Located in the Village of Trumansburg, northwest of Ithaca, NY, this single-family home is owned by an avid gardener. Instead of utilizing more typical asphalt shingles, the home has a metal roof and a green roof, which the homeowner helped install. The green roof is planted with sedums and wildflowers, and an exceptionally thick growing medium allowed for more than just a low carpet of plants.
By insulating the home and moderating building temperatures, the green roof helps reduce energy consumption and lower the homeowner’s heating and cooling bills. Green roofs also reduce stormwater runoff, improve water quality, provide wildlife habitat, and filter carbon dioxide and air pollutants; studies have shown they boost real estate values, too. The house in Trumansburg has several other green features, including straw bale insulation.
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