The History of Green Roof Technology

Filed in archive Edge Technology on September 27, 2006

Green Roof Technology started in Babylon in the 7th century B.C. Back then it was known as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, a majestic structure built by King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife, Amyitis. The King's wife was from a country that had abundant greens and moving to Babylon (now Iran) which made her miss her hometown. Don't you wish your partner could do a similarly grand gesture?

In Scandinavia, roofs were covered with sod that was stripped from surrounding grass meadows. This was done to insulate homes. Underneath the sod are structurally heavy timber beams interspaced with birch bark to act as a waterproofing layer. Eventually, cheaper, lighter, more effective, and mass-market based systems were developed to replace sod roofs.

Until 1970, green roofs were regarded as luxurious home amenities. In the same year, Professor Hans Luz, a German Landscape Architect, proposed the use of green roofs as a means of improving the quality of the urban environment.

Prior to 1970, urban greening consisted of planting on pots on roofs, climbing vines for vertical faces of buildings, and underground garages covered with plants. This was a constricted green roof approach and in 1977, the creation of the FLL, a German landscape and landscape construction organization had started the formal study of green roof technology and its applications. We have this group to thank for much of what we know about this technology.

Around the same time, green roofs were abound. The Rockefeller Center, built in 1937 had the same concept as the Hanging Gardens, which was to give the building occupants a pleasant view of the surrounding greenery. The building 1500 West Georgia in Vancouver Canada is another example.

However, the FLL together with some German university researchers studied everything, from developing urban ecological habitats, to energy balances, to waterproofing systems and drainage, to effective design and planning.

Today, Green Roof Technology is seen as an effective ecological approach towards urban design management. Stuttgart (in where is this?) for example, requires all flat roofed industrial buildings to use Green Roof Technology.

Is it something that will catch on throughout the rest of the urban world? Let's find out what else is happening in other cities then. Hang on!!!