And the winners are … Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects.

It looks like there’s a trend these days to redesign rooftops into spectacular eco-friendly retreats no matter what the costs are. Do these guys do it for publicity or just to do their good deed for the environment? A little bit of both I suppose. Take the guys at Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects and the 14,000 sq-ft rooftop in downtown Chicago (900 North Michigan Avenue) which was turned into a living … thing.

They used tall verbena, phlox and nodding onion, small trees, including Japanese tree lilacs, cranberry cotoneaster, recycled concrete and sustainable, toxin-free ipe wood which other than looking great on the roof, provide a great heat and cold insulation for the building, and offsets excessive noise.

Their whole project won the 2008 Green Roof Award of Excellence.

A great scenery for a quiet day/evening on top of your building, with a great view over the city and knowing that your roof is helping the environment, even if it’s just a little bit, sounds just about right. Isn’t it?

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Chicago is reputed to be one of the top 10 greenest cities in the United States. The windy city, not famous for wind power, does have another idea … a green bridge.

So here’s what we know about it. The bridge:

1. has a price tag of $1 billion
2. will be used as a breakwater
3. will use wind turbines to line the bridge and create an alternate source of power for the city (did I say something about not using wind power?)
4. will be built on a foundation of slag – a permeable byproduct of steel that is aquatic wildlife friendly
5. will be a tourist attraction
6. will be a shot in the arm for Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid
7. is designed by Adrian Smith of Burj Dubai world’s tallest building fame

Chicago will add this ambitious effort to its Green Roof Project and Green Alley Project. They’ve planted some 500,000 trees since 1989 and received a platinum rating for its green design and operation in the meanwhile.

If the city can raise the $1B, it might get a green bridge and the 2016 Olympics, too.

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