by Shane Henson — October 14, 2013—The iconic Empire State Building may be on its way to being known as both the “World’s Most Famous Office Building” and one of the most sustainable with the recent addition of green roofs installed by Xero Flor America (XFA), the official and exclusive distributor in the United States for the Xero Flor Green Roof System engineered in Germany.
The Xero Flor system was selected for four green roofs: 21st floor east (3,450 square feet), 21st floor west (3,450 square feet), 25th floor northwest (1,000 square feet), and 30th floor west (1,200 square feet). The green roofs on the 21st floor feature rooftop patios with outdoor furniture for the enjoyment of office tenants.
Xero Flor is an extensive green roof system that is suitable for buildings of all types. It features lightweight, pre-vegetated mats that utilize a patented, textile-based design engineered in Germany and refined over more than 40 years of successful installations, the company says.
Xero Flor has reportedly been proven in Europe and around the world on tens of thousands of rooftops covering hundreds of millions of square feet. Xero Flor adds that all system components for projects in the United States are 100 percent American-made and the green roof plants are grown at independently owned local farms. The mats, which roll out like sod, are delivered with extensive vegetative coverage for instant green roofs with a diversity of mature, full-grown plants adapted to specific regional climates.
“With its comprehensive energy efficiency retrofit program, the Empire State Building has attracted new tenants who derive direct economic benefits from our energy efficiency program and who recognize the value of healthy workplace environments for attracting and retaining talented employees,” said Tom Durels, executive vice president of Malkin Holdings, LLC., which supervises the Empire State Building. “The new green roofs further demonstrate our sustainability leadership and add appealing green space that enhances the value of office space for our tenants.”
