The Green Roof
EARN YOUR MFA IN GRAPHIC DESIGN AT
ONE OF THE NATION’S TOP COLLEGES OF ART & DESIGN
continued from page 119 a 24-by-24-foot grid of rock-filled wire baskets called gabions. In addition to
allowing for drainage and strapping the soil in
place, the gabions can be used as footpaths for
the maintenance crews that traverse the garden’s
steep slopes.
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“One of the most fasci-
nating questions I get is,
‘What will this roof look
like in five years?’ I say,
‘I’d like to be able to tell
you, but I can’t.’”
Circle 293
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ARCS
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Today the roof is essentially complete. But, as
with any living system, it will continue to evolve
in unpredictable ways. “One of the most fascinating questions I get is, ‘What will this roof look like
in five years?’” Almeda says. “People are always
astounded when I say, ‘I’d like to be able to tell
you, but I can’t.’” Like animals, plant species compete with each other for common resources, and it
is not easy to predict which ones will win out.
There has already been an unforeseen explosion of
growth as birds and bees have dispersed foreign
pollen and seeds on the site. “Wildlife will bring
things to you that you may not want,” Almeda says.
“And, if they bring a native species, just because
it’s native doesn’t mean that we will keep it on the
roof.” A few water-sucking willows, for instance,
were evicted. “If we left them, they’d take the
water from everything else and nothing would survive,” Almeda says. A noninvasive monkey flower,
on the other hand, was allowed to stay.
The roof will also serve as an outdoor laboratory
where scientists and students will study nature
in action. Almeda recently made a scientific discovery of his own. Curious about the appearance
of a cluster of mushrooms he found on the roof,
he sent a sample to a specialist at San Francisco
State University. As Almeda recalls, “He said, ‘Frank,
I’ve never seen this mushroom anywhere in North
America! It’s actually native to Europe, and I’d like
to keep it to try to learn more about it!’” At a time
when news concerning the environment is grim,
that’s an encouraging symbol. “The Academy,”
Kephart says, “is essentially a promise that we can
°restore biodiversity within the urban world.”
www.metropolismag.com #
