Turf roof gardens for the twentyfirst century?
Iceland is the most recently made country and has a great-and-abandonned tradition of turf building. Dwellings were built with stone foundations, birch frames and turf cladding for the roofs and walls. Interiors were probably damp but now that waterproof membranes are available they should go back to to cladding their buildings in turf. It would be good for insulation, sound-proofing, wildlife etc and could create jobs for an icy land now down on its uppers.
I expect the greatest difference between the cities of the 20th and 21st centuries to be the prevelance of a vegetative cladding on cities of the 21st century. Icelanders could export consultancy skills instead of cod – and we should all remember that this was the classic building technique in Neolithic Europe.
Perhaps it would be an interesting idea to explore green walls further? [ http://www.crd.bc.ca/watersheds/lid/walls.htm ]
I love green walls and plan some blog posts about them. But until I come across some careful research I will maintain a healthy scepticism about the more high-tech design ideas. My concern is that they cost a lot to build and maintain, in money and energy, without delivering comensurate environmental advantages. I don’t know the truth of the matter – but I would like to.
It might be worth collecting some ideas worthy of further investigation?
[ http://www.karensperspective.com/2009/07/green-walls-by-nature/ ] An exemplary project is Ann Demeulemeester Shop by the Korean Architects Mass Studies.
[ http://www.massstudies.com/projects/ann_pic.html ]
Its well worth collecting examples of green walls, thank you, but I yearn for some performance data.
The field of ‘Built Ecology’ is most probably in its infancy.
[ http://www.phillygreenwall.com/media/benefits/IndoorAirQuality.pdf ] In Canada Green Walls can be potentially used to attain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Credits.
[ http://www.greenovergrey.com/green-wall-benefits/leed-credits.php ]
Very interesting re the affect of internal green walls on air quality. I have been stuck indoors more than usual this winter – and seem to have been getting more congested all the time. Regrettably, the room in which I work is not suited a green wall and would be problematic for any vegetation.
By congested do you mean your breathing?
Yes – its a bit like asthma but at a higher level in the respiritory tract.