Reconnecting with nature
4th nature 5th facade
Mitigating biodiversity loss and extreme weather through upgrading urban roof tiles
4th nature 5th facade is a platform for the seed of life to grow freely, and evolve into a continuous ecosystem. While respecting the historical fabric of the centre of Lisbon, this green infrastructure improves biodiversity by connecting fragmented habitats, and mitigates floodings and extreme heats by retaining water and regulating moisture. By following distributed design principles, this upgrade of the traditional roof tile—together with nature—can spread and make cities more resilient.
Portugal
Local
Lisbon, Portugal
Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Early concept
No
No
As an individual partnership with other persons/organisation(s)
The aim of our project is to improve the climate resilience and biodiversity of cities, by giving additional functionality to roof surfaces. We target dense historical areas - particularly downtown Lisbon - where increasingly extreme rains are causing flooding of the impermeable streets, while heat accumulates. The lack of connected nature also makes the fragmented green areas unable to support resilient ecosystems with diverse living species, requiring human maintenance and intervention.
Our project reinterprets tiled roofs as a platform for Nature to grow and evolve in a wild way, creating a self-sustaining, self-governing, adaptive layer that contributes to water and moist management, carbon sequestration, air purification, and interlinks natural sites, forming a continuous natural ecosystem.
The project consists of a bio-receptive layer, which can be attached to the existing roof and provide for plant growth. The micro-surface is designed to capture and channel seeds and spores, while articulating areas in and out of waterflow. The macro-geometry channels airflow, increasing condensation in arid climates, and further decelerates rainwater rundown. Pioneer poikilohydric species form a primer ecosystem, stabilizing microclimate for further species to root into the substrate filled middle layer.
By following principles of distributed design and proposing locally available material, the solution can spread and a continuous ecosystem can form. The project intends to establish a new infrastructure, which can also serve as the base for additional future systems - such as urban food production - to plug in, promoting urban self-sustainability.
The project targets municipalities, local residents, communities, local businesses and other stakeholders. It invites municipalities to make policies and incentives towards owners. It can later welcome local resident communities to collectively manage resources, and reinterpret other urban spaces.
Our project reinterprets tiled roofs as a platform for Nature to grow and evolve in a wild way, creating a self-sustaining, self-governing, adaptive layer that contributes to water and moist management, carbon sequestration, air purification, and interlinks natural sites, forming a continuous natural ecosystem.
The project consists of a bio-receptive layer, which can be attached to the existing roof and provide for plant growth. The micro-surface is designed to capture and channel seeds and spores, while articulating areas in and out of waterflow. The macro-geometry channels airflow, increasing condensation in arid climates, and further decelerates rainwater rundown. Pioneer poikilohydric species form a primer ecosystem, stabilizing microclimate for further species to root into the substrate filled middle layer.
By following principles of distributed design and proposing locally available material, the solution can spread and a continuous ecosystem can form. The project intends to establish a new infrastructure, which can also serve as the base for additional future systems - such as urban food production - to plug in, promoting urban self-sustainability.
The project targets municipalities, local residents, communities, local businesses and other stakeholders. It invites municipalities to make policies and incentives towards owners. It can later welcome local resident communities to collectively manage resources, and reinterpret other urban spaces.
Nature based solution
Urban biodiversity
Climate resilience
Distributed design
Circular economy
The project has two key objectives:
1. Accelerate the sustainable transformation of the cities toward biomaterials, low-carbon technologies, and more inclusive and decentralized fabrication methods.
2. Improve the resilience of the city centers in the terms of human and biological livability
To promote the sustainable transformations of cities and to strengthen the circular economy, we use waste cork, existing ceramic tiles, and apply low-energy fabrication. We intend to work out a locally distributed production method to make the product, and an easy on-site application without dismantling the roof.
Our other objective is to sustain the quality of urban life. In the short term this includes delaying and distributing water rundown during heavy rain, while in the long term we hope that this new infrastructure can create a better local microclimate and provide possibilities to turn streets and neighbourhoods into self-sustainable communities. For example, by transforming the roof into a natural ecosystem, as a byproduct we gain nutrient rich water (decomposed carbon, fixed nitrogen, potassium, etc.) which could be used for food production on the facade and street levels (promoting local urban farming, reducing the use of transport energy, synthetic fertilizer, and all other disadvantages of intensive agriculture.) The green infrastructure also promotes the resident’s objective and subjective wellbeing, such as improved air quality, reduced urban heat island effect, visual contact with nature complexity and aesthetics, making urban life sustainable in the long term.
Beyond sustainability, the project promotes a regenerative approach, along which we give back to Nature.
1. Accelerate the sustainable transformation of the cities toward biomaterials, low-carbon technologies, and more inclusive and decentralized fabrication methods.
2. Improve the resilience of the city centers in the terms of human and biological livability
To promote the sustainable transformations of cities and to strengthen the circular economy, we use waste cork, existing ceramic tiles, and apply low-energy fabrication. We intend to work out a locally distributed production method to make the product, and an easy on-site application without dismantling the roof.
Our other objective is to sustain the quality of urban life. In the short term this includes delaying and distributing water rundown during heavy rain, while in the long term we hope that this new infrastructure can create a better local microclimate and provide possibilities to turn streets and neighbourhoods into self-sustainable communities. For example, by transforming the roof into a natural ecosystem, as a byproduct we gain nutrient rich water (decomposed carbon, fixed nitrogen, potassium, etc.) which could be used for food production on the facade and street levels (promoting local urban farming, reducing the use of transport energy, synthetic fertilizer, and all other disadvantages of intensive agriculture.) The green infrastructure also promotes the resident’s objective and subjective wellbeing, such as improved air quality, reduced urban heat island effect, visual contact with nature complexity and aesthetics, making urban life sustainable in the long term.
Beyond sustainability, the project promotes a regenerative approach, along which we give back to Nature.
The project aims to invite nature to dense urban neighbourhoods without disrupting the invaluable historical and cultural heritage.
While our surface was engineered for bio-receptivity, water retention, and moisture capturing, we managed to match it with the geometry of the historic tile. It was important for us to come up with the design, which doesn’t result in the disruption of the built environment during the entire life cycle of the project - with or without plants. We tend to consider our approach rather a continuation of the existing.
Furthermore, after “wild life” developed on the surface, the urban landscape is enriched by a new source of beauty, where the designer and curator is Nature itself. The aesthetics of a “wild” meadow lies in the complexity and repetition of patterns, and the natural wisdom when it comes to composition.
Due to the topography of Lisbon, most of the roofs are visible from public places such as higher positioned streets or viewpoints, and from the private windows and balconies of the inhabitants. Gaining regular visual access to Nature also offers a deeper experience of beauty, which is the awareness of growth, change, cycles, movement and dynamics.
While our surface was engineered for bio-receptivity, water retention, and moisture capturing, we managed to match it with the geometry of the historic tile. It was important for us to come up with the design, which doesn’t result in the disruption of the built environment during the entire life cycle of the project - with or without plants. We tend to consider our approach rather a continuation of the existing.
Furthermore, after “wild life” developed on the surface, the urban landscape is enriched by a new source of beauty, where the designer and curator is Nature itself. The aesthetics of a “wild” meadow lies in the complexity and repetition of patterns, and the natural wisdom when it comes to composition.
Due to the topography of Lisbon, most of the roofs are visible from public places such as higher positioned streets or viewpoints, and from the private windows and balconies of the inhabitants. Gaining regular visual access to Nature also offers a deeper experience of beauty, which is the awareness of growth, change, cycles, movement and dynamics.
Our project is built upon inclusion concerning both the accessibility of the product and the systemic benefit.
To ensure a wide adaptation of the product, the design is going to be made open source, together with the results of the research, prototyping and test phases to invite future upgrades or reinterpretations by other researchers and developers. We use cork, as it is a locally accessible material in Portugal, and our aim is to develop a low-tech, low energy intake fabrication process, which can be executed in a fab-lab environment. This way we make the product cheap and accessible, as the goal is to scale it in a distributed manner, through local designers, makers, owners, municipalities and other stakeholders.
We also want to ensure that the product can be easily and safely implemented with no special tools or expertise. This add-on relies on the existing tiles, but not the other way around, behaving as an independent layer. Its modularity further increases its independence, as the intervention can vary from several tiles to the entire roof. This lowers the threshold of getting involved as a stakeholder, maximising inclusivity.
If the project is properly implemented, it also unlocks new resources, such as nutrient rich water, therefore it is essential to introduce inclusive governance actions. One could be the establishment of collectives of local inhabitants to make sure that everybody can equally benefit from the intervention.
To ensure a wide adaptation of the product, the design is going to be made open source, together with the results of the research, prototyping and test phases to invite future upgrades or reinterpretations by other researchers and developers. We use cork, as it is a locally accessible material in Portugal, and our aim is to develop a low-tech, low energy intake fabrication process, which can be executed in a fab-lab environment. This way we make the product cheap and accessible, as the goal is to scale it in a distributed manner, through local designers, makers, owners, municipalities and other stakeholders.
We also want to ensure that the product can be easily and safely implemented with no special tools or expertise. This add-on relies on the existing tiles, but not the other way around, behaving as an independent layer. Its modularity further increases its independence, as the intervention can vary from several tiles to the entire roof. This lowers the threshold of getting involved as a stakeholder, maximising inclusivity.
If the project is properly implemented, it also unlocks new resources, such as nutrient rich water, therefore it is essential to introduce inclusive governance actions. One could be the establishment of collectives of local inhabitants to make sure that everybody can equally benefit from the intervention.
On one hand the citizens passively benefit from the project in terms of physical and mental health. Air quality improves, flood risk decreases, urban heat island effect decreases, while the sight, smell and sound of the resulting nature can induce positive emotions such as calmness and joy, facilitate concentration and reduce stress and anxiety.
On the other hand the civil society is involved in the systemic reformation of the city. Top-down and bottom-up actions need to be taken in parallel with each other. While policy making and incentives help the project to be realised and empower the locals to claim and use urban surfaces in novel ways, inhabitants and local businesses should take advantage of these policies and resources establishing food production and other ways of water management individually or collectively. Their role is to promote the roof transformation, take action in participatory design of streets and other surfaces, and share knowledge.
Beyond direct benefits, there are also indirect benefits. The roofs acting as wildlife corridors also increase the biodiversity of urban parks, making them more resilient to change, requiring less human effort to maintain. These corridors can facilitate movement of animals, for example benefiting honey production, and provide habitat as well, for example to birds which feed on mosquitoes, while the physical separation of human and non-human living spaces - street level and roof level - reduces the change of confrontation.
On the other hand the civil society is involved in the systemic reformation of the city. Top-down and bottom-up actions need to be taken in parallel with each other. While policy making and incentives help the project to be realised and empower the locals to claim and use urban surfaces in novel ways, inhabitants and local businesses should take advantage of these policies and resources establishing food production and other ways of water management individually or collectively. Their role is to promote the roof transformation, take action in participatory design of streets and other surfaces, and share knowledge.
Beyond direct benefits, there are also indirect benefits. The roofs acting as wildlife corridors also increase the biodiversity of urban parks, making them more resilient to change, requiring less human effort to maintain. These corridors can facilitate movement of animals, for example benefiting honey production, and provide habitat as well, for example to birds which feed on mosquitoes, while the physical separation of human and non-human living spaces - street level and roof level - reduces the change of confrontation.
The initial concept of the project was developed and submitted to the international competition Form Follows Life, which was organised by the European entities Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto Ciências Sociais, Bleib Urban Living Berlin. The concept was awarded by Honorable Mention.
After improving the concept, we contacted FabLab Lisboa, to start our physical research phase. We collaborate with them to bring the project further to a prototype stage. FabLab being an open source and distributed design hub, also contributes to open up the design and development process, and involve more individuals and stakeholders in the early stage. We aim to already include the municipality, as it operates FabLab.
In the prototype implementation phase we aim to cooperate with a local stakeholder (e.g. a local cultural and social cooperative, such as Largo Residencias), to build a test pavilion in a semi-public space (e.g. Jardins do Bombarda in Lisbon).
In the implementation stage the project relies on policymakers and municipality incentives. The owners should be incentivised by the municipality to make the improvements on the roofs. Local businesses, who already use the streets with tables and sun-umbrellas are incentivised to turn these into solutions combining shading with food production, as they receive the possibility to take advantage of nutrient rich water.
After improving the concept, we contacted FabLab Lisboa, to start our physical research phase. We collaborate with them to bring the project further to a prototype stage. FabLab being an open source and distributed design hub, also contributes to open up the design and development process, and involve more individuals and stakeholders in the early stage. We aim to already include the municipality, as it operates FabLab.
In the prototype implementation phase we aim to cooperate with a local stakeholder (e.g. a local cultural and social cooperative, such as Largo Residencias), to build a test pavilion in a semi-public space (e.g. Jardins do Bombarda in Lisbon).
In the implementation stage the project relies on policymakers and municipality incentives. The owners should be incentivised by the municipality to make the improvements on the roofs. Local businesses, who already use the streets with tables and sun-umbrellas are incentivised to turn these into solutions combining shading with food production, as they receive the possibility to take advantage of nutrient rich water.
The concept includes Architecture and Urban design to map problems and potentials in cities, and it was inspired by Biology and Environmental science in the aspect of integrating Nature as a solution to improve resilience, ensure balance and stabilise extreme conditions. This relies on bioengineering concepts such as bio-receptivity to understand how to design with Nature and for Nature.
During the development of the project Biology, Material science, and Computational design were directed into a dialogue, where the microscopic and macroscopic requirements, behaviours, and formations interconnectedly evolved.
During the development of the project Biology, Material science, and Computational design were directed into a dialogue, where the microscopic and macroscopic requirements, behaviours, and formations interconnectedly evolved.
The project is connecting several engineering and design solutions into interdisciplinary strategy improving the urban environment. Firstly it is proposing an innovative strategy of regenerating existing elements of urban fabric, the roofs, and creating for it a new function that enhances biodiversity and improves resource management. Secondly the innovative character of the project is reflected in its systemic approach to tackling urban challenges. With a singular design solution we are developing a system that addresses multiple problems at the same time: improving rain water management (floods and droughts), increasing biodiversity, reducing heat stress in the cities(climate resilience) and protecting the existing architecture (preserving the heritage). Our project uses the principles of nature-based design, utilizing the biological systems as a functional component of the project (moisture retention, organic morphology). The tile is created with biomaterials (cork and biocomposites) which makes it fully circular and eliminates the waste generation. The form of our tile was informed by existing research in bio-centered design. The resulting geometry and surface properties were optimized for water retention and plant growth. The proposed production method of tile includes available technologies (heat press forming) that could be available to a wider audience and do not require a big industrial scale or investment. The innovative character of this method lies in the fact that the design can be easily distributed and fabricated on the local scale which offers more inclusive production and construction. In conclusion, the project proposes a new solution that rethinks the urban environment and reimagines the role of a building envelope.
Compared to existing roofing solutions, our design is a major improvement on the aspects of sustainability, biodiversity and climate resilience in the cities. It also offers a chance for more local and community oriented production.
Compared to existing roofing solutions, our design is a major improvement on the aspects of sustainability, biodiversity and climate resilience in the cities. It also offers a chance for more local and community oriented production.
The approach to the project was based on the analysis of existing urban conditions that can be found in the dense urban centers. We found that disconnection between the human and natural world is particularly troubling in these areas which results in negative environmental effects like interruption of biological corridors, heat island and low permeability of the soil resulting in difficulties with water retention. Our idea was born as an effect of systematic analysis of possible design solutions that could improve this situation. Approach to the design problem was based on 3 core principles. Sustainable use of resources (capturing the water and utilizing it for common benefit) , scalability of the solution (modular structure of the tile), and local impact (the project was conceived to respond to the specific local context of Portugal using local resources and existing public infrastructure). The character of the process was transdisciplinary as we implemented the knowledge from diverse scientific fields, like biology, material engineering and industrial design.
The general project idea could be easily replicated to different contexts and geographic locations. The general principle of our project (creating new biological habitat on the roof in order to improve resilience and livability) can be used in any city where roof tiles are a common architectural element. The process of designing the bio receptive tile can be modified according to specific parameters of local climate and adapted to local plant species. However the fundamental parameters of the project, like optimization of bio-receptive surface and modularity of the design solution, remain relevant aspects of the product and can be transferred to other places. Similarly, the social impact of the project empowering the local communities and public stakeholders by improving the city livability and resilience can be replicated in other geographic and political contexts. The project follows the principles of open-source and distributed design, therefore the knowledge gathered during the prototyping and implementation phase will be publicly available for the benefit of all.
The project addresses multiple global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss and carbon dioxide emissions by proposing nature-based solutions that help in mitigating extreme weather events, and promotes biological life in the cities.
It is proposing a local design solution for rehabilitation and upgrade of roofing structure in the city of Lisbon and promotes circular economy through exploration of natural and recycled materials (cork and ceramic wastes).
The project is responding to the growing problem of disconnection between urban and natural habitats and its trying to regenerate natural ecosystems in the city centers with locally available resources and infrastructure.
It is proposing a local design solution for rehabilitation and upgrade of roofing structure in the city of Lisbon and promotes circular economy through exploration of natural and recycled materials (cork and ceramic wastes).
The project is responding to the growing problem of disconnection between urban and natural habitats and its trying to regenerate natural ecosystems in the city centers with locally available resources and infrastructure.
Future development of the project envisages an involvement of different institutions and stakeholders. First step is to contact the local research institutions and companies in the field of engineering and sustainable design (ULisboa, Susdesign) to propose research projects investigating the potential of bio-receptive surfaces and development of the design prototype.
We are planning to apply the product on a pavilion first, to be able to access and monitor. In this phase we can collaborate with the public sector (gardens, libraries, cultural centers, etc.) and build the pavilion in a semi-public outdoor space. This pavilion consists of the roof, connected to a vegetable garden around it.
Further development includes dissemination of research results and design specification. Our functional prototype data will be published open source, together with papers showcasing the early research results. Final phase of the project includes building engagement and participation around transforming the city roofs into living spaces.
We present the project to the public organizations and policy makers (Municipality of Lisbon). In this phase our aim is to collaborate with the property owners and other stakeholders to work out urban scale implementation.
We are planning to apply the product on a pavilion first, to be able to access and monitor. In this phase we can collaborate with the public sector (gardens, libraries, cultural centers, etc.) and build the pavilion in a semi-public outdoor space. This pavilion consists of the roof, connected to a vegetable garden around it.
Further development includes dissemination of research results and design specification. Our functional prototype data will be published open source, together with papers showcasing the early research results. Final phase of the project includes building engagement and participation around transforming the city roofs into living spaces.
We present the project to the public organizations and policy makers (Municipality of Lisbon). In this phase our aim is to collaborate with the property owners and other stakeholders to work out urban scale implementation.
