The research intends to develop new forms of naturalization of the city by introducing greenery in the existing buildings of Barcelona. The research is part of a doctoral thesis developed in the University Ramon Llull, Campus La Salle, jointly with the investigation group IAR-IAM (Investigation of Mediterranean Architecture), and La Casa por el Tejado (LCT), a company specialized in industrialized housing projects, incorporating new penthouses on the rooftops of existing buildings with the potential to be vertically expanded. These industrialized penthouses are located in the Eixample District, which is suffering the greatest intensity of urban heat island (UHI) effects and the highest levels of pollution. For this reason, the investigation seeks to innovate technical solutions that incorporate vegetation into the architectural projects of LCT. The urban plot where these buildings are located presents many discontinuities in its morphology due to several changes in urban regulations through the years. This research looks to naturalize the intermediate spaces and surfaces that give continuity to the urban fabric, such as galleries, party walls, rooftops and block courtyards, in order to improve their environmental performance, the biodiversity in their surroundings and, ultimately, increase the quality of life of Barcelona's residents.
Nowadays, one of the main problems facing the city of Barcelona is climate change, which intensifies the urban heat island effect (UHI), as well as generating high levels of air and noise pollution. These environmental problems have a negative effect on the urban ecosystem and the living standards of its inhabitants. Greenery is able to counteract their effects, by capturing airborne dust, absorbing CO2, thus favouring better thermal regulation, increasing biodiversity and improving the quality of life of the population. This research intends to develop new forms of naturalization in Barcelona, introducing greenery not only in inhabited buildings in order to create long term benefits for the community, but also proposing new ways of constructing on top of the roof tops of existing buildings by means of industrialized attic flats. The majority of these penthouses are located in the Eixample District, the most crowded neighbourhood in the metropolitan area of Barcelona and the district which is probably most exposed to urban pollution. For this reason, the investigation seeks to innovate technical solutions that incorporate vegetation into the architectural projects of La Casa por el Tejado, taking benefit of the available surfaces such as roof-tops and party walls. The article will address different ways to implement greenery in La Casa por el Tejado's projects through modular industrial solutions that require minimum maintenance and provide a study of benefits, opportunities and obstacles found in the application of vegetation, a description of the key factors to overcome these barriers, as well as how the implementation of greenery could introduce positives changes in the living dynamics of people and the city.
En 1950, tras quince años habitando en la casa del Barrio de los Periodistas de Milán, Luigi Figini publica el libro L'elemento verde e l'abitazione. En el tratado, que edita Domus, el autor recorre, en un discurso poético, la historia del hombre y de la arquitectura, en relación con la naturaleza: el verde, el agua, el sol, el cielo, para finalmente sistematizar las soluciones arquitectónicas para la introducción del verde en la vivienda urbana. En el jardín del Edén, el hombre pisaba la tierra, su techo eran las copas de los árboles, el cielo estrellado. No había estaciones, era la eterna primavera, "la relación entre el hombre y el mundo vegetal había alcanzado la perfección plena: el mundo exterior se identificaba con la casa del
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