Roof piece: County’s greenie turns two
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Two years ago, the barren roof of the Albemarle County Office building on McIntire Road adopted sustainable architecture’s equivalent of a hair piece—a green roof. As these photos show, it appears the various greenery planted on the roof’s surface have taken root.
“It’s safe to say (the roof) has become a self-sustaining ecosystem that will continue to provide environmental benefits for years to come,” declares county spokesperson Lee Catlin in a recent release celebrating the roof’s two-year anniversary.
Indeed, according to Catlin, temperature readings show that the green roof is 38 degrees cooler than nearby conventional roofs during hot summer days, and 25 degrees warmer during cold winter nights. The roof is also reducing runoff by retaining up to an inch of rain during storms. Additional benefits, Catlin reports, include improved aesthetics, a natural food source for insects, and an increased life-span for the roof. Finally, Catlin admits the roof has provided good PR for the County’s environmental initiatives, as it has had hundreds of visitors over the last two years.
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They should rent the roof out for parties and use the proceeds for Albemarle parks.
I went up there for a tour a year or so ago, and I don’t think you can actually walk on the green part — just the walking stones alongside. That would be a very cool spot, though. Nice idea, Nev. :-)
thanks for deleting all of john g’s rants!