Windsor Terrace Library Unveils New 'Green Roof'

WINDSOR TERRACE, BROOKLYN — The Windsor Terrace Library on Tuesday unveiled its now "green roof" that will make the building more energy efficient and help with stormwater runoff.

The 7,000 square foot roof features shrubs, perennial groundcovers and ornamental grass, including sedum, witch hazel, butterfly weed and carolina rose.

The plants will obsorb carbon dioxide, helping to curb some extreme heat during the summer. And the soil should help trap more heat inside the library during the winter.

The roof could also prevent rain runoff by as much as 50 percent, according to library officials, which will help with limiting sewer overflow.

And the plants will attract all sorts of wildlife including birds and bugs.

The Brooklyn Public Library branch, on the corner of East Fifth Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway, has been under construction since the spring while workers installed the roof.

The roof installation was funded by participatory budgeting through City Councilman Brad Lander's office.

"The Windsor Terrace Library’s new green roof takes an unused space and replaces it with an asset that’s environmentally, economically, and socially sound," Lander said in a statement. This project will increase habitat for birds and other creatures while also providing energy efficiency, improved air quality, stormwater management, and more."

Images courtesy Brooklyn Public Library