What is Digg?43 Comments
- Ludnix, on 10/10/2007, -0/+11That is what the goats are for.
- DeskFlyer, on 10/10/2007, -1/+11Mowing my roof would be quite challenging.... :P
- Jolene, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8May I please be the first to say. ***** you.
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. (Never remember who first said that.) Make it last for future generations. - askjeffro, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7Ford Motor Company did this in the 90's to their most infamous plant, the Baton Rouge Plant.
http://www.thehenryford.org/rouge/livingroof.asp
Project was spear headed with Architect William McDonough, author of Cradle to Cradle. - redfox2600, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7Just throw a few goats up there you will be fine.
- avions, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Michigan State University has the number one program for turf grass management.
It would be interesting to get their opinion on this idea. They may already have a few prototypes in action. - theholycow, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4The roofing industry has been talking about green roofs for years. Usually it's about the type of roofs with a garden, but I believe roofs should be even more practical -- either as recreation areas (which just means less garden space) or harnessing solar energy. There is a HUGE amount of energy that is absorbed, or if you're lucky, reflected by roofs.
I can't help but share the anecdote of my friend who brought a frozen pizza onto the roof. It was summer and we were working on a moderately low pitched, light colored asphalt shingle roof. He wrapped the pizza in foil and put it on the roof at coffeebreak. By lunchtime, the pizza was way overcooked. There's a LOT of energy wasted on roofs. - MusicalGenius, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I know I may get sunk for mentioning something from my religion, but here goes.
I am LDS and I'm not saying this because I am, but because I love architecture. I love everything dealing with making cities greener. It's just a cool building. The LDS Conference Center roof recycles the water and reuses it and has a garden on the top. These pictures do NO justice really, actually going up there is a treat.
I was taking a tour and the whole design was to make people forget they are in a city and when you look at the mountains from the roof, it blends shape and color wise to feel like you really are in the Salt Lake valley before people arrived in it. I love it.
This picture is terrible and very old. The trees have grown much since and still have yet to grow to their full 75 foot height.
http://media.bonnint.net/slc/33/3315/331510.jpg
This next picture is of a section which isn't really the focus, but a very large and very nice section. It is weeds, natural plants to the area, but intelligently put together. The whole point is to look exactly like Salt Lake before people arrived.
http://media.bonnint.net/slc/33/3315/331512.jpg
If any of you are ever in Salt Lake, really, it is well worth the tour just to sit up their for a while. I'm not trying to persuade anyone into anything. I purely intend on sharing what I consider a very nice treat to any peaceful morning.
I edit quickly, found more pics
http://www.architectureweek.com/2001/0214/images/11286_image_1.jpg
http://www.asla.org/land/images/saints.gif - noahhoward, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Man... I've been saying this for years... really have to write this stuff down.
- Jergens, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2You're close, but it's the Ford Rouge plant in Detroit (well, actually Dearborn). Not the Ford Baton Rouge Plant.
- Smuikas, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I just bought that book the other day. Waiting for it to arrive from Amazon.
The fascinating thing about this plant is that it saves Ford so much money that it pays for itself in less than a decade.
Why hasn't America woken up? We're sleepwalking into the future, and only very few private entities "get it." - suxmonkey, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Green roofs:
1) water retention, reduces runoff
2) reduces urban heat island effect (read: city warming)
3) can produce viable/edible goods
4) do I need to keep going?
Green roofs are the future. Period. - cactus476, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Goats on your roof, that's freaking awesome.
- psygnisfive, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2That last one with the grass roofs is like living in the Shire.
- directedition, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Sorry, he didn't put /sarcasm down, so my brain failed to properly parse his text.
- jezkah, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Judging by warlax's picture, I am going to go out on a limb and guess that the comment was *sarcastic*...
- askjeffro, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1You're right, my mistake. Thanks for correcting me. I "knew" that, but for whatever reason my brain wanted to say "Baton".
- dbalaski, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Green roofs are mildly interesting
But your pizza story really draws a point .. Solar roofs -- use that energy constructively, collectors etc...
Probably a better "Green Roof" all-around - noahhoward, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3PETA will have a fit.... and then I'll buy more goats.
- withincontext, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I'd love to do it, but there is no chance in hell I could convince my wife.
- Smuikas, on 10/10/2007, -0/+11) cooling
2) noise insulation
3) less runoff
4) less waste from re-roofing projects
5) produces oxygen
6) reduces greenhouse gasses
..need I go on? You don't cover your entire roof with solar panels. - Sgurdcrimp, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Hmmm.... this link doesn't please my needs, i'm going to do more research and find out the true costs or what kind of restructuring actually needs to be done to support the extra weight....
- HeroreV, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Solar panels are the future. Exclamation mark.
- Smuikas, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1They're more interesting than 'mildly.' William McDonough is designing a city for China right now that, if built typically would displace many square miles of farmland. So, what is he doing?
He's designing a typical city, with shops on the ground floor and apartments and offices on the floors above. Everything laid out so everyone is within walking distance of necessities. Everything laid out so that every apartment has sunshine at some point during the day.
He's going one step further: He's putting the farms on the roofs. Building bridges between roofs so that the farmers can move between them efficiently. Think about that, for a moment. Imagine getting your fresh produce from fifty feet away - instead of a thousand miles away? It's the next logical step in efficient space usage.
Plus, it brings in even more money for the person who owns the building (not sure if this is true in China, but it would be in the US): not only can you rent out the storefront below, and apartments/offices above.. but you can rent out the roof to a farmer who produces food for the bodega on the corner.
Add to that the insulation, the water retention (decreases stress on stormwater treatment), noise insulation, air cleaning properties (a green roof over a two car garage produces enough oxygen for something like 16 people)... It's set to be the greenest city in the world. Waste treatment plants will turn typical waste into fertilizer for the roofs without relying on typical fossil fuel to create them (most fertilizers and pesticides are made with natural gas instead of naturally). Combine that with the knowledge of the farmers in the area - they've been farming the same land for over three thousand years, WITHOUT artificial fertilizer - and you have an actual sustainable city. Especially if everyone uses bicycles.
Why hasn't America woken up, yet? - inactive, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1hey, it looks interesting spacially if your house is an old huge building made of stone.
- Smuikas, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1There are other types of green roofs that can be made structurally for produce farming. Do a little research.
- harrisonferrel, on 10/23/2007, -0/+1While green is great, I'm wondering if roots will end up making their way into roofs and walls then causing major destruction. Maybe somebody has the answer to this.
- Maldoror93, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Wow, these pics were beautiful. I'm deff going to do this to my house. Beauty & Function. Brills.
- maxyRO, on 11/19/2007, -0/+1excellent idea!
- CircleFusion, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1direct link
http://friendscentercorp.org/renovating/greenDesign-VR.php - sandpaperback, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Possible NSFW ads on site. :-(
- quakerorts, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Here's a recent example of a green roof being installed in Philadelphia:
http://digg.com/environment/Green_Roof_Gardens_Replace_Standard_Roofing - inactive, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Only if I can grow MJ......
- downercow, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0You mean the happy clean booty? That really should be fine for work - if I ran the world, anyway. It's an innocent picture and it promotes important hygiene practices.
- EuphopiaB, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Mowing the roof?
Seeding the roof?
Anti-weeding the roof?
Also, they mention the grass is shallow-rooting, meaning that any large plants for food are out of the question. - downercow, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0http://www.oldcountrymarket.com/goats.html
The website doesn't do them justice. The goats are, in fact, freaking awesome. - Lowrads, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0What I want to know is the relative survivability of these structures in adverse conditions such as hurricanes given specific countermeasures. The intensive structures seem more reliable in extended downpours. What sort of soils require the least drainage maintenance? I am really most interested in the prospect of not needing to clear leaves out of gutters.
- Nick5309, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1How-To-Get-A-Digger-To-Read-Your-Article 101
- Add "...with pretty pictures" to the title
- Add (in capital letters!) one or more of the following words to the title: BREAKING, BEST, EVER, AMAZING, ADDICTING, NUDE - Lowrads, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0Some folks find more value in a garden than in a lightbulb.
- HeroreV, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0If I go through extra trouble for a non-traditional roof, it'll be for solar panels, not for grass. Solar panels are practical, and actually have a purpose. This stuff takes lots of money and work, and has no practical purpose.
- Jolene, on 10/10/2007, -6/+1May I please be the first to say. ***** you.
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. (Never remember who first said that.) Make it last for future generations. - warlax27, on 10/10/2007, -10/+1Screw saving power! There is enough oil to last until i'm dead; and thats all that matters.
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