Part 1 in the Series: ‘Solving the Problem with Roofs’

The first ‘home’ was a single wall, built on an east-west axis.

It was dual function, designed to provide a shaded area to its north and a sunny area protected from wind to its south. Over time, additional walls were added along with a roof for protection from rain.

After the invention of the glass window, walling never looked back. But the evolution of the roof stalled in phase one, existing solely to keep out the rain. Stuck at the top of our buildings and rarely accessed, the roof has been forgotten about, and it’s a big problem.

Housing is a bigger pollutant than automobiles, and with up to 80% of heat and energy losses leaving through the roof, it’s clear where the blame lies.

Thankfully, the roof is ready to enter the next phase of its evolution and the options available are modern and multi-functional. This series will explore these options and attempt to answer one question: how can we solve the problem with roofs?

Image courtesy of Ben on flickr