Green Roofs on College Campuses Around the World

Green roofs are growing on campuses all around the world. Educational establishments from community colleges to ivy league universities are seeing the value of green roofs. By covering a tar roof with greenery, the rooms beneath are about 5 or 6 degrees cooler. Green roofs also offer cost reductions alongside a vista that is as soothing as it is aesthetically appealing. Right now there are thousands of schools around the world that have embraced green roofs and this number is growing every year.

As reviewed in an article by Canadian Business, a group of University of Delaware chemical engineering students came up with the idea of a green roof to reduce the heat in their classroom. The roof kept the room cool for most of the day. Now the campuses new Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory, has a green roof.

Green roofs are contagious as nearby Swarthmore College, a liberal arts school in Delaware County, Pa., followed the University of Delaware's lead and now has more than 14,000 square feet of plants covering the tops of its buildings. York University installed a 30,000 square foot green roof during the construction of the Computer Sciences Building in 2003.

A number of educational establishments are researching green roofs. In Canada Trent University is researching green roofs as is Ryerson University. In the US Colorado State University is researching Green Roofs, along with Tufts University, Penn State, and others. In the UK the University of Sheffield is but one of many European Universities that are studying green roofs.

Countless other campuses also have green roofs simply for the benefits they provide to students and faculty. West Virginia University has four green roofs, but one of the most spectacular green roofs belongs to Nanyang Technical University in Singapore (see image above left).

These are but a few of the many campuses that see the value of green roofs. Green roofs are the perfect combination of form and function. Green roofs are ideal for colleges because much of the work and preparation can be done by faculty and student volunteers. They are also an important source of research and a showcase demonstrating the benefits of green roofs.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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