Will We Be Seeing "Living Roofs" in Oakland Soon?

I hadn't known anything about so called "Living Roofs" until I saw a news piece on how they are starting to gain popularity. A Living Roof is basically a roof that is mostly flat, which has been covered with several inches of soil. This soil allows grass and other plants to grow on the roof, which provides several interesting benefits.

Because the soil absorbes much of the water that would fall, these roofs help drainage by not having as much water flowing through gutters down to to the foot of the house. Also, the soil acts as natural insulation, keeping the home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, thereby reducing heating and cooling costs. Another benefit is that because the roof itself is protected from the elements, it can be expected to last up to 50 years longer than normal.

There is a new condo project in the Mission District in SF which features a living roof, and as the Green Building techniques become more and more popular, Oakland, Berkeley and surrounding cities will start seeing Living Roofs being incorporated by environmentally concious homeowners.

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