How a White or Green Roof Can Keep Your Building Up to 84% Cooler This Summer

How a White or Green Roof Can Keep Your Building Up to 84% Cooler This Summer

The benefits of white and green roofs are nothing new to us, but a recent study by two top NYC universities has shed light on just how effective these non-traditional roofs can be at lowering building temperatures. Non-reflective dark roofs are known to exacerbate the urban heat island effect and do absolutely nothing to reduce storm water runoff, which is why New York City sewers overflow almost every time it rains. But a recent study released by Columbia University and City University of New York has found that greening NYC rooftops or adding a few coats of white paint can reduce temperatures by as much as 84%! Just think how much that could help you out on your electricity bill this summer.

Read More >

Advertisement

HWKN Creates a Green Hill on an NYC Rooftop for BMW MINI

HWKN Creates a Green Hill on an NYC Rooftop for BMW MINI

Wherever it is that your company holds its parties, it's not better than this verdant green rooftop event space by HWKN for BMW MINI, so if you're prone to jealousy, don't read on. Located atop an NYC building, the temporary installation was a part of MINI’s “Creative Use of Space” campaign celebrating the design elements of the Mini Cooper as well as its ability to pack a big punch in a small package. The festive setup featured a rolling green hill with "seating dimples," a performance stage and a luminous LED carpet leading to a panorama bar overlooking the Hudson.

Read More >

Advertisement

PHOTOS: Inhabitat Tours Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s New Green Roofed Visitor Center

PHOTOS: Inhabitat Tours Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s New Green Roofed Visitor Center

The new green-grass-roofed Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Visitor Center will officially open on May 16th, but Inhabitat has already gotten a sneak preview of the gorgeous space. Designed by Weiss/Manfredi, the new structure rests in harmony with the surrounding gardens, both in architectural design and environmental footprint. Rising from a Gingko tree-lined hill, the glass visitor center is both welcoming and unimposing, providing an area of respite and superior views of the serene gardens.

Read More >

Curious Irish Hunger Memorial is a Green-Roofed Monument in Battery Park City

Curious Irish Hunger Memorial is a Green-Roofed Monument in Battery Park City

Even the most been-there-done-that New Yorkers might find themselves surprised to stumble upon the Irish Hunger Memorial, a sloping patch of wild grass that protrudes from Vesey Street and conceals one of the city's hidden gems beneath. Designed by artist Brian Tolle, landscape artist Gail Wittwer-Laird and 1100 Architect, the green-roofed monument entices passersby with its curiously overgrown field and, once they are inside, educates them about the Great Irish Famine and Migration of 1845-1852, a devastating event which actually led many Irishmen to make New York their new home. Comprised of an elevated limestone plinth supported by stones from each of Ireland's 32 counties, the beautiful structure contains a dark passageway that eventually leads to an idyllic knoll that reaches towards Ellis Island, symbolizing the new beginning that many Irish found in America.

Read More >

New York University Law School’s Wilf Hall Achieves LEED Platinum Certification

New York University Law School’s Wilf Hall Achieves LEED Platinum Certification

New York University’s Wilf Hall has been award LEED Platinum certification, the highest possible LEED certification from the United States Green Building Council. Wilf Hall is one of just six new buildings in New York to receive LEED Platinum. NYU is committed to environmental stewardship; in addition to new green buildings and interiors, the university is powered by a super efficient CoGeneration power plant. While Wilf Hall is currently home to NYU’s law school, it was originally built to host the historic Provincetown Playhouse, which has been operating a theatrical program since the 1920s.

Read More >

JPMorgan Chase Headquarters Renovation Achieves LEED Platinum Status

JPMorgan Chase Headquarters Renovation Achieves LEED Platinum Status

JPMorgan Chase’s recently renovated global headquarters on Park Avenue in New York City has achieved LEED Platinum status! The newly greened building now holds the title of being the largest renovation in the world to achieve the USGBC’s highest certification. The renovation to the 50-story building will cut energy consumption by 50 percent and save more than one million gallons of water every year.

Read More >

8 Amazing Hidden Rooftop Houses You’ve Probably Never Noticed in New York City

8 Amazing Hidden Rooftop Houses You’ve Probably Never Noticed in New York City

From solar arrays and green roofs to exquisite gardens and massive farms, rooftops in New York City boast a lot more than just air conditioners and water towers. Covering our buildings' roofs is a hallmark of sustainable building, and in a dense urban landscape like the Big Apple, it also makes total sense for maximizing our space. While green gardens and relaxing sundecks are no-brainers, what about entire houses? More than a few New Yorkers have turned building rooftops into their own private plots. Not only are these abodes a unique twist on green roofs, but they add some unexpected variety to our concrete jungle. Hit the jump for a look at NYC's sky-high homes.

Read More >

Advertisement

MVRDV Apologizes for World-Trade-Center-esque “Cloud” Twin Towers as Outrage Spreads

MVRDV Apologizes for World-Trade-Center-esque “Cloud” Twin Towers as Outrage Spreads

MVRDV just ignited a media firestorm as “The Cloud” – their new project for Seoul, Korea featuring two towers linked by a pixellated mass – drew comparison to the exploding form of New York City’s Twin Towers on 9/11. The architecture firm recently addressed cries of outrage by apologizing for the design, stating “It was not our intention to create an image resembling the attacks nor did we see the resemblance during the design process. We sincerely apologize to anyone whose feelings we have hurt, the design was not meant to provoke this”, however Jan Marbles, one of MVRDV’s architects who worked on the project stated “I must admit that we just thought of September 11, 2001″. Many are still shocked and appalled by the design – according to MVRDV, they’ve received “threatening emails and calls of angry people calling us Al Qaeda lovers or worse”. So what do you think – Are the towers offensively similar to the flaming World Trade Center buildings on September 11th, 2001? Tell us what you think after the jump.

Read More >

20 New Green Zoning Laws Will Be Unveiled Next Month

20 New Green Zoning Laws Will Be Unveiled Next Month

It’s soon going to be easier for New York City buildings to go green. On December 12, a new set of 20 green zoning rules will be unveiled by the Bloomberg administration. The new set of rules is be aimed at removing hurdles that building owners face in implementing more sustainable technologies and practices. “This is the most comprehensive effort to sweep away impediments to green buildings in our zoning,” City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden told The Real Deal.

Read More >

Oppenheim’s LEED Platinum Williamsburg Hotel Will Rise 440 Feet in North Brooklyn

Oppenheim’s LEED Platinum Williamsburg Hotel Will Rise 440 Feet in North Brooklyn

The historic buildings of South Williamsburg are about to be interrupted with an ultra modern tower. Designed for a competition to build a hotel next to the Williamsburg Bridge, Oppenheim Architecture + Design’s winning entry is a glittering three tiered tower. Oppenheim designed the Williamsburg Hotel to achieve LEED Platinum certification.

Read More >

Advertisement

The Insert ____ Here Project Paints Bright Yellow Arrows Where Change is Needed in NYC

The Insert ____ Here Project Paints Bright Yellow Arrows Where Change is Needed in NYC

Have you ever passed an abandoned lot on your ‘hood and thought “Man, I wish they would do something about that”? Well artist Eve Mosher and 350.org really wanted to point out (literally) the spots in NYC that are overdue for a change, so they teamed up …

Read More >

PICS: Mysterious Tree-Topped Former Factory in LIC is Almost Completely Wrapped in Ivy

PICS: Mysterious Tree-Topped Former Factory in LIC is Almost Completely Wrapped in Ivy

Long Island City is known for being more grey than green, which is precisely why we were blown away when we spotted this ivy-enrobed building there one day. Much more jungle than concrete jungle, the verdant cube sits right on Vernon Boulevard and is a stark contrast with the industrial nature of the surrounding buildings and steely Queensboro Bridge behind it. Entranced by its greenery-wrapped exterior, we crept up to get a closer look and upon bending our heads back realized that there were trees of all shapes and sizes growing out of the roof! But what exactly was this mysterious building? (We saw of a few signs but they were almost completely obscured by the prolific ivy.) Read on to see what we were able to unearth about the green-roofed edifice's origins and what goes on in there today.

Read More >

Proposed Solar 2 Eco-Complex on the East River Receives $1.25M from City Council

Proposed Solar 2 Eco-Complex on the East River Receives $1.25M from City Council

The city’s first energy positive, carbon neutral visitor center, Solar 2, has just been granted $1.25 million for construction costs by the City Council of New York. Solar One, a New York non-profit dedicated to environmental education, has been raising funds to construct Solar 2, which will be built on 23rd Street and the East River. The generous grant, along with $6.1 million from fundraising, helps Solar 2 reach their goal of $10 million needed to start construction.

Read More >

Advertisement

Blesso Properties Creates Innovative Eco-Urban Designs for NYC Real Estate

Blesso Properties Creates Innovative Eco-Urban Designs for NYC Real Estate

A few years ago, the green Noho loft of Matt Blesso caught our attention, thanks to its gorgeous rooftop garden. But Mr. Blesso is not just an owner of a great eco-friendly apartment -- his firm, Blesso Properties, specializes in developing sustainable luxury properties for New York City real estate. With a commitment to sustainability, conservation, and recycling, Blesso’s properties are not only beautifully designed, but gorgeously green.

Read More >

DUB Studios Designs a Grassy Rooftop Garden Atop a Soho Loft

DUB Studios Designs a Grassy Rooftop Garden Atop a Soho Loft

As we've said time and time again, open space in New York is sparse, so if you're looking to expand your greenery, there's no where better to go than up. From elaborate garden escapes to massive food-producing farms, New Yorkers have changed the way we think about "green roofs," transforming rooftops into private yards and public land. And no matter how many sky-high green spaces we see, we still get excited. This beautiful rooftop repose in Soho is the perfect example. Designed by DUB Studios, the grassy space may have a simple design, but it brings the suburban backyard and patio to unique new heights.

Read More >

PHOTOS: We Take a Stroll Up the Queens Botanical Garden’s Sloping Green Roof

PHOTOS: We Take a Stroll Up the Queens Botanical Garden’s Sloping Green Roof

We admit that Queens isn't the first place that comes to mind when we think of groundbreaking green architecture (I'm totally allowed to say this because I'm from there), which is why we were doubly impressed to learn that one of the first LEED Platinum certified buildings in all of NYC is located in the borough. While many New Yorkers don't even know of its existence, the Queens Botanical Garden's Visitor & Administration Building, designed by Manhattan-based BKSK Architects is one of the most accessible (not to mention absolutely lovely) examples of eco architecture right in the city's back yard. And if you've never seen a solar roof in action, witnessed rainwater harvesting or walked upon a green roof, you can do all three right there (for free on Sundays and Wednesdays after 4PM, and just $4 during normal operating hours). And while you're at it, stroll through some of the 27 other blooming paths, flowerbeds and oases, learn about herb gardening and composting or enjoy a picnic on one of the grassy knolls. That's exactly what we did right before snapping some up close and personal shots of the state-of-the-art visitor's center for your enjoyment - click through our gallery to see them all!

Read More >

Advertisement

Pratt Students Bring Farms to NYC Rooftops in Exciting Summer Studio

Pratt Students Bring Farms to NYC Rooftops in Exciting Summer Studio

The benefits of green roofs are widely known, and their popularity continues to increase in dense cities like New York. Thanks to great drainage and insulation benefits, urban gardens in the sky have sprouted at multiple projects around the city. Urban agriculture, however, has lagged behind, in part because of a lack of understanding -- the exact benefits of rooftop farms are just now being studied. But architecture schools are beginning to incorporate urban rooftop farms into their curriculum. Under the direction of Elliott Maltby and Gita Nandan of Thread Collective and recent graduate Tyler Caruso, students at Pratt's Programs for Sustainable Planning and Development are undertaking a summer Design-Build Studio in Rooftop Agriculture. Inhabitat was on the scene for their midterm design review, and we bring you more details after the break!

Read More >

Secret Greenwich Village Roof Deck Inspired By New York’s Rooftop Water Towers

Secret Greenwich Village Roof Deck Inspired By New York’s Rooftop Water Towers

If you take a wooden water tank from any NYC rooftop, lay it on its side, slice it open and unfurl it, you get this amazing rooftop deck in Greenwich Village. Designed by GRAFTWORKS, the 1,100 sq. ft. wooden rooftop deck gives you stellar views of the Manhattan skyline including the Empire State Building, gorgeously framed in the deck's indoor patio door. Undulating ribbons of deck provide built-in lounge chairs and the ends curl up to reveal planters that also double as safety barriers to keep you away from the edge. We wish we were outside and lounging here right now!

Read More >

Seeing Green To Conduct First Ever Research on Stormwater Management Benefits of Urban Farms

Seeing Green To Conduct First Ever Research on Stormwater Management Benefits of Urban Farms

It’s no secret that we love urban farming and green roofs, and while there are plenty of well-known benefits to greening up roof tops, there is still a lot that is misunderstood. Seeing Green: The Value of Urban Farms has set out on a research mission to better understand the stormwater management benefits of urban rooftop farms. Using two farms in New York City — Brooklyn Grange (a rooftop) and Added Value (raised beds) — Erik Facteau and Tyler Caruso of Seeing Green plan to study all aspects of the two different farms in order to provide the first ever scientific research that will support and validate urban agriculture. The year-long research project is about to get underway to prove that urban farms, particularly those on rooftops, have way more benefits than we think.

Read More >

PHOTOS: The Wild Project Theater Sets the Stage With Green Roof by Alive Structures

PHOTOS: The Wild Project Theater Sets the Stage With Green Roof by Alive Structures

In a city of big productions and major developments, it's easy to forget that the carbon footprint battle can often be won through the courageous endeavors of small green businesses that put their livelihoods on the line for the sake of the greater good. The Wild Project, a community theater group in Manhattan's East Village, teamed up with green roof experts Alive Structures and architects Thread Collective to create a small arts space that preserves the history of its building and community while advancing the concepts of modern sustainable design. Inhabitat had the pleasure of taking a tour of this trailblazing space from Alive's Marni Majorelle, and we caught a glimpse of an important act in the development of sustainable architecture in New York City -- and an exquisite space inside and out!

Read More >

Ennead Architects Designs New Green Intake Center for NYC Department of Homeless Services

Ennead Architects Designs New Green Intake Center for NYC Department of Homeless Services

Public service buildings in NYC are taking a more environmentally friendly turn. City officials gathered last week to announce the opening of a new green intake center for the homeless, the Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing (PATH) building in The Bronx. Designed by Ennead Architects, the PATH project was commissioned for the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), as part of the Design and Construction Excellence program. The building is expect to receive a LEED silver rating.

Read More >

Dlandstudio Creates a Colorful Green Roof for the Visual Arts School at SUNY Purchase

Dlandstudio Creates a Colorful Green Roof for the Visual Arts School at SUNY Purchase

Landscape architecture firm and design think tank dlandstudio has proposed some of the most innovative recent sustainable infrastructure projects in New York City, including a pollution-filtering park on the Gowanus Canal and a reinventing of downtown Manhattan in the face of rising sea levels. Their latest work, set to begin construction soon, is a simple and poetic take on a green roof at the State University of New York-Purchase’s School of Visual Arts. By using a variety of blooms, the rooftop changes colors with the seasons.

Read More >

PHOTOS: The Bowery Mission Inaugurates Its Rooftop Farm During the Festival of Ideas!

PHOTOS: The Bowery Mission Inaugurates Its Rooftop Farm During the Festival of Ideas!

If you've ever frequented the many-fabled NYC street known as the Bowery, chances are you've crossed the red doors of the Bowery Mission. The downtown organization is well known to New Yorkers for its continued (the Mission was founded way back in 1879) efforts to assist homeless men and get them back on the right track in life, but what you may not know is that just this weekend, they inaugurated an awesome farm right on their roof! Since the Mission and its donors helped provide 356,000 meals and 34,000 bags of groceries this past year, it makes a lot of sense to have a place where they can grow some of the food themselves, which would not only cost a lot less money but would also mean fresher, more local produce (and did you know that "Bowery" comes from the Dutch word "bouwerij" which means "farm?). We took a tour of the Mission and its brand new rooftop farm - click through the gallery to check out all of our exclusive photos.

Read More >

Kiss + Cathcart’s The Lee Opens the Door for Green Supportive Housing in the Lower East Side

Kiss + Cathcart’s The Lee Opens the Door for Green Supportive Housing in the Lower East Side

A ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 7, 2011 inaugurated Kiss + Cathcart’s LEED Silver supportive housing tower The Lee, managed by Common Ground Community.

Read More >

  • get the free Inhabitat newsletter

    Submit this form
  • follow inhabitat on:

  • EVENT CALENDAR

     may 
    su m t w th f sa
     12345
    6789101112
    13141516171819
    20212223242526
    2728293031