Atop the American Psychological Association Building in Northeast, is an escape from a day at work.
On the rooftop behind the always-busy Union Station, there is a space that is designed to be a sanctuary from the crowded streets below. The public is invited to eat lunch, read, meditate and take a moment to reflect on something other than the hectic world sorrounding them.
This new green roof has a special feature, a labyrinth that is the first of its kind in the country. Tom Stoner, the creator of the TKF Foundation in Annapolis, designed this project to get people to slow the fast pace of life and turn inside to refresh themselves.
This rooftop helps to remove pollution from minds and the world around.
The green roof features a grid of plants and gravel that filters and slows rainwater so it doesn’t carry pollutants to the Anacostia River and Chesapeake Bay. It also helps visitors filter through their own “pollution.”
Walking the labyrinth is a kind of meditation, a time to turn within during the crazy times in life.
Washington is one of the top cities in the country for green roofs, but it would be ideal if one day soon, all the buildings in the area featured one of these roofs. In the meantime, if you need a break from the business of life escape to 10 G St. NE, and take a moment for yourself.
For more information, visit the Word Resources Institute, TKF Foundation, or the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
