Experimental roof of UPF

Our experimental roof is located in a building on the Ciutadella Campus of the Pompeu Fabra University. There are three experiments in parallel. If you would like to visit the roof we’d be more than glad to have you over!

The first experiment is a comparison of different green roof systems. Each manufacturer has installed their system inside thermally insulated planters. There are extensive green roofs (with sedum) and semi-intensive roofs. We are measuring energy efficiency through four probes installed at four different depths of each sample (on the ground, on technical layers, on the substrate and at the level of the vegetation).

This first experiment started in January 2016 and will last one year. The different solutions were contrasted with respect to their price, weight, water requirements versus the development of green and energy efficiency, as well as the capacity to collect water and filter polluting materials from the atmosphere.

The different green roof systems have been given to us directly by the manufacturers: Igniagreen, Renolit, Urbanscape, Green-cover, Projar and Zinco, the latter together with Vallimper, Ingenieria de Roofs Verdes, Jardinatura and Massoni.

In addition to the collaboration of the UPF, this experiment is carried out mainly with the UPC (Escola Politècnica Superior d’Edificació) and secondarily with ICTA-UAB (Institut de Ciències i Tecnologies Ambientals de UAB). There are two Building Engineers that will continue the experiment thanks to a grant from l’Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB). Finally, this roof received a grant from the City Council of Barcelona 2016.

The second experiment is a pilot test to see under what conditions lavender works best. We are testing two different building systems and two different types of lavender (Lavandula Dentata and Lavandula Angustifolia). This test serves to validate one of our initiatives: to exploit lavender by adding the production of different green roofs in Barcelona. Related to this experiment we also have a section on aromatic plants.

The third experiment compares different substrates for vegetable garden roofs. They have different characteristics from the traditional vegetable garden substrate and the substrate for cultivation tables. Drainage, water saturated weight, stability, and compactness are different than when planting directly in the ground or when planting on cultivation tables. Some of the samples use a Zinco construction system and the Bruc Jardí substrate. In the other sample both the construction system and the substrate are from Projar.

Through our collaboration with Brooklyn Grange Farm and talking to other vegetable garden roofs in Europe we are testing various commercial substrates with different compounds. Another variable to measure will be the thickness of the soil required. The output variables will be productivity and water requirements as well as the necessary maintenance. The substrate that we will use for the agricultural cover of Dipòsit de les Aigües could come out of this experiment that has been operational since March 2016.

2016: Vegetable Roof of the Dipòsit de les Aigües