Roof garden
A roof garden is a
History
Humans have grown
Among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are often depicted as tall structures holding vegetation; even immense trees.
In New York City between 1880 and Prohibition large rooftop gardens built included the Hotel Astor (New York City), the American Theater on Eighth Avenue, the garden atop Stanford White's 1890 Madison Square Garden, and the Paradise Roof Garden opened by Oscar Hammerstein I in 1900.[7]
Commercial greenhouses on rooftops have existed at least since 1969, when Terrestris rooftop nursery opened on 60th st. in New York City.[8]
In the 2010s, large commercial
Environmental impact
Roof gardens are most often found in
A study at the
Aside from rooftop gardens providing resistance to thermal radiation, rooftop gardens are also beneficial in reducing rain run off. A roof garden can delay run off; reduce the rate and volume of run off. “As cities grow, permeable substrates are replaced by impervious structures such as buildings and paved roads. Storm water run-off and combined sewage overflow events are now major problems for many cities in North America. A key solution is to reduce peak flow by delaying (e.g., control flow drain on roofs) or retaining run-off (e.g., rain detention basins). Rooftop gardens can delay peak flow and retain the run-off for later use by the plants.”[11]
Urban agriculture
“In an accessible rooftop garden, space becomes available for localized small-scale urban agriculture, a source of local food production. An urban garden can supplement the diets of the community it feeds with fresh produce and provide a tangible tie to food production.”[12] At Trent University, there is currently a working rooftop garden which provides food to the student café and local citizens.
Available gardening areas in cities are often seriously lacking, which is likely the key impetus for many roof gardens. The garden may be on the roof of an autonomous building which takes care of its own water and waste. Hydroponics and other alternative methods can expand the possibilities of roof top gardening by reducing, for example, the need for soil or its tremendous weight.[13] Plantings in containers are used extensively in roof top gardens. Planting in containers prevents added stress to the roof's waterproofing. One high-profile example of a building with a roof garden is Chicago City Hall.
For those who live in small apartments with little space, square foot gardening, or (when even less space is available) green walls (vertical gardening) can be a solution. These use much less space than traditional gardening. These also encourage environmentally responsible practices, eliminating tilling, reducing or eliminating pesticides, and weeding, and encouraging the recycling of wastes through composting.[citation needed]
Importance to urban planning
Becoming green is a high priority for urban planners.[citation needed] The environmental and aesthetic benefits to cities are the prime motivation. It was calculated that the temperature in Tokyo could be lowered by 0.11–0.84 °C (0.20–1.51 °F) if 50% of all available rooftop space were planted with greenery. This would lead to savings of approximately 100 million yen. [14]
Singapore is active in green urban development. "Roof gardens present possibilities for carrying the notions of nature and open space further in tall building development."[14] When surveyed, 80% of Singapore residents voted for more roof gardens to be implemented in the city's plans. Recreational reasons, such as leisure and relaxation, beautifying the environment, and greenery and nature, received the most votes. Planting roof gardens on the tops of buildings is a way to make cities more efficient.[14]
A roof garden can be distinguished from a green roof, although the two terms are often used interchangeably. The term roof garden is well suited to roof spaces that incorporate recreation, and entertaining and provide additional outdoor living space for the building's residents. It may include planters, plants, dining and lounging furniture, outdoor structures such as pergolas and sheds, and automated irrigation and lighting systems.
Although they may provide aesthetic and recreational benefits a green roof is not necessarily designed for this purpose. A green roof may not provide any recreational space and be constructed with an emphasis on improving the insulation or improving the overall energy efficiency and reducing the cooling and heating costs within a building.
Green roofs may be extensive or intensive.[15] The terms are used to describe the type of planting required. The panels that comprise a green roof are generally no more than a few centimeters up to 30 cm (a few inches up to a foot) in depth, since weight is an important factor when covering an entire roof surface. The plants that go into a green roof are usually sedum or other shallow-rooted plants that will tolerate the hot, dry, windy conditions that prevail in most rooftop gardens. With a green roof, "the plants' layer can shield off as much as 87% of solar radiation while a bare roof receives 100% direct exposure".[16]
The planters on a roof garden may be designed for a variety of functions and vary greatly in depth to satisfy aesthetic and recreational purposes. These planters can hold a range of ornamental plants: anything from trees, shrubs, vines, or an assortment of flowers. As aesthetics and recreation are the priority they may not provide the environmental and energy benefits of a green roof.
In popular culture
- American jazz singer Al Jarreau composed a song named "Roof Garden", released on his 1981 album.
- Apu Nahasapeemapetilon of the TV show The Simpsons has a rooftop garden visited by Paul McCartney and his wife.
- In House of Cards, the main character, Member of Parliament (MP) Francis Urquhart, murders journalist Mattie Storin by throwing her off the Palace of Westminster's rooftop garden.
Gallery
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Villa Arson
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Villa Arson
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ACROS Fukuoka
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Herb garden of National Museum of Nature and Science Tokyo
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A small Zen roof garden
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Sedum roof at Urban Deli, Stockholm
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Inari Daimyojin on the roof of Hankyu Department Stores Umeda main store
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Tokyo Plaza
See also
- Agrivoltaic
- Building-integrated agriculture
- Cool roof
- Greening
- Kensington Roof Gardens
- List of garden types
- Low-flow irrigation systems
- Metropolitan Museum of Art Roof Garden
- Ralph Hancock, designer of The Rockefeller Center Roof Gardens
- Roof deck
- Terrace garden
- Wildlife corridor
References
- ^ Louise Lundberg Scandinavian Green Roof Institute (2009). "The benefits of Rooftop Gardens" (PDF). Retrieved 12 March 2014.
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(help) - The Huffington Post. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- ^ Michelle Nowak (May 2004). "Urban Agriculture on the Rooftop". City Farmer, Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- ISBN 0-393-73012-3.
- ISBN 0-88402-280-3.
- ISBN 90-04-09626-4
- OCLC 9829395.
- ^ Lyon, Lilla (12 May 1969). "The City Garden". New York Magazine. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- .
- ^ Catherine Brahic (28 September 2007). "Cooling percentages by 'Green roofs'". New Scientist. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- ^ a b Liu, K. "Energy efficiency and environmental benefits of rooftop gardens" (PDF). National Research Council Canada. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
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(help) - ^ Trent University (30 October 2009). "Rooftop Gardens" (PDF). Retrieved 12 March 2014.
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: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ "What to Consider When Designing and Building Your Own Rooftop or Balcony Garden – Projex Group". Projex Group. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
- ^ .
- ^ Zimmerman, Greg. "Extensive or Intensive? Green Roofs Explained". Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- .
External links
Media related to Roof gardens at Wikimedia Commons