Dazzling Checkerboard Green Roof Brings the Countryside to South Boston

The idea behind 'Boston Fusion', a mixed use development for Boston, was to create an idyllic suburban landscape in the heart of the city. Designed by Danish-firm <a href="http://www.bayarch.dk/" target="_blank">Bayarch</a>, led by Christian Bay-Jørgensen, the green-roofed apartment and commercial building will resemble a hilly countryside. The <a href="http://inhabitat.com/undulating-green-roofed-hotel-opens-in-norway/" target="_blank">undulating development</a> will also feature sloping pathways that travel from the street level all the way to tip-top of the building, similar to <a href="http://inhabitat.com/green-roofed-8-tallet-complex-officially-opens-in-denmark/" target="_blank">BIG's 8 Tallet in Denmark</a>.

Boston Fusion is part of a large development plan for a new green quarter in Boston, which will be called South Boston.

Located near the waterfront, the 17 story building will combine apartments, office and retail space, making it a truly mixed use development.

Penthouse apartments will occupy the top three floors, which will extend out onto a cascading green roof surface.

Below the apartments are offices, cafés, shops and open green squares along with traversing pathways that will allow people to walk from the street level all the way to the top.

BayArch is collaborating with Danish company, Icopal, experts in roofing technologies, who will be heading up the green roof design and installation.

Icopal has developed a number of products that will be integrated into the project including an air purifying roofing felt, a heat generating roof, integrated solar panels, and a green roof that helps infiltrate storm water and captures pollutants before hitting the city's sewage system.

Bay-Jørgensen says, “As much as the inspiration from Beacon Hill represents the social sustainability, the project is also architecturally in line with the modern office buildings of Boston’s finance district, which represent the financial viability of Boston Fusion."

"The business part with the office rental service etc. will contribute to make the project profitable for both investors and developers. At the same time the integrated Eco Activ pro-environmental products from Icopal represent the sustainable energy supply.”