August 23rd, 2009 9:13 AM

Above the treetops, lush grasses and ground covers flourish in downtown Raleigh, unsuspected by passers-by below.

The primary visitors to this roofscape retreat, aside from bumblebees, are a groundskeeper with his electric lawn mower, and the condominium residents who own this elevated urban oasis sprouting on a seventh-floor roof.

This garden was created by Baker Roofing, one of Raleigh's oldest companies in an industry that has been pummeled by the recession. Yet as interest in green buildings takes hold, roofing companies are looking to sustainable practices for a measure of relief.

"If you're in the roofing business and you're doing government work, and you're not looking into garden roofing and renewable energy, you'll be left behind," said John Matthews, executive vice president of Baker Roofing. "We realized three years ago that sustainable building practices are going to be central to 21st century building practices."

The sustainable roof is an ancient concept getting updated for contemporary needs. Dozens of academic studies have set out to measure the benefits of sustainable roofs -- such as the reduction of energy costs up to 20 percent by reflective roofs, and the reduction in storm-water runoff up to 80 percent by garden roofs.

Excerpted from the News Observer August 23, 3009

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