Although it has been open to residents since June, the Green Roof Project at 30 Charles St. was unveiled to the public Wednesday in a modestly attended ceremony.
Until recently, the building’s third-floor patio space was essentially little more than an unappealing and unused concrete surface, but now roughly 60% of the 750 square-metre area is covered by an assortment of vegetation including grasses, flowering plants, shrubs and trees.
“This is an initiative that the university and the community can model,” said U of T Vice-Provost David Farrar. “The green roof garden will not only provide environmental benefits but will also contribute to community development.”
Although already planted, much of the flora will not be evident until it blooms next spring. Despite its newness, both the aesthetic and environmental benefits of the $300,000 project are beginning to take shape.
Originating from residents’ desire to do something useful with their common space, the Green Roof Project was funded jointly by the U of T, Environment Canada, the Toronto Atmospheric Fund and TD Bank.
U of T graduate Nancy Chater was appointed project designer and at 2:30pm on September 8th an octet of ceremonial shovels were used by representatives of the project’s benefactors to plant flowers in announcement of the Green Roof Project’s completion.
Urban planners and environmentalists have known for years about the degenerative impact on an area’s ecosystem by the presence of storm water runoff and increased temperatures from urban buildings like apartment complexes. Storm water runoff can cause sewage system overflows, and introduce unwanted pollutants to the water table, whereas the sun’s heat, collected and dispersed from buildings will contribute to smog accumulation. Green rooftop spaces help keep these effects to a minimum. By preventing buildings from collecting too much solar heat and also by holding onto rainwater, environmental damage is minimized.
In addition, the families residing at 30 Charles St. also now have a pleasant new common area for their building. The recently established family drop-in centre now also has its own sandbox equipped corral space for children’s play.
Other advantages of green rooftop spaces exist; these include a reduction in heating costs, since the soil and plant life provide a kind of natural insulation, some soundproofing and the preservation of indigenous biodiversity-a number of the plants at 30 Charles are local in origin.
This greenspace also provides a safe and private park-like area without the purchase of expensive extra land.
Green rooftop areas are a fast growing trend in developed countries. For example, vegetation now grows on nearly ten percent of all German flat-topped buildings, and some Swiss cities now require the relocation of greenspaces to building roofs.
