By  Enrique Becerra. Architect

For example, green roofs or roofs that are covered with earth to plant on them, or let plants grow spontaneously; and we are not necessarily talking about roofs with pots or other containers to plant.

These green surfaces improve the insulation of buildings, reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and stop the runoff of rainwater, which helps prevent flooding.

Green roofs are a new trend in Bio-construction. In Germany, it began in the 1960s, and then spread in recent years to the rest of Europe and the same to the United States of America.

All of this has benefits and drawbacks, but the benefits are much greater.

 BENEFITS: 

•          Thermal Insulator: energy saving in electricity and fuel (50%). The interiors are cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

•          Air filtering: the substrate used as a base for planting plants, captures the heavy metals found in the air, and then they are metabolized by the Flora eliminating the impact of pollutants such as Lead and Cadmium.

•          Sun protection: increases the useful life of surfaces since by not receiving direct sunlight, rain and winds, erosion, drying, and abrasion are reduced.

•          Health: improvement of air quality for people with respiratory diseases. It is also scientifically proven that green relaxes, generating a state of tranquility and well-being.

•          Reduction of noise pollution: reduces sound reflection by up to 3 decibels and improves sound insulation by up to 8 decibels, from the noises of city activities.

  DISADVANTAGES 

•          They need root-proof waterproofing, with more assembly costs.

•          They require more solid building structures than usual.

•          Improper mounting can cause filtration, dampness, or leaks, leading to a high cost of repairs.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, there are examples in America, such as Kavanagh (Buenos Aires 1930), La Algodonera (Buenos Aires 1945) among others, until the present. Mandragore Project (NYC), an example of the need for the construction of sustainable and sustainable buildings that resemble vertical forests and that integrate the design of passive and active systems for solutions that reduce the carbon footprint.

For example, green roofs or roofs that are covered with earth to plant on them, or let plants grow spontaneously; and we are not necessarily talking about roofs with pots or other containers to plant.

These green surfaces improve the insulation of buildings, reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and stop the runoff of rainwater, which helps prevent flooding.

Green roofs are a new trend in Bio-construction. In Germany, it began in the 1960s, and then spread in recent years to the rest of Europe and the same to the United States of America.

All of this has benefits and drawbacks, the first ones are greater.

 BENEFITS: 

•          Thermal Insulator: energy saving in electricity and fuel (50%). The interiors are cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

•          Air filtering: the substrate used as a base for planting plants, captures the heavy metals found in the air, and then they are metabolized by the Flora eliminating the impact of pollutants such as Lead and Cadmium.

•          Sun protection: increases the useful life of surfaces since by not receiving direct sunlight, rain and winds, erosion, drying, and abrasion are reduced.

•          Health: improvement of air quality for people with respiratory diseases. It is also scientifically proven that green relaxes, generating a state of tranquility and well-being.

•          Reduction of noise pollution: reduces sound reflection by up to 3 decibels and improves sound insulation by up to 8 decibels, from the noises of city activities.

  DISADVANTAGES 

•          They need root-proof waterproofing, with more assembly costs.

•          They require more solid building structures than usual.

•          Improper mounting can cause filtration, dampness, or leaks, leading to a high cost of repairs.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, there are examples in America, such as Kavanagh (Buenos Aires 1930), La Algodonera (Buenos Aires 1945) among others, until the present.

 Mandragore Project (NYC) is an example of the need for the construction of sustainable buildings that resemble vertical forests and that integrate the design of passive and active systems for solutions that reduce the carbon footprint.