A green roof is a conventional roof that is covered with a layer of vegetation. Green roofs serve several purposes for a building, including absorbing rainwater, providing insulation, creating a habitat for wildlife and helping to lower urban air temperatures by reflecting or absorbing energy from the sun. 

The District has already installed 16,500 square feet of green roofs on District government buildings. In 2008, the District was recognized by the Green Roof for Healthy Cities of North America with their 2008 Civic Award of Excellence. The District has also been recognized in the Washington Post*, the Living Architecture Monitor* and several other local- and nationally-distributed publications.

Locations of green roofs in the District include:

Location	Address	Square Feet
Reeves Center	2000 14th St., NW	4,000
One Judiciary Square	441 4th St., NW	8,000
Public Works Garage	200 Bryant St., NW	4,500

The image on the right is a photograph of the green roof at the Reeves Center. Future green roof projects include:

Location	Projected Completion	Square Feet
University of the District of Columbia	Fiscal Year 2010	94,000
Minnesota/Benning Government Center	Fiscal Year 2010	24,000
Consolidated Forensic Laboratory	Fiscal Year 2011	32,000
Ward One Senior Wellness Center	Fiscal Year 2012	1,600

The layers of a green roof are shown in the diagram below.