Rooftop gardens provide many benefits for the atmosphere, the property they’re located on, and of course the people who visit them! A well-cared for rooftop garden can be an expensive investment. Like any other investment, however, it has the ability to generate returns. Here are eight benefits of having a rooftop garden for an office building that you may not have considered before:
Making a Statement
Rooftop gardens are a subtle way to inform potential customers and new hires alike of an office building’s financial health, work culture, commitment, and innovative edge.
Reducing Heating and Cooling Bills
Rooftop gardens are surprisingly energy efficient. Natural plant life offers insulation that keeps the ground beneath it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
Noise Reduction
The growing medium or substrate can block or absorb lower-frequency sounds, and the plants themselves do the same for high frequencies. This means that a rooftop garden also acts as a surprisingly effective noise dampener.
Breaktime Relaxation
Gardens are meant to be passively enjoyed through beautiful scenery. Passive observation is actually key to reducing stress – it gives our thoughts permission to unpack and wander without requiring our full attention.
A rooftop garden is full of fragrances, colors, bird life, and other soothing stimuli that help promote this beneficial form of mind wandering, even in a busy city.
Improved Air Quality
Plants in general offer amazing environmental benefits, including the ability to clean the air we breathe. Photosynthesis allows plants to absorb light, carbon dioxide, and water. Fresh oxygen is created and released back into the atmosphere as a result, meaning you are more likely to find cleaner air wherever there are plants.
Property Tax Credits
Many municipalities and government agencies wish to provide tax credits and other incentives for businesses and homeowners that install renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, or other “green” investments. Rooftop gardens are often eligible for the same incentives.
For example, in New York City building owners who cover 50 percent of their available rooftop space with plant life could be rewarded with a tax reduction that covers up to 25% of the typical costs associated with designing, installing, and purchasing materials for a rooftop garden. A rooftop garden will also increase the property value of the building it’s planted atop due to its numerous energy and environmental benefits.
Creating Rooftop Habitats
Speaking of environmental benefits, another way rooftop gardens benefit the environment is by promoting biodiversity. Rooftop gardens, especially those that utilize local fauna, provide important natural habitats for birds and insects.
Emotional Health
The eighth point is a very important one: simply put, rooftop gardens are good for lowering employees’ stress levels and overall mental health.
Having regular access to green environments and plant life can greatly benefit a person’s emotional health, as indicated in a study by the University of Exeter Medical School. Being around nature has a way of lowering our stress, and a rooftop garden can provide a perfect temporary escape from the corporate world for many.
Published by: Khy Talara
