Contemporary green roof technologies have developed mainly in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as a result of limited open space, environmental politics, and local scientific research.

Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser built what is perhaps the most influential green roof building, the Hundertwasser-haus in Vienna, built in 1986 with 992 tons of soil and 250 trees and shrubs.

For those of you not familiar with Hundertwasser, you should know that he liked to be naked when he lectured.