DEVELOPMENT OF A GREENER ROOFTOP GARDEN SYSTEM IN THE POLYTECHNIC OF TURIN

The potential of vegetated roofs as instruments for the enhancement of urban landscapes has gained relevance as cities incursion into sustainable development. It is well known how the application of green rooftops leads to a variety of benefits such as the reduction of air and noise pollutants, runoff mitigation, biodiversity promotion, among a wider listing. However, green roof literature is in most cases centered on the advantages they can provide, excluding their limitations and life-cycle stages. Modern green roof systems production relies on the manufacture of prefabricated stratification elements and complementary accessories that require the implication of diverse production processes. Whereas emerging initiatives of lower production ecological impact are fewer. This dissertation offers a review of the design process of the proposal of a more ecological green roof in the Polytechnic of Turin, exploring alternatives to mass manufacturing processes and evaluating the feasibility of the proposal for a real-life application. For this, the pre-existent site conditions were taken into consideration. Results were contrasted to commercial models and based on the regulations of competence. Demonstrating how it is possible to create a greener rooftop system from mainly waste materials and integrating this system to space it occupies as more than an aesthetic finishing but as an accessible instrument of interaction and as an integrated architectonic object. Establishing as well a proposal for the future to navigate through the path of sustainability.