Cercle Carré : Artists Need Green Roofs Too
cercle carre roof
Why have a grey roof when you can have a green one?
Ecologically friendly roofs aren’t just for eco-minded hippies and blandly suited condo dwellers. A housing co-op for artists, Cercle Carré is opening a green roof intended to serve as a community space.
The Cercle Carré was created in 2010, and houses around 60 artists and cultural workers of all practices. Together, they share a building with 48 apartments available to rent. One apartment is set aside for an artist-in-residence so the co-op can invite artists from outside the city. The building also includes a multidisciplinary space for performing arts and emerging practices.
The new Green roof was created by Cercle Carré in collaboration by Owen Rose and ROSE architecture as well as Toiture Nature. The goal was to fill the space with native plants and a wooden deck made of Quebec white cedar. It was paid for largely by co-op members and through fundraising drives, and Environment Canada provided a grant as well.
The roof space, aside from being pleasant for the residents, has already been used for community workshops and has several upcoming workshops planned for September and November open to the community.
On June 3, the Cercle Carré (36 Queen St) opens its doors to allow people to join in the official opening of the green roof at 5 p.m. Click HERE for more info about the co-op.
