Grass Roof House Designs from Around the World

Grass roof house designs are not just a novelty, but a practical and sustainable solution for homes around the world.

In Japan, for example, grass roof house designs are a common sight, particularly in rural areas where they help to insulate homes and reduce heating costs.

The key to a successful grass roof is choosing the right type of grass, which should be able to withstand heavy rainfall and extreme temperatures. In Japan, a type of grass called "zoysia" is often used for its durability and low maintenance requirements.

In other parts of the world, such as Scandinavia, grass roofs are also used to reduce the urban heat island effect and provide insulation for homes.

Additional reading: Plant Grass

A grass roof house is a type of building that features a roof covered with grass and other plants, providing a natural and eco-friendly alternative to traditional roofing materials.

Grass roof houses are also known as "green roofs" or "living roofs", which is a nod to the fact that they are literally alive and can support a wide variety of plant species.

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These roofs can be fully or partially covered with grass, and they can be designed to be shallow or deep, depending on the type of plants used and the climate of the area.

A key benefit of grass roof houses is their ability to insulate buildings and regulate indoor temperatures, reducing the need for heating and cooling systems.

Grass roof houses can also help to absorb rainwater and reduce stormwater runoff, which can help to alleviate pressure on urban drainage systems.

The weight of a grass roof can be a concern, but it's typically not a problem if the roof is designed and constructed properly, with a structural system that can support the weight of the plants and soil.

In fact, a well-designed grass roof can even help to increase the lifespan of a building by protecting it from the elements and reducing the need for repairs.

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A grass roof house is a wonderful way to live in harmony with nature. By installing a green roof, you can save an estimated $5,000 per year on heating and cooling costs.

Not only will your energy bills decrease, but your green roof will also create a sound barrier in high-traffic areas, muffling noises from pool equipment or a pump house. This can be a game-changer for families with kids who love to play outside.

Your green roof will provide a habitat for wildlife and a food source for pollinators, making it a great choice for nature lovers. In fact, a green roof can help manage stormwater runoff, saving municipalities money and earning you rebates and low-interest loans.

A green roof can even lower a building's carbon footprint by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. And, if you're looking to increase your home's resale value, a green roof may help you qualify for LEED certification.

Here are some key benefits of a green roof:

Designing a green roof for your house requires some careful consideration. The shape of your roof will play a big role in determining the type of green roof you can install.

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A flat roof is the easiest to install and maintain, but it's not the only option. You can also install a green roof on a low-sloping roof with a rise of up to three feet for every 12 feet of length without the need for stabilization.

You'll want to consider the slope of your roof when designing your green roof, as a flat roof retains water better than a slanted one. This is especially important if you live in an area with a lot of rainfall.

Here are some key considerations to keep in mind when designing your green roof:

A good installer will follow international guidelines, such as the German FLL guidelines, to ensure a successful installation. This includes installing the green roof on a roof pitched at no more than 30° and using a moisture-retention fleece to prevent water pooling on the membrane surface.

A dwelling with all the staples of green design is definitely possible, and it's not just a dream. Rian and Melissa Jorgensen's Menlo Park, California, home is a great example of this, boasting energy-efficient lighting, good insulation, and a roof that's prewired for future PV panels.

Their living roof, designed by Lauren Schneider of Wonderland Garden, is a standout feature, planted with succulents, aloe, viviums, and ice plants that flower in swaths of white and purple. This type of design is perfect for a California home, where the climate is mild and sunny.

Peter Liang's family home in San Francisco also features a living roof, which he designed to have a natural look and feel. The resulting 580-square-foot green roof is like a piece of the hill, with indigenous vegetation seeded by birds and wind.

Green roofs require a bit of planning before installation. The German FLL guidelines are followed internationally, so it's essential to ensure your installer understands and follows them.

A good starting point is to assess the roof's pitch. Green roofs need to be installed on roofs pitched at no more than 30°. This is crucial for the roof's overall performance and longevity.

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The installation process involves more than just planting. A moisture-retention fleece is used to keep water in the soil, preventing it from pooling on the membrane surface. An aqua drain is also necessary to carry away excess water.

A reliable membrane is vital to prevent leakage. It's also essential to include a vapour control layer to manage the passage of internal water vapour through the roof, preventing condensation inside.

The frame of the green roof is also important. For a flat roof, metal gutter guards installed along the edges of the roof work best.

To build a green roof, you'll need the right tools and materials. A tape measure is essential for measuring the shape of your roof.

A shovel and garden rake will come in handy for preparing the roof surface. You'll also need a drill and garden trowel for planting and arranging plants. A roofing hammer and roofing hatchet are necessary for cutting and shaping the roofing materials.

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A chalk line will help you mark straight lines on the roof. A utility knife is useful for making precise cuts. A hammer and nails will be needed for securing the roofing materials in place.

Here's a list of the tools you'll need:

As for materials, you'll need a bitumen membrane to waterproof the roof. A pond liner and drainage mat will help with water management. Plastic sheets and foam insulation will provide additional protection and insulation. Plant trays and quality soil will be necessary for planting the green roof. Metal or stone edging will help contain the soil and prevent erosion.

Sod roofs have a rich history, and it's interesting to note that they were once a common sight in rural areas. They were gradually replaced by tile roofs in the 19th century.

Sod roofs require a specific type of roof design, and it's essential to consider the shape of your actual roof when planning one. The tradition of sod roofs declined with the introduction of industrial materials.

In remote inland areas, sod roofs still hold a special place in history, and their unique charm is worth considering for those looking for a rustic design.

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Building a green roof house on a classic angled, A-shaped roof is one of the most common design options. Succulents are the easiest to grow on this type of roof due to potentially uneven sun exposure.

Homeowners tend to stick with simple grass patches for this roof shape.

Emilio Fuscaldo, the founder of Melbourne-based Nest Architects, designed an impressive green roof for his own home in Coburg, Australia.

The green roof is a 500-square-foot space that not only makes an environmental statement but also serves multiple purposes.

Water from the rooftop feeds the toilet and the garden's watering system, reducing the need for external water sources.

This innovative design helps keep gas bills low in the winter by using the garden as insulation.

A Fishers Island Prefab is a great example of sustainable design. This prefabricated, modular home was designed by Joseph Tanney and Robert Luntz of Resolution: 4.

The home features two green roofs, which are a fantastic way to reduce a building's environmental impact. The landscape architects at Reed Hilderbrand planted sedge grass on one of the rooftops to reflect the texture of the surrounding meadow.

The second green roof was planted with sedum, a low-maintenance plant that's perfect for roofs. This roof also happens to be one of the family's favorite spots, as it hosts a hammock where they can relax and enjoy the view.

The House in Lithuania is a great example of a home that seamlessly merges with its natural surroundings.

Located in Lithuania, this 1,600-square-foot family residence was designed by Architect Gabrielė Ubarevičiūtė and After Party cofounder Giedrius Mamavicius.

The home's main volume is intersected with a wood-clad terrace, which is shielded by a sloped green roof that touches all the way to the ground.

The House of the Tall Chimneys, located in Waterberg, South Africa, is a long, narrow guesthouse that grows from a steep cliff out into the trees.

This unique structure is designed by Johannesburg-based architecture studio Frankie Pappas, who used a 3D model to determine how to position and design the building with minimal impact on the surrounding vegetation.

The guesthouse is capped with a green roof planted with site-endemic grasses, aloes, and creepers, blending seamlessly into the forested landscape.

Frankie Pappas's team scanned the forested site to create an accurate 3D model, including trees, branches, and roots, to ensure the building's design didn't disrupt the natural environment.

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In Norway, green roofs have been a tradition for hundreds of years. They're not just a pretty sight, but also provide insulation and stability to the houses below.

Green roofs in Norway have a long history, dating back to the Viking and Middle Ages when most houses had sod roofs. This was almost universal in rural areas until the beginning of the 18th century.

In modern times, green roofs have become a staple in Norwegian architecture, with many homes featuring lush gardens and grassy surfaces. Some even have flowers mixed in with the grass, creating a beautiful and functional space.

A great example of a green roof is the tiny prefab cabin in Western Norway, designed by Snøhetta. This 376-square-foot cabin sleeps up to 21 guests around a central fireplace and is made with locally sourced stones.

The cabin's grass-covered roof is a perfect blend of function and aesthetics, allowing it to seamlessly merge with the surrounding landscape. This is a common sight in Norway, where green roofs are a long-standing tradition.

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In Brazil, expansive grass roofs are a popular feature in modern homes. The Planar House, designed by Studio MK27, is a great example of this, covering 10,763 square feet.

The green roof is accessible via a ladder, allowing homeowners to easily tend to the plantings. This design choice is a great way to bring the outdoors in, don't you think?

The Planar House is built entirely of reinforced, poured in-situ concrete, except for the metallic pillars on opposite ends. This building material choice is a common one in Brazilian architecture.

The green roof is considered "the fifth facade of the building" by the architects, highlighting its importance in the overall design. This suggests that the roof is not just a functional element, but also a visually appealing one.

Vereda Arquiteto's design for a home in Brazil features three concrete volumes, each partially submerged in the sloping land. This innovative design choice allows the home to blend seamlessly into its surroundings.

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The Big Sur Hillside home in California features a 1,900-square-foot living space with a low-maintenance green roof that includes native plants such as California oat and red fescue.

This design choice not only blends the home into the surrounding landscape but also reduces the need for invasive species removal. The architects planted native grasses on the site to replace the more invasive coyote brush that was there before.

The green roof helps to insulate the home and limit its energy needs. This eco-friendly design approach also allows the home to blend seamlessly into its surroundings, creating a harmonious relationship between the built environment and nature.

The two-acre site surrounding the home is covered in native grasses, which provides a beautiful and natural backdrop to the house. This thoughtful design approach not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of the home but also contributes to a more sustainable and environmentally conscious lifestyle.

This vacation home on Chappaquiddick Island near Edgartown, Massachusetts, features a unique roof covered in natural sea grasses sourced from the surrounding area.

The sea grasses provide thermal insulation, dampen the noise of rain, improve air quality, and help manage rainwater flow.

The smart design of this family vacation home earned Peter Rose + Partners an Honor Award for Design Excellence from the Boston Society of Architects in 2014.

The Mexican Retreat is a great example of how green roofs can be incorporated into modern architecture. Designed by Fernanda Canales with landscaping by Claudia Rodríguez, this family home features nine black concrete volumes in a forest clearing.

One of the standout features of this retreat is its use of roof terraces, which provide a seamless transition from indoor to outdoor living. The structures that contain the living room and a guest bedroom were designed with these roof terraces in mind.

By incorporating green roofs, the designers of this retreat have created a natural and sustainable living space. Green roofs can help to manage rainwater flow, improve air quality, and even dampen the noise of rain.

In San Francisco's hillside Castro Heights neighborhood, a midcentury terrace home was transformed into a three-story, multigenerational retreat.

The home features a living roof that performs multiple functions, including forming an insulating body for the interior.

This living roof also naturally filters rainwater prior to entering the public sewage system.

The rooftop provides an occasional biophilic prospect to view the city from.

In Missouri, a 2,500-square-foot home features a lush green roof planted with indigenous wildflowers and native grasses. This design helps insulate the home and limit its energy needs.

The green roof is made from stained cedar, ipe, and concrete, which form a natural palette for the home. This material combination is also used in other homes, such as the 10,763-square-foot Planar House in Brazil.

A green roof can be more than just an environmental statement, as seen in the 500-square-foot green roof of an Australian Architect's home. It can also serve as insulation to keep gas bills low in the winter.

In Copenhagen, a rooftop renovation was done to create a common "backyard" on the roof, with distinct but united areas. This design can be applied to homes with green roofs, such as the 1,600-square-foot House and the River in Lithuania.

The green roof of the House and the River is shielded by a sloped design that touches the ground, creating a seamless merge with the natural setting. This design can be applied to homes with sloped sites, such as the sunken structure in Missouri.

The village of Wing in England's Midlands region is home to a unique example of sustainable architecture. This small village is where a London-based firm built a 3,735-square-foot home for retired doctors Matthew and Nicky Lyttelton.

The site of the home is small and awkward, but the design of the house makes the most of its surroundings. A green roof spirals around the wings of the house and encircles a central open courtyard.

The green roof is a distinctive feature of this home, blending the building with the surrounding landscape.

When choosing plants for your green roof, consider using a wide variety of wildflowers and sedums, as they can adapt to the specific conditions of your roof. This will ensure a healthy and thriving ecosystem.

Native wildflowers like Viper's bugloss and bird's foot trefoil are great options, as they not only bring color and beauty but also benefit local wildlife. They can thrive in various conditions, including sun and shade.

Pre-grown solutions like sedum or wildflower blankets can also be used, but it's essential to provide at least 80mm of substrate for sedum blankets and 150mm for wildflower blankets. This will give the plants the necessary space to grow and absorb water.

Some plants are more resilient to extreme temperatures and droughts, such as chives, which will stay in flower even in dry conditions. Muscari, a classic plant from the Turkish mountains, is another great option, as it's adapted to withstand harsh winters and hot summers.

For a green roof in shade, consider plants like autumn bulbs, which bring color later in the year, such as cyclamen and Colchicum autumnal (meadow saffron). These plants can add a greater diversity of wildflowers to your roof.

Here are some specific plants to consider for your green roof:

Remember to accommodate the specific needs of each plant, such as sun exposure and weight distribution, to ensure the health and longevity of your green roof.

Norwegians have been planting greenery atop their houses for hundreds of years. In fact, some Norwegian houses have flowers mixed in with grass, creating a lush garden that insulates the house and keeps it well-regulated.

A traditional Norwegian green roof can help maintain regular temperatures within the dwellings. This is especially true for rural areas where sod roofs were almost universal until the beginning of the 18th century.

During the Viking and Middle Ages, most houses in Norway had sod roofs. This type of green roof is still seen today, where the verdant roofs have many advantages, from maintaining regular temperatures to stabilizing the houses themselves.

In Norway, green roofs have become a long-standing tradition, and it's not common to see them dotting the country's landscape.