Why an urban garden will improve your life
In May 2019 British newspaper The Guardian announced a very important change to its style guide; “it’s not climate change or global warming anymore, it’s about climate crisis and global heating”. This update is a very important in the process of re-framing an issue that is defining our century. While we wait for authorities to step up in systemic adjustments, our life seems to progress “business as usual”. But these are very unusual times, which call for innovative thinking and self-leadership.
During a recent trip to Milan in the humid Italian summer, we took a stroll to admire Vertical Forest by Stefano Boeri Architects. These foliage-full towers are the first of a series that the practice is designing around the world and have become an important symbol of the new role cities need to lead the way in urban sustainability. The towers feature a mixture of large and small trees on all four sides of the towers, accompanied by 5,000 shrubs and 11,000 floral plants. Including as many trees as could be planted in a hectare of forest, the towers represent a new way of conceiving high-density skyscrapers; as reported by Dezeen, the design team claim these will absorb dust in the air, helping to depollute the city.
“This is a kind of biological architecture that refuses to adopt a strictly technological and mechanical approach to environmental sustainability”
Bosco Verticale (and cover image), courtesy of Dezeen/Daniele Zacchi
Milan amplified the effects of Vertical Forest by opening a public park - the Library of Books. Developing over 90 000 smq in the middle of the bustling city, the park is a green haven of rings (or rooms) for adults, kids and pets to relax and spend time in nature.
As we approached the park, our hot bodies could feel a cold breeze, as if an outdoor aircon had been turned on…you got it - the Trees! Leaves are the invisible warriors, responsible for Evapotranspiration, which is the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from land, oceans, lakes or even pavements. Evaporation accounts for the movement of water to the air from sources such as the soil, canopy interception, and waterbodies. Transpiration accounts for the movement of water within a plant and the subsequent loss of water as vapor through the leaves.
Green Roof with Drainroof, image by David Harris
Milan is successfully reducing the heat island effect (heating due to human activities), bringing its citizens closer to nature. We can either sit tight and wait for our Municipalities to roll out a similar plan or take some small steps to improving our own life with a green roof.
If you are wondering why rooftop gardens can add value to your life and your community, we have selected our 5 top reasons.
1. Reduce Water Runoff
Your house is erected on a plot that used to be bare soil - when heavy rains or flood occur, water may seep in your foundations, weakening them or causing erosion. A roof garden .retain more water in their leaves, roots, and soil, and return to water in the atmosphere as it evaporates (remember
2. Promote Ecosystem Diversity
According to ThinkNature, Vertical Forest increases the biodiversity with its urban ecosystem as its vertical environment that can be colonised by birds and insects. The Forest acts as a magnet for natural recolonisation of the city by vegetation and by animal life. In a smaller scale, your garden has the potential to do so, in a smaller scale.
3. Clean Air
Plants filter and absorb dust particles and CO2, and in exchange produces oxygen. This a great trade-off, isn’t it?
4. Naturally cool
Eskom hasn’t been playing its cards by the rule; what can you do to protect your house with minimum investment? You got it - a green roof! It has the power to insulate your structure, keeping it naturally cool and warm throughout the summer and winter months. In turn, this saves you money and reduces fossil fuel emissions.
Green Roof complemented by solar panel, courtesy of Geoplast
5. Reduce surrounding noise
Imagine if you could block off the street noise, your neighbours’ kids and dogs and passerby’s chatter? Your roof garden can minimise acoustic pollution, being a green buffer between you and your surrounds.
Many urban buildings have undertaken a green restructuring as they start including trees and gardens - the Lincoln Centre is an example of such trend.
Lincoln Center’s new lawn, atop a two-story structure along West 65th Street, curves up on two ends and is adjacent to a extended reflecting pool and a grove of trees. CreditBéatrice de Géa for The New York Times
Besides structural advantages, our top one reason is that we need to start balancing out the amount of emissions in our cities; all our houses lay on what used to be bare soil. By installing a roof garden over your structure we can create a cycle that reflects the natural rhythm. It's important to ensure that your garden is built with a formwork that has insulating properties, so not to damage the roof waterproofing. Water accumulation and storage capabilities also need to be considered. This is why we recommend Drainroof by Geoplast for all our roof gardens. The formwork is manufactured in 100% recycled polypropylene, ensures insulation and its legs allow for water accumulation.
In South Africa, the formwork was used by Cape Town based Noero Architects for the extension at Wynberg Girls’ High. More information on the project can be found here.
Wynberg Girls High by Noero Architects
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