Coberturas e Fachadas Verdes

João Ricardo Rodrigues da

Key information

Authors:

João Ricardo Rodrigues da (João Ricardo Rodrigues da Silva)

Supervisors:

Maria Cristina De Oliveira Matos Silva (Maria Cristina De Oliveira Matos Silva)

Published in

11/22/2012

Abstract

World population has increased rapidly over the last years reaching seven million in 2011 and with the search for a better life people have tended to move to the cities. However, with overcrowding came phenomena such as the urban heat island (UHI) effect, flooding, and atmospheric pollution among others. As such it is necessary to make cities more resilient so as to better respond to negative events such as heavy rain and heat waves. It is essential therefore to ensure that life style is adaptable and compatible with the environment by finding ways of coexisting with nature without risking both present and future ecosystems. Green roofs and facades have enabled greater acoustic insulation, improved energy efficiency and have contributed towards the mitigation of the UHI effect, floods and atmospheric pollution concentration. The objective of this paper is to study the performance of green roofs and facades in the Portuguese Mediterranean climate, analysing its capacity to improve energy efficiency and flood peak reaction. Based on this analysis the aim is to identify the main problems during the installation and maintenance of these systems as well as quantifying the data obtained in the case study.