Friday, July 1, 2011

Of Green Roofs, Mickey Mouse, and Petit Ermitage

What does Micky Mouse have in common with a chic West Hollywood hotel?  A green roof!  Yes, its true.  Whether you are eating a $4.00 churro or drinking a $15 martini, you will see vegetation on the roof.

While traveling through Southern California, I stayed at Petit Ermitage in West Hollywood.  A great, small hotel, it has a rooftop garden with lots of great plants.  National Geographic had a blog post by Lawrence Ferber about it from September 10, 2010, but it is no longer available.  I found a pdf of the article.  It reads in part:

 Even for Hollywood, boutique hotel Petit Ermitage boasts bragging rights to possibly the most exclusive regulars that frequent its gorgeous, private rooftop deck: hummingbirds.  The National Wildlife Federation recognizes the space as a butterfly and hummingbird sanctuary. 

Tucked within a residential crevice between busy Santa Monica and Sunset Boulevards, the greenery-nestled Private Rooftop Club and restaurant is one of Petit Ermitage's star attractions.

Chef Antonishek grows fresh herbs and produce on the deck's garden, including parsley, rosemary, peppermint, tomatoes, strawberries and kumquats, for use in dishes... 
Courtesy Tracygallagher.com


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I enjoyed my stay and would recommend it my readers.  The room was well appointed and comfortable.  I wandered down the halls admiring the extensive art collection.  The obvious question is why would I leave this wonderful location for Disneyland in Annaheim.  The answer is simple: my kids.

While at Disneyland, we stayed at the Grand Californian Hotel.  Done in American Craftsman style, the enormous great lobby has very tastefully done fake rocks and wooden beams.  It is a nice place and the accommodations were nice.  However, the green roof was found in the park itself.

Right across from Big Thunder Barbecue was this small snack shop with its green roof.  I almost missed it, as subtly blends in with the rest of the vegetation.

Many criticize Disney for its inaccurate representations of history and foreign culture, but you look hard, you can find some very sophisticated gardening and a tremendous variety of vegetation.

For a short trip to California, I managed to take in two green roofs, though I missed the monster of them all, the California Academy of Sciences, in San Francisco.  I will let you know the next time I head out there, as it is pretty amazing.

30 comments:

Roofing Stockport said...

It was really nice to read that you enjoyed your trip and stay there. Green Roof itself becomes an additive advantage to the places like this as many people loves to stay at such places where they can find vast greenery and it is environment savvy also.

Nill Bond said...

Jackson Hole roofers
Exactly.Green Roof itself becomes an extraordinary advantage to this kind of place.Micky Mouse have common with a chic West Hollywood hotel? A green roof! Yes, its exactly true.
It makes it more beautiful.

Manotick Roofing said...

Every flat roof should be green. Taking advantage of the free space is least we can do.

Chicago masonry said...

I must appreciate your work. Green roofs cannot be given a U-value at present. However they have been shown to significantly reduce the need for air conditioning in summer and can provide a degree of insulation in winter. Its great!

roof repair Virginia said...

Building a Legacy of Outstanding Performance is the primary theme for this year’s CitiesAlive program. A living example of legacy urban planning, Chicago has the most green roof coverage in North America. This would have been impossible without maintenance measures and performance evaluations to protect investments in green infrastructure and to build exceptional progress. The development of performance standards is integral to the growth of any industry.

thanks for such a nice post.

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New Roofs Downey said...

Wonderful pics. Thanks for sharing your memories. Must have been refreshing experience for you.

New Roofs Downey said...

Wonderful pics. Thanks for sharing your memories. It must have been a refreshing experience for you.

Roofer manchester said...

I am also planning to have a roof in my garden so that my family can sit there and enjoy the greenery. It will rejuvenates them in the morning and in the evening.

Bobby Shoemaker said...

That was some really great information. Thank you.

Michelle said...

This has given me some really great ideas for the next home that I am dreaming of building.

Unknown said...

I must agree that green roof help to clean the air and enjoy our environment. Thank you for sharing this informative content.

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Roof Restorations   said...

Great at least one Australian is exhibiting the roofing garden. When Re-Roofing my home will surely consider green roofs.

Anonymous said...

Dallas Roofing-Kevin G.
The family has never been to Disney Land or California for that matter. This would be a nice place to stay. I guess I will leave my hot mop at home. Nice article. Green is the only way!

plumbing said...

There are roofs that are specially made because of the campaign for having a green environment. Most of us are aware on that issue and we can show our support by doing our part like live in green and using green.

Anonymous said...

Green roofing is definitely the roofing of the future

Roofing Quest said...

Very cool! When most people hear about "green roofs", I think there's a tendency to associate it with energy efficient roofing products or solar roofing tiles. Leave it to Hollywood to show what a green roof really is! Enjoyed the article!

DPR Ltd said...

As a supplier of green roof solutions, it's nice to see that hotel architects are starting to further consider their impact on the environment.

Equally, when consumers start to choose hotels on the basis of their carbon footprint, it will hopefully encourage more hotels to follow suit.

Olivia said...

This is so nice! I love the ideas of green roof! Its like having your private garden on your rooftop. This is valuable in cities.

Jason said...

I like this blog a lot. It's fun, full of nice pictures and yet informative. Thank you

Garret said...

I love the green roof! I think it is genius, and looks amazing! You are getting a lot more out of your space!

Calgary roofers said...

I hope this becomes a trend because it looks very nice and is good for the environment. I should offer it to my clients.

Cathie Dunklee-Donnell said...

The grass is always greener, on the roof, lol! Calgary roofing company

Cathie Dunklee-Donnell said...

Not sure if my comment is going through, but I love this, thanks.
Calgary roofing

roofer baltimore said...

I am just loving this concept of green roofing... Your blog is too good.. Can you please let me know how to start this and what all i need for making my house's roof as a good roofer in baltimore... Thank you..:)

R.C said...

Green Roofs are the future of the Roofing Industry.

Ziggy said...

Disney has it's negatives, but visual attractiveness isn't one of them. skylight guards

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing this article, it has really been a helpful read. I've personally never dealt much with green roofs in Vancouver, I've heard really great things about them and would love to look into it more.

Unknown said...

That is really cool and is such a great idea. I was wondering if anyone knows of a place that does green roofing in Vancouver? If so please let me know. Thanks!

Bowker said...

Interesting article. The inevitable and inexorable move towards energy efficient and environmental roofing is becoming prevalent worldwide.

While green roofing isn't yet as popular in India, due to cost constraints, politicians and regulators alike have begun to accept the reality that it's the future - and are making the appropriate noises :)

Nathan said...

These are great ideas for each of to consider as we plan our homes and yard. WE can make our home a lot more productive as well as reduce our heating and cooling expenses by properly planning fr things of this nature.