Sloping Roofs Planted with Succulents Top Each Bancroft Green Townhome in Philly

We see a host of jealousy-evoking things everyday here at Inhabitat, and now we can add these state of the art townhomes, each with their own sloping green roof, to the list. The award-winning houses, dubbed <a href="http://bancroftgreen.com/">Bancroft Green</a>, make up the first and so far only, sustainable multi-home development in Center City, PA. Not only are the homes decked out with all of the latest high-end finishes, they're also shooting for <a href="http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19">LEED® Platinum</a> certification and considering their gorgeous planted roofs, geothermal heating and cooling and use of a host of recycled materials, we'd say they're well on their way!

Bancroft Green was developed by the multi-talented <a href="http://bancroftgreen.com/about-us/">Seibert brothers</a>, G.C. and Scott, who are well-known on the Philly green home building scene.

The sustainable-minded siblings scouted a series of vacant lots for the development, so the buildings serve as efficient urban <a href="http://inhabitat.com/the-grid-house-unlocked/gridhouse1/">infill</a> instead of taking up valuable land that could have been used for other purposes.

The verdant roof, which was designed and installed by <a href="http://www.greenroofworks.com/">Green Roof Works</a>, acts as a barrier to UV rays, increasing the life of the roof, not to mention probably promoting the health and well-being of the residents who get to look at it everyday.

Instead of lying flat, the sedum and succulent-planted plots are slanted towards each townhome, giving the illusion of a grassy green hill right outside the window.

The plants also reduce heat-gain, keeping the homes cooler and capture storm-water runoff.

Inside the Bancroft, geothermal HVAC systems pump up energy-efficiency and push down owners' electricity bills, something the Seibert brothers pride themselves on greatly.

The homes also boast heat recovery ventilators, dual-flush toilets and low-flow fixtures.

And to take it a step even further, the bricks for the facades and stoops are all re-used and even the rubber rooftop and backyard pavers are <a href="http://inhabitat.com/recycled-materials">recycled</a> from old tires, and were produced locally in Lancaster County.

All of the finishes are high end.

Imagine seeing this right outside your window every morning? Sigh.