Green ceilings: the Green ceilings They would mean a huge advance for the atmosphere of our cities, and perhaps also an effective means of fighting the global climatic crisis. Actually, they are quite simple to implement and are the hope of the planet and sustainable architecture.
Fifty years ago, trees in houses remembered more apocalyptic cinematographic scenarios in which nature recovers cities. Meanwhile, the Apocalypse is much closer to us: global warming is the biggest problem of our time. In many places efforts are being made to stop the imminent climate collapse, more or less effective and consistent. A means still little used are the Green ceilingswhich can alleviate the effect of urban heat island and represent an important measure to build a city with regulated temperature.
The percentage of Green ceilings In Germany it increases every year, but unused surfaces continue to exceed 90%. However, the Dach region is a pioneer in the field of green roofs: in Basel it is even enshrined by law, and Austria already has entire forests in its Honderwasser buildings. In Germany, Hamburg is in the lead: in the future, at least 70% of new buildings and ceilings that need to be renewed will be green.
This is Pauli, an urban oasis located 50 meters above the street level, which is accessed through a «mountain path» planted with panoramic views.
An advance in his time: Friedensreich Honderwasser and his green roofs
More than 50 years ago, the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hunderwasser already assured in a speech that one day there would be a law that would force to build green roofs. At that time he was still ridiculed as «echo», because his vision of trees growing through layers of foices of meters thick in the roofs sounded to the story of a kingdom of fable. Today, whole forests rise to the sky from the ceilings of the Hunttwasser houses and serve as lush green models in the urban environment. The older the planted and the higher buildings grow the trees, the more obvious the beauty of the green roofs in interaction with the architecture of Hundartwasser is made.
Green ceilings are the future of cities
The Advantages of green roofs They are numerous. Green covers can, for example, contribute to better rainwater management and reduce the effect of urban heat islands, since plants have a refreshing effect during the hot summer months. The Green ceilings They can also be surprisingly effective against Smog formation because plants improve air quality through photosynthesis. As green roofs offer additional protection against solar radiation and have an insulating effect, they can also reduce the energy necessary to regulate the temperature of a building, since normal roofs lose most of the heat in winter and they heat especially in summer. Depending on the design, the landscaped roofs They can also house a wide variety of animal plants and species, which ultimately has a positive effect on all ecosystems. Bees and other pollinators are also helped in their crucial work. Not to mention that visual and ecological diversity can have a general positive impact on the community and the psychological well -being of the inhabitants of the cities. And finally: more vegetation is simply beautiful and enriches the concrete deserts of cities with a little natural life.
Requirements of a green roof
In theory, a garden can be built in almost any building (plane), be it a single -family house, an departments building, a commercial building, a shopping center or an old parking lot of several floors. Of course, it is important to have a professional evaluation of the structural requirements: if the static, the protection against falls and the budget are correct, green areas and other forms of use on a roof can be installed. In Germany there are even special grant programs (through construction departments) and loans, such as KFW. The location must be examined carefully: the address of the compass and the shadow must be taken into account in planning so that plants grow and prosper ideally. Especially during the growth phase and dry periods, there must also be a water connection near the roof to be able to provide supplementary irrigation if necessary.