Designing and establishing greenery on rooftops makes it possible to effectively combat man-made climate change. The construction industry is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions into the environment and generates large amounts of waste.
One of the oldest buildings made with ZinCo technology, Warsaw University Library, photo by A. Lech, GCL
© GCL
Our company provides systemic solutions designed to serve not only during the life of the building, but also to enable their reuse in subsequent construction processes. The high quality of ZinCo brand materials allows them to be reused both during the repurposing of a building and its complete demolition.
Vegetation on the roof, along with all the technical layers, is a number of advantages both economically and environmentally. The key, therefore, should be the selection of quality materials. The cost of possible repairs more than doubles the cost of the original investment. This is why ZinCo takes special care to ensure that all the system's materials are characterized by adequate durability, taking into account the installation stage of the materials, during which damage most often occurs, as well as their subsequent operation.
An enclave of greenery on the roof surrounded by the tall office buildings of Mennica Legacy Tower photo: A. Lech, GCL
© GCL
A very important aspect, both economically and environmentally, is the protection of the roof waterproofing. By reducing the temperature amplitude and shielding it from direct UV rays and water, roof membranes have a significantly extended life. Every replacement of the roofing with a new one is an additional waste, which must be disposed of in some way. There is also the need to install the newly manufactured material. Covering waterproofing with layers of "green roof" is a fully environmentally beneficial activity, when the materials, when used, are produced in accordance with the idea of closed-loop economy. One of its stages is the use of waste as a raw material for the production of new material. This is the case with ZinCo brand materials.
This approach makes waste segregation more important, and our trash, instead of waste, becomes a needed raw material. The drainage components are manufactured from recycled materials, as are the nonwoven fabrics used in the construction of such roofs. The components of the roof substrate are mostly not obtained from non-renewable natural sources, but, for example, from demolition materials. An excellent example is demolition brick as a substrate component. Thanks to standards for building demolition technology, it is free of admixtures of harmful substances, such as asbestos, and is suitable for reuse as a substrate skeleton, accumulating water in its pores. By paying attention to the materials we use to build a green roof, we add another brick to the fight against environmental degradation and climate change. We are also contributing to a significant reduction in landfills in the name of the fight for the climate.
The characteristic body of the International Congress Center in Katowice enriched with sloping roofs covered with greenery founded on a system solution for sloping roofs by ZinCo photo by A.Lech, GCL
© GCL
As a company with the largest and longest experience in the field of "green roofs" on the Polish market, we have had the opportunity to work on many award-winning facilities where vegetated roofs were a key element. This could not have happened without a thorough examination of solutions available on global markets. When we introduced the green roof technology of ZinCo, the world leader in developing solutions for practical roof space management, to the Polish market, we knew that it would allow us to offer the widest range of possibilities for technical solutions, starting from the simplest "green roofs" with extensive vegetation, to more sophisticated retention, climatic, biodiverse or intensive vegetation-covered roofs.
Over the years, we have organized a number of trainings for both investors, architects and installers, aimed at spreading knowledge regarding the many aspects of using green roofs as a building roofing, with particular attention to the most common mistakes made both at the design and construction stages. We believe that this is the basis for realizations in Poland to be put on a par with others from around the world. In turn, individual consultations have always allowed us to develop original solutions resulting from the bold ideas of designers.
The lush greenery of the Varso Place rooftop gardens installed with the ZinCo system photo by A. Lech, GCL
© GCL
Using ZinCo's green roof system materials, we can be sure that we are working for the benefit of the environment, while satisfying the needs of even the most demanding investors. We are also here to help architects realize even the boldest visions, including the use of vegetation on the roofs of buildings.
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