ArchiTeam PaperNews

A Green Roof Threesome

date added: 06.02.2012

We’re excited that the Illinois Chapter of the ASLA just awarded its highest honor for our design of three green roofs at one of the largest mixed-use complexes on Michigan Avenue.

A Green Roof Threesome

Green roofs in Chicago are hardly a new phenomenon. The city has been at the forefront of cities promoting and installing green roofs for several years and still retains the ‘lead’ as the city with the highest square footage of roofs covered by vegetation. But even here, it’s unusual for a building owner to develop three roofs on a single complex that utilize the space for both environmental and urban living benefits.

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Over a period of six years, the owners of 900 North developed unused roof space into amenities that serve their tenants and simultaneously give a seasonally-changing view to thousands of people in surrounding hotels, residences and offices.

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Inspired by aerial views of Midwestern agricultural patterns, the three spaces share aesthetic similarities but are designed for distinctly different user groups: one is for residents of luxury condos, one (on a parking garage) is for viewing only, and the last is for use by office tenants. Boldly graphic, the roofs challenge status quo assumptions about what can be expected both from a city view and from green roof design.

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