Green Roof in San Bruno

I spotted another green roof in the San Francisco Bay Area – this one in San Bruno. The YouTube headquarters (formerly the GAP headquarters) at 901 Cherry Avenue is planted with indigenous grasses and wildflowers cultivated from native grasslands in San Francisco. The green roof provides temperature and sound insulation, and habitat for insects and birds. The roof line itself is slightly curved, which fits in with the surrounding hills.

Green roof in San Bruno - the YouTube headquarters

I found some information about the green roof project, including the architectural firm (William McDonough + Partners), and the supplier (American Hydrotech) from the web site: http://www.greenroofs.com/projects/pview.php?id=26. Materials used to construct the roof (from the roof up): 

• Hot rubberized asphalt waterproofing membrane, topped with a root barrier, and six inches of extruded polystyrene insulation
• Drainage boards covered with filter fabric to keep growth media out of the drainage material
• Six inches engineered soil (the growth media)

View outside of the YouTube headquarter office

YouTube– San Bruno, CA – Posted on June 29, 2011
View outside of the YouTube headquarter office in San Bruno, CA (Photo by Coolcaesar - available under CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0 & GFDL, v1.258)