Green Roofs

A green roof is a garden established on a waterproof structural support layer, such as a concrete slab, paving, wooden covering or metal covering, for all those cases in which there is no ecological continuity between the greenery and the subsoil down to the bedrock.

Green roofs must, therefore, conserve all the technological and constructive aspects of a traditional roof, while fully or partially reproducing the typical performance of natural soil covered with vegetation.

green roof can therefore be considered an instrument of compensation and mitigation against the impacts generated by the introduction of a new structure into the landscape, by forming near-natural ecosystems in densely built-up areas.

The green roof is, however, not a modern invention. Just think of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, considered one of the “Seven wonders of the ancient world”, which were built around 590 BC by King Nebuchadnezzar II, though they have also been attributed to the Assyrian queen Semiramis, who, according to legend, found fresh roses in the gardens every day despite the torrid climate.

Spazio Verde designs and realizes green roofs which, simply put, are roofing systems which incorporate vegetation on the upper horizontal roof surfaces of buildings or villas, and which have numerous advantages.

  • First, a green roof improves the thermal insulation of the roof, both in summer and in winter, and also helps to regulate the humidity of the air, thus constituting an excellent energy saving tool for a home.
  • Second, a green roof helps mitigate the “heat island” effect of urban environments, improving a city’s micro-climate and bringing significant economic advantages in terms of building energy management and the global management of urban areas.
  • Furthermore, a green roof also performs the important function of reducing rainwater run-off, which, with the progressive cementation of the landscape, has drastically increased, along with the risk of related flooding issues.
  • Finally, a green roof filters urban pollutionreduces atmospheric carbon dioxide, favours the settlement of animal ecosystems, reduces noise transmission inside the building, reduces atmospheric wind speed, increases the thermal insulation of the roof, protects against electromagnetic waves, protects the waterproofing of the roof, prolongs its duration and, finally, enhances the value of the building, while improving the general aesthetics of the city district.