CEBU, Philippines - Roof gardens are prone to leaks. This is not necessarily true - so long as the work is done right and the right materials are used. The roofs must have proper waterproofing and drainage systems installed by a qualified contractor. DAKU uses Nuraplan PVC sheet membrane that is root- and rot-proof. This technology has been used at the Ayala Triangle Garden basement parking area (in Metro Manila) for 15 years and has effectively insulated the structure from the "root attack" of very large trees above it.
Roof gardens flood. This may be true with old roof garden systems due to soil-clogged drains. That is why the DAKU technology uses a unique planting medium allowing water to easily flow into a storage and drainage cell called FSD 20, designed to efficiently collect and then gradually siphon off excess rainwater.
Roof gardens are useful only for aesthetic purposes. Not quite so; the greens also reduce the heat absorption of buildings, lowering air-conditioning costs. On a social level, the gardens create recreational spaces and, with imagination, can even be utilized for small-scale urban agriculture.
Roof gardens are high-maintenance. The DAKU element reservoir-and-substrate system can store up to 55 liters of water per square meter, significantly reducing irrigation requirements. Moreover, the planting medium (unlike normal garden soil) entails far fewer man-hours of cultivation labor.
Roof gardens are structurally unfriendly. Untrue. A good example is the lightweight engineering system adopted by DAKU, which only weighs 170 kilograms per square meter even when wet.
Roof gardens are too expensive to set up and maintain. When the right system is used, roof gardens not only create welcome spaces for social interaction and lowers a building's environmental footprint (likely reducing energy costs), it also often adds to property market value. All benefits considered, these elevated green spaces can come out really cost effective.
Specserv has modified the DAKU system to fit to Philippine conditions and to service Filipino homeowners who also wish to be part of this inner-city ecological innovation. Dubbed BUNGKAL (short for Bubong Kalikasan or "Nature's Roof"), the re-calibrated technology now offers affordable and adjustable light-roof garden systems to residences.
Today's megacities need not be barren jungles. Especially in the light of climate change, all the more urban dwellers have to resort to ways to help the cities breathe. Pockets of greenery amid the vast expanse of steel-and-concrete structures also give the eyes such a refreshing relief - and even nourish the soul.
Urban roof gardens are such one fitting response to the current environmental issues - one rooftop at a time.