Author(s)

T. Refaat, E. El-Halwagy, M. El-Zoklah

Abstract

Green areas are very important to the ecoystem and to the people who live around them. However, many of these areas have been degraded by human behaviour towards the environment. There are three steps involved in solving these problems; the first is to stop the abuse, the second is the restoration phase, and, finally, monitoring and maintenance are required. The main aim of this paper is to develop the means to restore our buildings and their surrounding areas by using green infrastructure techniques in general and green roofs specifically. Green infrastructure refers to the natural and engineered systems that act as a living infrastructure; it integrates natural vegetation and soils into the community’s fabric through a variety of techniques, approaches, technologies and practices. The importance of green infrastructure goes beyond the restoration of buildings and their surrounding spaces and extends to social, economic and environmental integrity.

The methodology includes a literature review and analyzed examples of applications of the green roof method. The research concludes with some recommendations regarding the use of green infrastructure generally, and, having shown their positive impact, of green roofs specifically.

Keywords

sustainable architecture, vertical and horizontal gardens, recycling and reuse, green buildings and socio-economic impact