THE HISTORY OF GREEN ROOFS

Green roofs date back to thousands of years ago. The first example was seen in one of the seven wonders of the world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, around 500 BC. Vegetation was placed on the roof and draped down the wall to make the building more visually appealing. The stone pillars and roofs were waterproofed with layers of reed and tar. In more modern times, sod and grass were used on the roofs to insulate the interior of buildings. This was a very popular way of covering houses in the Middle Ages, especially in Newfoundland. By the 1900s, Germany was installing green roofs on flat buildings, and by 1970, they started to look into using green roofs for energy conservation. In 1931, green roofs made their first state-side appearance at the Rockefeller Center in New York City (pictured below). From there other U.S cities, such as Chicago, have implemented these roofs due to their economic, social, and environmental benefits.