This Thursday, a total of 30 politicians and technicians from municipalities and municipal companies, as well as members of the Municipal Council of Environment, participated in two sessions of demonstrative workshops with the aim of presenting the Nature-Based Solutions installed by the LIFE-myBUILDINGisGREEN project at the Falcão Primary School, in Oporto. The project includes 700 m2 of green roofs of three types, a green façade and photovoltaic panels.
The Deputy Mayor of Porto, Filipe Araújo, and the Coordinator of Falcão EB1, Helena Ribeiro, welcomed the participants, and the workshops were led by Ana Mesquita (Landscape Architect of LandLab and Member of the National Association of Green Roofs) and Rui Pimenta (Executive Director of the Energy Agency of Porto).
During the workshops it was possible to analyse on site these Nature-Based Solutions installed in the school, recognising and comparing their characteristics, functions and advantages compared to conventional alternatives.
We started with the use of rainwater, which is channelled into two containers that allow a comparison of the flow of water from the roofs with and without vegetation, and is then channelled to the pond in the adjacent community garden. In addition to its educational potential, this solution reduces water wastage and contributes to the conservation of local biodiversity.
Technical explanation on the vegetation façade of Falcão school © Câmara Municipal do Porto
It is on the ground floor that another Nature-Based Solution begins, a green façade to shade the classrooms during the hottest summer days.
On the rooftop, participants were able to see how the green roof, a kind of garden instead of a roof, works. These raised gardens have the advantage of regulating the temperature inside the buildings throughout the year and, at the same time, help rainwater to seep more slowly into the ground, preventing flooding.
The visit culminated with the mBiGBioSolar solution, which combines the benefits of green roofs with energy production through photovoltaic panels, adding the advantage that the presence of plants contributes positively to the efficiency of energy production. Currently, around 60% of the energy consumed in the school is produced locally.
The solutions present in this building provide thermal comfort for the well-being of those who work and study daily at Falcão school, improve energy efficiency and also contribute to protecting and promoting biodiversity.
Ana Mesquita shows the insulation used in one of Falcão’s green roofs © Câmara Municipal do Porto
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