Green roofs are nice. They’re a nice concept. They make us feel nice. And they are usually hidden up on a- you guessed it- roof. The Nanyang Technological University’s School of Art, Design, and Media in Singapore is home to a series of green roofs, designed by CPG Consultants, that refuse exile from the action. From the park-like landscape surrounding the school, these roofs rise gently but with pronunciation, arching up to hold the mirrored buildings below. They serve as gathering places for students, faculty, and visitors, encouraging the type of nonlinear thinking that a building-that-is-a-hill seems to suggest.
And it doesn’t stop there. The roofs are nice to look at and sit on, yes. But architecturally, they add so much more. The roofs insulate the building, harvest rainwater and cool the surrounding air. The roofs define the building yet help to marry it with its surroundings through planted grasses intermixed with native greenery.
courtesy of CPG Consultants
courtesy of CPG Consultants
courtesy of CPG Consultants
courtesy of CPG Consultants
courtesy of CPG Consultants
courtesy of CPG Consultants
courtesy of CPG Consultants
courtesy of CPG Consultants
courtesy of CPG Consultants
courtesy of CPG Consultants
courtesy of CPG Consultants
Matt Davis is a Virginia Tech graduate and one of the founding editors behind Arch2O. Launching the platform in mid‑2012 alongside fellow Hokies, he helped shape its identity as an international hub for design innovation and critical dialogue . With a foundation in architectural education and a passion for uncovering unconventional design approaches, Matt has contributed significantly—both editorially and strategically—to Arch2O’s growth, ensuring that emerging architects, academics, and creatives have a space to question, explore, and elevate the built environment.