Thinking in green
By Enrique Becerra.
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.
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