This week I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the California Academy of Sciences. This museum was a wonderful variety of aquariums, a planetarium, and a natural history museum. But, the coolest feature was the living roof. This 2.5 acre roof is huge with three dome-like hills. The skylights on these domes allow natural light to come in while also releasing hot air that rises to the roof. These skylights are controlled via sensors that open and close when needed.
Nearly two million plants were chosen for the roof. These native plants are grown in coconut fiber trays that are fit together like pieces to a massive puzzel. These plants are pollinated via bees that have their own hive located on the gigantic roof.
This type of roof does not contribute to heat island effect, and it keeps the buildings' temperature an average of ten degrees cooler than conventional buildings. (www.calacademy.org)
