5. Javits Center Green Roof

The Jacob K. Javits Center, home to nearly 180 convention events a year, might be the last place you’d expect to find a verdant green roof. Yet, given its massive size, comprised of 840,000 square feet of convention space and 2.1 million total area space (including an extension), the center is actually an ideal location for exactly this purpose.

Equivalent in size to five football fields, its 6.75 acre green roof by Xero Flor was part of the $463 million renovation to the Javits Center by FX Fowle and Epstein, which notably included the replacement of the recognizable glass facade to make it bird friendly, as well as the addition of 100 energy-efficient HVAC units, energy-efficient lighting and new recycling containers. The roof, in particular, soaks up 6.8 million gallons of rainwater each year and provides a wildlife refuge for 17 bird species, five bat species and 300,000 honeybees. Such efforts have led to a 25% savings in energy costs, which explains why the Javits Center was awarded LEED Silver certification in 2015.

Check out the interactive video “Home” at loveyourhome.orsted.com.