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Living Roof - California Academy of Sciences
Living roof technology has been more widely used in Europe than in the United States. But the California Academy of Sciences' Living Roof is unique in its use of native plants (exclusively) and in its unusual and technological design.
The aesthetic of the roof was designed to emulate the hills of San Francisco. It's part of the Academy building's integration with its natural surroundings. The roof provides additional habitat for wildlife as a result of its vast, 2.5 acres of specially selected plants.
The plant species growing on the Living Roof were chosen, in part, to attract a variety of birds, as well as the endangered Bay Checkerspot Butterfly.
The roof also functions as a cooling system for the structure below, and as a lighting and ventilation system through its network of skylights. It will also help prevent storm water runoff.
There's a viewing deck on the roof, providing a panorama of the park below and, frequently, of raptors like red-shouldered hawks flying overhead.