San Francisco California Academy of Sciences Green Roof

Monday - Sat open 9:30 am - 5 pm
Sunday 11 am - 5 pm
calacademy.org
(415) 379-8000
Cost: $30 approx.

37.771529,-122.466502

Roof Stats

• The living roof decreases the urban heat island effect, staying an average of 40 degrees cooler than a standard roof
• It can absorb up to 3.6 million gallons of water per year (about 98% of all storm water), preventing runoff from carrying pollutants into the ecosystem
• It provides excellent insulation, keeping interior temperatures about 10 degrees cooler than a standard roof and reducing low frequency noise by 40 decibels
• Total square footage: 197,000 square feet (4.5 acres total roof space including solar panel canopy; 2.5 acres of planted material
• Total weight of soil and plants: 2.6 million pounds
• Total cost: $17 per square foot

Pictured is the the California Academy of Sciences 2.5-acre living roof in Golden Gate Park. A new link in an ecological corridor for wildlife, this roof is planted with dozens of native California species, including California plants that provide habitat for local wildlife. Skylights in the roof allow sunlight to reach the living rainforest and coral reef contained within the building. They also open automatically to allow heat to escape. The living roof is composed of seven layers of material, designed to create insulation, prevent runoff, retain soil, allow for drainage, and promote healthy plant growth.

Under one living roof California Academy of Sciences is home to Steinhart Aquarium, Morrison Planetarium, Kimball Natural History Museum, and world-class research and education programs. Admission includes all exhibits and shows.

Data collection on roof:

• 39 arthropod families and 38 bird species on the roof 2009 – 2011
• Empty plot on the roof's west side to determine which plant species arrive and colonize on their own.
• Samples of insect fauna from roof to create DNA sequence database
• Track changes in biodiversity over time.
• Arthropod biodiversity