Discuss of rooftop gardens
The rooftop garden of the Hangzhou International Expo Centre, the main venue for the 11th G20 Summit in Hangzhou in 2016, was very impressive. Apart from discussing the garden's architectural style, its sustainability is also worthy of attention. Firstly, the greenery will reduce the exposure of the roof to direct sunlight or rain, thus extending the life of the building. Secondly, the vegetation on the top could serve to regulate the temperature. Compared to concrete roofs, green roofs have a significant cooling effect in summer (Kim, Lee, & Kang 2020). While in winter, the indoor temperature is instead increased due to the plants' respiratory effect and thermal insulation capacity. This can all contribute to energy savings. Therefore, some communities are considering building green rooftops on a large scale on their buildings.
However, I do not think green rooftops will be popular in Hangzhou's residential areas. The main reason for this is the cost and responsibility sharing. Most of the buildings in Hangzhou's residential areas are high-rise apartment buildings, and in this context, the roof should be a common area. Hence the construction and maintenance of green roofs require the agreement of all owners and the sharing of costs, which is difficult because the residents on the lower floors usually benefit less from the green top than those on the higher floors. Also, most existing residential buildings were not designed for rooftop gardening, so retrofitting them could lead to damage because of excessive load-bearing. Moreover, green roofs conflict with the rooftop solar photovoltaic initiative currently being promoted in Hangzhou. Consequently, green roofs may not be widely accepted in residential areas. Rooftop gardens are likely suitable for high-class hotels and restaurants, as they can afford to pay the costs, improve the quality of their services and make a profit through this method.
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