After more than five months of clamorous work, the eco-roof atop English House in Kings Court/English House has been completed.
Well, almost.
According to Business Services, Penn's first 'green' roof was finally completed during the winter recess.
Yet, there's still time before students can walk through patio gardens and bask in eco-friendliness.
"To my knowledge it's closed [to the public] for refurbishing," said house dean Krimo Bokreta.
But when the bleak layer of sod on the roof of the building begins to bloom, residents will begin to reap the benefits.
Beyond the aesthetic benefits, eco-roofs are easily maintainable, increase drainage by decreasing rain runoff and decrease carbon dioxide levels and energy consumption by being good insulators.
Although there are no definite plans to transform other roofs, the new dormitories on Hill field are set to be green as well.
Despite all the benefits of the project, the construction that began in the first week of August was a nuisance, residents say.
For some students, the grass was greener on the other side.
Wharton and Engineering freshman Vik Chawla, who lives on the fifth floor of English House, began sporting a pair of noise-cancelling headphones in order to get his sleep.
"It was the most annoying thing in the world," he described. "They started drilling at 7:30 in the morning and would go till 5:30" in the afternoon.
Bokreta admits that some tenants complained about the early starting time but Penn Facilities tried to accommodate them by beginning construction at 9 a.m. instead of 7:30 a.m.
Despite these qualms, some tenants were less flustered.
"The area was closed and occasionally you'd hear construction, but it was livable," says College freshman Leila Decker.
Despite this rough patch, students will soon be able to use the roof, though Bokreta was not able to specify a specific date.
With several residential programs in the Kings Court complex, each will be able to use the roof for its own benefit.
Most directly, the garden club will maintain the plants on the roof along with the biosphere program participants.
Even the science and technology club will be able to use the area to conduct various experiments.
"It's a wonderful project," Bokreta said. "We're trying to have an official inauguration, and we're excited about the learning opportunities."
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