By Kang Hyun-kyung
With the help of the Seoul city government the Canadian Embassy now boasts a rooftop garden, becoming the first foreign embassy based in Korea to join the green effort.
“The Embassy of Canada is very proud to be the first foreign mission to partner with Seoul City on the Green Rooftop Support Program,” Ambassador David Chatterson said Friday during the ceremony to commemorate the unveiling of the garden at the top. “Through partnership in this green roof project, Canada and the city have the opportunity to showcase our respective governments’ green commitments.”
During the ceremony, Park Won-soon, the mayor of Seoul, accompanied Chatterson for a tour and the two watered the garden together.
The 150 square-meter area is constructed in a tray system and contains a variety of vegetation, including sedums and spindle trees. The garden cools the building, provides a resting spot for migratory birds and improves air quality.
Funded in cooperation with the city, the Canadian embassy began the process to build a garden rooftop last year.
The city government launched the green rooftop project in 2002 to reduce carbon dioxide, cool buildings and save energy. The city has provided financial support for individuals or businesses that are willing to create a rooftop garden.
According to the city government, green rooftops allow buildings to save 16.6 percent on utility fees during the winter by inhibiting heat loss. In summer, buildings with gardens on the roof tend to have 7 percent lower indoor temperatures than buildings without them.
Having a garden on the roof also reduces noise.
In the past decade, hundreds of buildings in Seoul have implemented the green rooftop project.