Roof Gardens In Tokyo
While global warming is still something of an abstraction to most Americans, in Japan it is very much a reality. While the average temperature has risen just slightly more than a single degree in the West since 1900, average yearly temperatures in Japan have risen more than five degrees in that same time period.
In Tokyo, summers are increasingly hot, winter is becoming milder, and fall isn't setting in until mid-December. Part of this can be attributed to the city's lack of green space. But now architects are counteracting that by plotting low-weight gardens on the roofs of apartment buildings.
Using a low-maintenance variety of grass that grows in four inches of vermiculite, a mineral substance often used in traditional gardening, architects have found a way to plant gardens that are light enough so as not to require additional structural support in a building, and that are aesthetically pleasing as well. As a result, roof gardens are popping up all over Tokyo, heating and air conditioning usage is down, and a city ordanance has mandated that all new rooftops contain at least 20 percent of garden space
nytimes.com |
