Garden and green areas located on the top roofs and terraces of houses, apartments and skyscrapers.
A garden on a roof generally offers a beautiful atmosphere with no doubt, because of its location “in the air”.
On the other side it is also true that in order to valorise these kinds of environment a perfect green design is required, materials for roof building and protection counts, as well as the botanical choice and their right place to emphasize the space of the roof.
Not only beauty, the roof gardens do have a long list of advantages.
They create healthier houses that are also more sustainable and more natural and urban spaces are eco-friendly.
Green roofs reduce as well the level of pollution since plants absorb part of the polluting agents in the air and they produce oxygen, too.
They mitigate the so-called “heat island effect” that is typical of the cities, where roofs and coverings are overheated.
A non reflecting roof also heats the building underneath and reflects solar rays around increasing temperatures by 10°C.
And we should not forget the structural advantages of this technique. If green roofs cover the attics, they are not exposed to bad weather and thus have longer life.
Last but not least among the advantages the green roofs slow down the water flow avoiding floods. Our cities are created with waterproof materials and the water flows easily without stopping. Plants absorb it and water also penetrates the grounds.
In addition to all these positive facts, research has demonstrated the influence of the green on productivity and its healing power. So, green seems to be good for our eyes and for our health as well.
Altogether the green roofs are the garden of the future, an activity to be developed more and more, to be included in all our urban spaces. And I think they need to be fundamental part of a city, something that cannot be excluded from urban planning and design.
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