A recent office desk move (and slogging multiple boxes of books in my personal library) made me think, that although I do an occasional review of books periodically – it would behoove me to summarize some of the classic tomes that define some of the key themes on the blog. While I intend to continue and expand these lists to other areas (planning, landscape urbanism, landscape architecture, etc.) I thought it appropriate to start with my favorite (and one with a somewhat limited reading list) – Vegetated Architecture.

These don’t come with a lot of commentary – but will of course, trickle down through time… links via Powells and photos via Amazon – if you can buy them from my local Powells – you’ll feel better (and I’d feel better if Powells had better cover photos… and Amazon got rid of the stupid ‘Search Inside’ plastered on the cover – either way, I’m spending more money and making none from both (read: until my book deal – I just love books 🙂

1. Ecodesign: A Manual for Ecological Design – by Ken Yeang

:: image via Amazon

2. Architecture: Nature – by Philip Jodidio

:: image via Amazon

3. Landscrapers: Building with the Land – by Aaron Betsky

:: image via Amazon

4. Vertical Gardens – by Anna Lambertini

:: image via libreria universita

5. Green Roof Plants: A Resource and Planting Guide – by Ed & Lucy Snodgrass


:: image via Seedhead

6. Green Roofs: Ecological Design and Construction – EarthPledge

:: image via Amazon

7. Green Roof: A Case Study: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates’ Design for the Headquarters of the American Society of Landscape Architects – by Christian Werthmann

:: image via Architecture.MNP

8. Living Systems: Innovative Materials and Technologies for Landscape Architecture – by Liat Margolis

: image via Best Web Buys

9. Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls – by Nigel Dunnett and Noel Kingsbury


:: image via BookCourt

10. Eco Skyscrapers – by Ken Yeang

:: image via Amazon

While not all inclusive, you will notice there is an absence of some of the Green Roof staples, (such as Osmundson’s great ‘Roof Gardens’ or anything by Malcolm Wells), which is purposeful, and actually quite exciting. There was a time when there were less than 3 books on the subject – modern or historical. Ok, that’s an overstatement, but really, practically, there are still only maybe a dozen books on green roofs of any sort… although still applicable, not as all-encompassing for Veg.itecture.

There are a bunch of gardening related books on ‘rooftops’ which are formulaic adaptations of the gardening books – with a bit of variation for roofs. There are also multiple books on climbing plants and trellises, which are valuable resources, but not specifically related. Green Roof books are coming out left and right – some good, some crap. And there are still very few books on vertical greening – but expect a bunch soon…

Any comments on other books in people’s libraries that people know of (that are actually out on the market, not say Patrick Blanc’s new one) – I am all ears!