Rooftop Garden
During the Autumn semester, we visited and toured many different sites. I think my favorite place we toured was the Lazarus building, a LEED Gold Certified Building. We got a tour of the inside and also got to access the non-public rooftop garden. The garden was my favorite part. Not only did it offer amazing views but I was interested in how it worked in the conservation of water. The garden collects the rain water, it filters down to tanks located in the basement, it is then pumped up to the L-Ball
The L-Ball
on the roof (it can hold up to 50,000 gallons of water), finally it is used in flush toilets and is used to maintain the garden. The water used to maintain the garden is then put through the cycle again. Not only is the garden used for conserving water but it also insulates the building in the winter and keeps it cool in the summer, lowering energy cost. This was a unique and fun experience. I highly enjoyed this class in learning about Columbus in a nontraditional learning setting.
Naturally Maintained Garden
How the Rooftop Garden Works