Beauty and utility
Green roofs are the roofs of buildings covered with vegetation. They represent a living and growing alternative to conventional roofing, which has become a symbol of green architecture and a core element of our work. Green roofs perform many functions. In addition to breaking down the traditional trend of bleak concrete city roofs and replacing it with aesthetically pleasing greenery, they also bring many benefits to the city’s residents.
Fight against heat
Urban areas retain much more heat than rural areas. Covering vegetation with concrete structures causes the formation of the so-called “heat islands” which impair the quality of life and – especially during the hot months – can lead to health problems. It is therefore extremely important to create projects that prioritize the use of vegetation and green roofs.
We have confirmed the fact that green roofs help significantly reduce the temperature of buildings with the help of a thermal imaging camera. Aero Monitor’s technical study showed that green roofs on our project Blumental are much cooler than normal roofs. The temperature difference between our green roofs and the surrounding conventional roofs ranged between 17.6 to 24.4 °C. In this way, they help reduce the temperatures in our buildings and create a cooler and healthier surrounding microclimate.
Flood protection
Torrential rains and flooded streets are a very common problem in Slovak cities, mainly due to insufficient sewerage capacity. However, plants on green roofs and the substrate in which they are planted can help here too. Unlike traditional roofing which only redirects the water into an overloaded sewer systems during torrential rains, green roofs retain rainfall.
Correctly designed green roofs thus help significantly reduce the risk of floods in the city. Additionally, the subsequent evaporation of water from the green roofs creates a refreshingly cool atmosphere. As in the case of the Guthaus project, green roofs can be supplemented with rain gardens. They also form an excellent bio-retention system and mitigate weather fluctuations such as droughts or floods.
And much more
Green roofs provide many other benefits for the inhabitants of the city. They absorb pollutants from the air, create a more pleasant environment, reduce the stressful effects of the city and create the necessary living conditions for bees, birds and butterflies. Although their construction requires higher costs than concrete roofs, their benefits for everyone around definitely outweigh these initial expenses. Moreover, the more green roofs we have in the city, the more tangible their benefits are.
So far, Corwin is one of the only few developers in Slovakia introducing the green roof technology on a large scale. However, we hope that in the future more companies will join us and green roofs will become a common feature of new projects. A feature which will help improve life in cities.