Rooftop greenhouse. Nowadays, urban agriculture is considered to be one of the most popular trends throughout the world.
With many studies completed prior to launching this type of roof system to the public, it was found that the conditions which are required to grow fruit and vegetables in the inner-city environment are even better on a roof.
This is the point from which the potential of greenhouse rooftop systems has arisen.
The integrated agriculture approach has offered the world a chance to protect the climate and ensure a better living environment.
This process has been revolutionary to many cities and their residents, as there are now millions of people aware of this viable technology which not only makes the air less polluted and ensures better living, but also shifts the greenhouse on roof design to a radical improvement.
Rooftop greenhouses aim at building an integrated agricultural approach for long-term building concepts to bring into correlation the number of building services and related topics of supply and disposal, greening and the use of reclaimed nutrients to produce food.
Therefore, urban agriculture is a whole new technology which is not dependent on natural ground and creates tremendous leverage and a set of potential advantages in the competition for urban land use.
Reducing the distance that food is transported, gardening can be practiced on rooftops, facades, as well as inside buildings and tubs.
Apart from promoting the self-sufficient food aspect, the approach in general has many advantages for urban society such as increasing the amount of neighborhood green spaces as well as enhancing the biological diversity in urban spaces.
THE POTENTIAL OF ROOFTOP GREENHOUSES
Current challenges such as climate and resource protection, a change in social demands as well as population growth in basically every large city cause a need for better technology related to public health and creating an environmental change to urban society.
Therefore, the open roof greenhouse concept introduces a whole set of potential factors and strategies for it to be used in an effective way.
- Innovation– Not only the greenhouse on roof concept gains significance, it also reflect the topic of future architecture with a modern intake benefiting the educational and commercial purposes.
- Energy and Resource Efficiency– Energy and resource efficiency is a must to every society. Although the rooftop greenhouses do not conserve resources, they enable reusing and conserving water, energy and organic waste which can be transferred to entire blocks of houses or neighborhoods.
- Water Cycles– The use of rainwater and the treatment of waste water with an open roof greenhouse can irrigate the plants.
- Energy Cycles- The waste heat from a building as well as solar energy can directly impact heating while preventing heat loss in winter, since the plants add an additional greenhouse layer that does not let cold enter the facility.
- Supply Chains– The food sold in urban environments nowadays contains a lot of toxins. Apart from that, it is transported a long way before it’s digested. With the rooftop greenhouse concept it is grown directly on the roof, making it highly accessible, unprocessed and with rich positive effects.
ROOFTOP GREENHOUSE DESIGNS
When it comes to greenhouse roof styles, there are several that are available. While some of them give a little more headroom, others are more comfortable and fit in more plants.
However, the basic difference is just in the looks; all of the rooftop greenhouse styles have very similar characteristics.
Gable Roof Greenhouse Style
Also known as a straight eave style, the gable roof greenhouse concept has an intake of a traditional ranch style house.
The shape if its looked upon from the end is triangle, allowing for the extra head space and comfort for all the plants. The gable greenhouse style is certainly the most popular of the greenhouse rooftop styles available.
Curved Greenhouse Roof Style
The curved rooftop greenhouse is just what it sounds like. The roof is curved and in most cases it is an elliptical curve rather than a circular one, which may cause some trouble if you are trying to calculate the height of your potential greenhouse roof.
However, it can come in a pipe frame or a polycarbonate structure, or maybe an aluminum frame with glass or polycarbonate. Either way, this is a popular greenhouse rooftop style.
Gambrel Greenhouse Shape
Also known as a barn style greenhouse roof, this is comprised of multiple angles forming a peak.
Retractable Greenhouse Rooftop
When it comes to airflow within the rooftop greenhouse, there are two styles: a retractable greenhouse rooftop, a closed greenhouse rooftop and open greenhouse rooftop systems.
A retractable greenhouse rooftop system is probably the best option to consider since it is flexible and protects against cold climates with heavy snow loads.
On the other hand, an open greenhouse roof allows fresh air in the hot months.
The whole green revolution shifted by the modern rooftop greenhouse results in endless benefits.
Not only does it create the potential for fresh fruit and vegetables, it also adds to the aspect of better living and protection from sound, heavy weather conditions and cold or heat.
A retractable greenhouse rooftop assures the best performance when it comes to changeable climate conditions. With the touch of a single button, plants can experience an open greenhouse rooftop or a closed one, depending on the weather.
In the end, every one of us should be aware of the environmental changes we are experiencing and adapt our lifestyle to them.
By adding more green to our urban areas as well as stimulating food production and ensuring maximum protection, greenhouse technology lets everyone enjoy the modern world as we know it even more, resulting in better care for the environment.
Hi, I’m Jim. I was a roofing constructor for 20 years, before deciding to start myrooff.com and gather the best content about roofing. I love woodworking and construction and it was only natural for me to start this passion project of mine. Thank you for visitng.