Greenroofs.com Project of the Week: 4/11/11
Longdrive
Long Eddy, NY, USA
4,000 sf. Greenroof

Year: 2008
Owner: Private
Location: Long Eddy, NY, USA
Building Type: Single-Family Residential
Type: Extensive
System: Custom
Size: 4,000 sq.ft.
Slope: 5%
Access: Inaccessible, Private

Project Description & Details

Located at the top of a hill backed up to a forest and facing a meadow with a distant view, Longdrive, a 4,000 square foot house by Alveary Architecture, sits on a 63 acre property.  The house was designed to be an extension of existing trails and paths that wind through the beautiful landscape.  Abandoned quarries on the property provided the stone for the project’s extensive masonry elements.

A conversation pit with a large stone fireplace dominates and anchors the center of the house.  Radiant-heated stone floors were used throughout the main level while the master bedroom suite and upper stories were floored with reclaimed wood, also used for all interior walls.  A two-sided fireplace serves the master bedroom and its bathroom.  Adjacent is a green house separated by pivoting wood doors providing a tropical retreat during the long winters typical to this location.  The house is covered by a custom designed green roof complimenting the natural setting.  The planted roof on three levels blends into the natural landscape and encourages the wildlife to creep in close to the house.

Designers/Manufacturers of Record

Architect:  Steve Chrostowski, Alveary Architecture
Plant Provider: Ed Snodgrass,  Emory Knoll Farms / Green Roof Plants
Growing Media: rooflite
Builder: Dave Unser
Base Roofing: Tower Roofing

Last year, the architect, Steve Chrostowski, entered Longdrive in the Greenroofs.com  2010 “Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!” Earth Day Photo Contest. Although it came in fifth – in terms of voting, we selected it as the cover of our  2011 Greenroofs & Walls of the World – 12 Month Wall Calendar.

Enter this year’s Photo Contest to see how your living roof can be featured for our 2012 Calendar!

Here are a couple of photos of the Longdrive roof during construction on September 24, 2007 and then almost a couple of years later on May 10, 2009:

Steve says the Longdrive living roof is just starting to wake up from its winter nap. Pretty soon it’ll be blooming like this once again, as seen from July 19, 2009:

Did we miss something?  We’d love to hear from you!  Click  here to see more information about this project in  The International Greenroof & Greenwall Projects Database.  See how you can submit yours  here.

Love the Earth, Plant a Roof!

~ Linda V.