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From the ancient Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the modern
aesthetics of Le Corbusier’s “New Architecture,” integrating nature into
the urban fabric has always been a very desirable amenity and design criteria for city dwellers and
architects alike. The original
inspiration for contemporary greenroofs came from rugged Iceland, where sod
roofs and walls have been used for hundreds of years. The sod roofs soon became
popular throughout Scandinavia.
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Source: A Showcase of
Icelandic Treasures, Magnusson, 1987 |
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This Icelandic architectural style
originated from a lack of natural resources, so people had to make do with the
local materials of sod and stone (Magnusson, 1987). Roofs
were usually completely turfed over and the thick walls of the structures
contained bottom layers of stone followed by specially cut blocks of sod
alternating with strips of thin turf. Whenever
possible, driftwood was included for timbers, as is the case in the church at
Vidimyri, one of the six so-called sod churches that are still standing in
Iceland, shown at left. Built in 1834, it has been preserved as a monument and still functions as
a parish church.
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Farmhouse in a
historical park in Iceland
Source:
PSU
article by Nancy Marie Brown |
|
Source: A Showcase of
Icelandic Treasures, Magnusson, 1987 |
|
The
old farmhouse complex at Holar, Iceland, right, was replicated in the latter half of the
19th century with sod and stone, but it has preserved very old
timbers, some dating back to the high Middle Ages.
Old timbers were always recycled whenever found in good condition.
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Source: ReNatur© 98 Brochure |
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Greenroof technology originated in
Germany over 30 years ago, and greenroofs have become quite popular throughout
Europe, mainly due to their positive environmental impacts.
An
opinion poll of the European Economic Community countries, published in La Libre
Belgique, named the environment as the primary European concern, even ahead of
unemployment, poverty, and insecurity.
Introduction | History | Extensive Greenroofs | Intensive Greenroofs | Underground Parking Garages | Why | Conclusion
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