Nestled in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Public School 41 differs from its neighboring buildings in a way that’s both profound and only visible from above. Unlike the flat, gray roofs adorning other structures on the street, the school’s roof is a bright, verdant green. Covered in native plants, the vegetation provides an unlikely urban haven for birds and insects. It also acts as a natural stormwater control system and reduces the building’s carbon footprint. When the school’s students were asked how the roof made them feel, they said “free.”
