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With iron gray siding and ultramodern facades, the three town houses on 18th Avenue and E Spring Street, designed by architect couple Tiffany Bowie and Joe Malboeuf (Malboeuf Bowie Architecture; mb-architecture.com), initially read more contempo condo than eco-friendly. But ascend the glulam beam staircases within each one, and you’ll see how the roof decks of this infill project on Capitol Hill epitomize smart growth. “We always have a green angle to our projects,” Bowie says. “We believe part of building is doing it responsibly, trying not to waste materials and preserving water.”

The roof decks, ranging from 350 to 450 square feet, feature concrete pavers, installed by Fulcrum Landscaping (fulcrumlandscape.com), and sedum garden plots that are laid out on a pedestal. Rainwater drains through an exposed scupper and gutter system to water the properties’ ground-level planters. “The soil acts as a natural filtration process,” Bowie says. “All the roof water goes through to the rain gardens [along the foundation], and the excess flows back into the city sewer system as clean water.”

The project achieved a Built Green 4-Emerald Star certification through the Master Builders Association due in part to the green roofs. The program offers design incentives, such as extra square footage, for builders to incorporate green elements into projects.