New York City P.S. 41 in Greenwich Village now has the largest green roof on a school in the Big Apple. The 836-m2 (9000-ft2) Green Roof Environmental Literacy Laboratory (GELL) features an outdoor classroom. Students will receive hands-on lessons related to sustainability, environmental stewardship, and urban gardening. The school, located in a dense urban environment, will provide students with green space, and teachers will integrate the roof into science, math, nutrition, and literacy curricula.

In total, GELL cost $1.7 million, including $450,000 for delivery, installation, and the green roof components, which were prevegetated modules. According to a press release, the roof’s green components are expected to reduce stormwater runoff volume and velocity from the roof by 50% to 90%. The green roof’s life expectancy is longer than that of an ordinary roof, and it will sequester carbon, improve the building’s energy efficiency, and reduce dust and smog.