Jürgen Quido is an outdoor renovation engineer. He specializes in garden design on building roofs and is also a professional gardener. In recent years he has not had time to close new jobs. Homes, office buildings, industrial units and even museums are now investing in "green" roofs. This is a fashion of Scandinavian origin with great demand in Germany. The reasons are many. For individuals, investing in a "green" roof gives added value to the building, since in essence it expands the vertical property. If we also assume that the roofs of all the buildings in the German cities had gardens, then the environment would have a huge benefit, since in this way it would make up for the losses from the deforestation of forest areas. This is at least supported by environmentalists, energy consultants, urban planners, activists and politicians. According to research, the "green" roofs help to protect the climate, to avoid overheating, especially in big cities, but also to better manage heavy rainfall. Oxygen production and rainwater storage.
The German engineer does not have an easy job. Designing a "green" roof requires great care and a lot of time. Insulating materials must be placed in a special way, special measures must be taken so that the roots of the plants do not pass into the house and leaks must be avoided. As he points out, each new construction has its own requirements and specifications since the needs of each customer are different. However some key features always remain common. After all, a garden that is erected on the roof of a building should not only serve aesthetic reasons. Plants filter out pollutants and produce oxygen. Green roofs store rainwater, which then evaporates naturally and returns to the environment. They also contribute to saving water for the building itself, while during heavy rains they significantly facilitate the circulation of large volumes of water. The gardens also help maintain a good temperature inside the building throughout the year. More and more cities are investing in green roofs.
Many German cities have decided to "dress up" several public buildings with similar gardens for two main reasons: to increase green resources but also to save energy. Also many municipalities already provide financial and tax incentives to entrepreneurs or ordinary individuals to replace old roofs with modern, green roofs. Ambitious is the plan of Hamburg which aims to gradually replace 70% of the city buildings with such gardens in order to protect itself from the effects of climate change. The university of the city of Hanseatic has already prepared relevant studies. Other smaller cities, such as Ludwigsburg, Bietigheim-Bissingen, Ingersheim or Freiberg, have special rewards programs for companies that invest in similar architectural renovations. The goal of most programs is to combine the benefits for the environment and energy savings with recreation, turning the roofs of urban buildings not only into lungs of green but also into small oases of rest, relaxation and quiet.
Soruce: deutsche welle
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