roof performance, worked with government to create support structures, and created a central online resource for green roof development – GreeningGotham.org.

Earth Pledge identifies and promotes innovative techniques and technologies that restore the balance between human and natural systems. Through education, research, and implementation, Earth Pledge initiatives deliver viable models to government, industry and communities.

Customer Reviews

Look elsewhere for technical info
Perhaps some of the previous reviewers liked it because they use it for inspiration when designing at the very high visual level -- because really, this book is about pictures.

There is no useful information in the book about the design or construction of green roofs (except a couple of pages in passing).

Want to know more about how to design and construct using membranes, insulation, drainage, soil and gravel? Then look elsewhere.

Want to know more about how to design and construct a green roof on a new versus and existing building? Then look elsewhere.

How about planning the maintenance needed for a green roof whilst at the design and construction phase? Again look elsewhere.

Nice Coffee Table book, but no real information
Compared to the wealth of books on the subject in German and Japanese, there has yet to be a single good book in English. This book has nice pictures, but it doesn't even attempt to touch on the detail required to fully understand this subject adequately to qualify people to specify and actually implement Green Roofs. [...].

Why produce a book like this?
This book has lots of nice photographs. That is all. The technical section consists of two pages which state that a waterproof membrane is needed between the roof structure and the soil. There is no information of a technical nature in the book. I wonder why use up the earth's resources for no value. An absolute waste.