Green life at school
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
Category
Project Description
The idea of this project is to create a green place for the students where they can socialize and spend time during breaks and after school. We would like to transform an existing building, a roof in particular, into a green roof. In this way we can integrate a living nature in construction and make common places for students more attractive and sustainable. Our intention is also plant some trees and plants around the building and make an outdoor living, relaxing area with a high sustainability.
Project Region
EU Programme or fund
Description of the project
Summary
The idea of this project is to create a green place for the students where they can socialize and spend time during breaks and after school. We would like to transform an existing building, a roof in particular, into a green roof. In this way we can integrate a living nature in construction and make new common places that will be more attractive for students as well as sustainable from a longer perspective. Our intention is also plant some trees and plants around the building and make an outdoor living, relaxing area with a high sustainability.
Through this concept and activities we would like to promote the environmental consciousness through actions. We know that the best way to learn something is to do it. We want to make the school greener, not only visually but also to change the attitude towards the environment and its protection. Our intention is to protect the environment directly and indirectly. We want to integrate living nature in construction of our school.
From the inclusion perspective, the main aim is not to left anybody behind and include all students equally. We also want to make sure that each student can benefit from the results of this initiative. We want to include the students with fewer opportunities (social obstacles, economic obstacles, educational difficulties) in the preparation phase and a decision making process. In this way we will ensure that the voice of each student will be heard and everyone can contribute to the implementation of this concept. We would like our product to be open and available so we want to organize regular outdoor class meetings there. We want to make it open for public as well.
The concept of green roofs is very inovative in our area as we will be promoters of it. It has never been adopted in our area by anyone else before so we will be the first ones to put the idea of green roofs into practice.
Key objectives for sustainability
The main objective of this concept is to make a common place for the students with a high sustainability. Green roofs reduce the heat flux through the roof. In winter they can minimize heat loss through added insulation on the roof. In summer, they reduce the need for air conditioning. Green roofs decrease the production of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Green roofs produce oxygen and purify the air we breath. They also contribute to the sustainability of a building. Vegetation on a green roof will also serve from aesthetical side.
The key objectives in terms of sustainability are:
1. To promote the environmental consciousness through actions
The board of students will put this idea in practise under their teachers´supervision. Students will implement this project. In this way we can learn about possibilities how to live and be greener. It will be inspiring and motivating. Students can adopt new approaches and attitudes to life and might become a good example for their peers, relatives and any people they meet in their lives. Through the actions we will promote the environmental consciousness, students will be learning by doing.
2. To make the school greener
As one of our project ambition is to create a green roof and a relaxation nature zone by planting trees, greenary and building the places to sit made from nature materials (e.g wood) we expect this zone will be used by the students every day and it will serve them in a long perspective.
3. To protect the environment
Green roofs reduce the heat, improve air quality, save energy and reduce storm water runoff.
4. To integrate living nature in construction
Even small green roofs help different types of creatures navigate the landscape and provide shelter or a place to rest. Green roofs can also provide important foraging habitat for birds.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Green roofs have many aesthetic benefits and positive impacts. They make the construction, buildings and their area more attractive, relaxing for their users as well as they provide a nice view and create a more beautiful scenery.
Our concept is aiming to provide aesthetical experience for all from ecological and individual point of view. The users will be able to enjoy scenery, admire the product and experience some moments spent there alone or with their friends and classmates. From ecological point of view, the place transformed will put into practice a blended model of integration of living nature in construction. It will be functional and respect biodiversity of the area.
We are planning to make a green roof and its surrounding interactive, open and available for the users. It will be accessible and also will provide a chance to involve the users in the design intent and implementation. Our concept has an educative character as well. Together we can learn how to understand ecological parts, relations and systems of landscapes. We want to embrace ecological beauty with a careful planning taking into consideration all technical requirements such as site analysis, membrane selection, user access, load bearing, media composition, plant hardiness, moisture requirements or managing sustenance.
Key objectives for inclusion
From the inclusion perspective, the main aim is not to left anybody behind and include all students equally. Students´ board represent all students of our school and through the appointed leaders we want to give a voice to each student. There are students with social and economic obstacles as well as those who have educational difficulties. We want to include them in the preparation phase. We also want to make sure that each student can benefit from the results of this initiative.
The key objectives in terms of inclusion are:
1. To include the students with fewer opportunities (social obstacles, economic obstacles, educational difficulties) in the preparation phase and decision making process.
We are going to support each other so that each student has equal conditions and is completely included in all the activities. We will pay a speciall attention to students´ needs and we will make sure that nobody feels isolated.
2. To organize regular outdoor class meetings
Each class of the school has regular meetings with their class teacher to monitor the school performance, evaluate the progress of each student and plan educational activities. We are planning to offer to deliver these meetings outdoor, in a nice environment surrounded by nature.
3. To be open for public
We are planning to organize open door days and parents´meetings in our renovated green roof and its surroundings in the future.
Innovative character
The concept of green roofs is very inovative in our area as we will be promoters of it. It has never been adopted by anyone else before. So we will be the first ones to put the idea of greeen roofs into practice. We would like to start with this concept and give an example to encourage more people to adopt this idea and make a significant contribution to the protection of the environment. In this way we can also use existing buildings and transform them into the place of relaxation and connection with the nature. Building construction is always related with economic development and increasing of the greenhouse gas. And we would like to eliminate it using the innovative character of green roofs concept. A green roof consist of many components such as plants, furnish substrate to source nutrients, water system to help the root to grow and a drainage layer to shed remaining water. In general, a green roof offers an appropriate environment to sustain vegetal growth.
Our concept is also innovative because it provides students with new learning methods and approaches. We can put in practice what we learn at school, in different school subjects and we can have an experience of creating, renovating and rebuilding something together for the benefits of all users from a longer perspective of view.
