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January 11, 2022

Rooftop Gardening: Bring Nature into Your Home

 

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There’s a classic Latin phrase called “Mens sana in corpore sano” which translates as "a healthy mind in a healthy body". It reminds us that a happy and balanced life requires both mind and body. And it’s not a secret that gardening is a great way of stress relieving and can improve many aspects of mental health, focus, and concentration. Our ancestors had a lot of open areas around their houses, which they used for gardening. The nature-based land in our surroundings is reducing in the city due to urbanization, and thus we no longer have the space for an extended field for gardening. But there is one thing in particular that our city has, and that is a rooftop on each building, which we can turn into a small bundle of happiness.

Rooftop gardening is a private, environmentally beneficial endeavor that allows people to be close to nature while also harvesting fruits and vegetables with their own hands. It brings individuals closer to nature, which benefits their mental and physical wellbeing. Recently it has become a huge trend in both metropolitan and divisional city areas specially in Dhaka because of various television shows, YouTube channels, and social media platforms such as Facebook. Many luxury apartments in Dhaka are turning their rooftops into gardens, which not only improve the aesthetics of their flats but also benefit the environment and the people who live in the buildings. Besides environmental benefits and peace of mind, a rooftop garden may greatly benefit in an aesthetic way. Rooftop gardens are wonderful places to spend quality time with others, whether for a picnic or a stroll. The luxuriant flora makes for a stunning backdrop for photographs and videos to cherish one's day.
 

Popularity of Rooftop Gardening in Dhaka

 

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Previously, people resided in one-story dwellings with gardens in the courtyards.  However, now due to the surge in the population of the city, more and more apartments, be it normal, luxury or duplex types are being developed to accommodate people. In addition to that, many luxury apartments in Dhaka are being built and designed with sustainability in mind. Hence many leading real estate property developers in Dhaka are designing eco-friendly rooftops by catering spaces for planting trees. As a result,  the concept of courtyard gardening evolved into rooftop gardening. 

The popularity of rooftop gardening in Dhaka is increasing day by day due to its tremendous benefits. This city has over 450,000 roofs covering more than 5,000 hectares, according to the Bangladesh Agriculture Information Service (BAIS). 
In 2018, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) launched a three-year urban agricultural development project in the capital, with the goal of establishing 600 rooftop gardens. According to BAIS, there are about 6,975 roof gardens in Dhaka under their supervision. At present, there are around 30,000 rooftop gardens in the capital – covering 7 percent of the total number of roofs. The majority of roofs were left uninhabited before with few pots of plants, but today's owners are creating roof gardens out of their own passion and to get an essence of being among nature. This triggered particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, in which people were maintaining social distance restrictions and only went out for necessities. Besides, it is now an important part of the marketing strategy for many luxury flats in Dhaka.
 

The Global Scenario of Rooftop Gardening

 

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As global warming is increasing at an alarming rate, the United Nations instructed governments to create effective policies to reduce carbon emission which is a crucial part of the “Green Economy”. According to UNEP, in a green economy, growth in employment and income is driven by public and private investment into such economic activities, infrastructure and assets that allow reduced carbon emissions and pollution, enhanced energy and resource efficiency, and prevention of the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The developed countries have already taken many steps for improving the green economy & one of the effective steps was “Rooftop Gardening”. USA, Canada & European Countries are giving much importance to this. Rooftop gardens, often known as green roofs, can be found all throughout Europe. Germany, in particular, has invested heavily in technical research in order to optimize the various roofing components. 

Rooftop gardening in Apartments brings a touch of greenery to an otherwise industrial environment while also promoting green economy. People and top real estate property developers are creating rooftop gardens, either at home or on commercial properties. Rooftop gardens are an excellent way to turn an urban landscape into a haven and can benefit busy cities like Chicago, New York, and San Francisco, where air and noise pollution are common resulting in health and environmental concerns. Dhaka, being a busy city itself,  is already on the way to adopting this strategy. 

Another way rooftop gardens in apartments can benefit is that it brings flora into a sterile location for commercial buildings. It can be a solution and a means to provide a place to relax or cultivate plants and vegetables to promote a sustainable lifestyle. Landscapers are thinking outside the box to find ways to increase green space while lowering energy usage, and they've discovered the many advantages of a green roof. 

Ecological Benefits of Rooftop Gardening

 

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Through the absorption of carbon in the woody biomass of trees, vegetation, particularly forests, has been identified as a crucial component of any strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Rooftop gardens provide numerous advantages to a city. Through direct roof shadowing, evapotranspiration, and enhanced insulation properties, they can reduce energy demand for space conditioning and thus GHG emissions. Rooftop gardens, if widely utilized, could diminish the urban heat island, reducing smog events, difficulties related to heat stress, and lowering energy consumption. 

If properly implemented in a city, they could also help to enhance stormwater management. A portion of the rain is briefly retained in the growing media before being absorbed by the plants and released to the atmosphere via evapotranspiration. 

Aesthetic Benefits of Rooftop Gardening

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Let's face it: roofs are flat, boring, and often uninteresting. Container gardens can transform an ordinary roof into a private urban sanctuary. It gives your rooftop a splash of color and life, as well as assisting in the decoration of your rooftop as a soothing retreat. Rooftop gardens in luxury apartments, when thoughtfully constructed by a top real estate property developer like Ventura, can even provide a space to hang out and plan small get-togethers with friends, family, and even pets. These gardens are ideal for anyone seeking peace and quiet. 

What could be more relaxing than sitting in the fresh air with a cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other? Rooftop garden increases the value of your community by adding aesthetic appeal to the condominium and fabricating it a more congenial place to live as well as a boon for your health.

Why do you need to have a rooftop garden on your property?

In any situation, there are several reasons to create a rooftop garden. If you live in a city, making excellent use of your roof provides you with additional space as well as the ability to enjoy being outdoors in a quiet location.

Source: Unsplash
In the summer, a growing rooftop garden may reduce the temperature of the surrounding region by up to nine degrees. That’s why top Real estate property developers in Dhaka are now investing their money in Rooftop Gardening. 

If we sum up all the things we’ve said about the advantages of rooftop gardening, you’ve a lot of reasons to install it in your apartments. Some of the key points are:
  • Increase the level of privacy.
  • Make an effort to be ecologically conscious.
  • Enhance the appearance of your house or property.
  • Remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and replace it with oxygen.
  • In the summer, it has the potential to make buildings cooler.
  • Delay the outflow of storm water.
  • Increase the number of people who have access to private outdoor green space.
  • Give birds a new place to live.
  • Boost the value of the building.

Conclusion

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Rooftop gardens, especially in metropolitan locations, are fantastic additions to a house or business property. But before you decide to build a rooftop garden, think about the structural stability of your roof.  If you want to opt into the current trend of rooftop gardening and want to move into a  luxury flat in Dhaka with a corporate rooftop garden, any top real estate property developer like Ventura will be able to assist you throughout the whole process. 

FAQ

Are there any projects under Ventura that have rooftop gardening?

Answer: Ventura has many projects which include rooftop gardening such as - Ventura Water Woods, Ventura North Star, Ventura Eden Roc and many more.

What should you do first before establishing a terrace garden?

Answer: The roof of a house will be used as a terrace. The roof has to be waterproofed with an adequate water resistant floor that is free of leaks and bleeds for a sufficient amount of time.

What effect do the plants or roots have on the structure or the roofs?

Answer: Rooted plants (trees) are extremely harmful for the structure. They will be able to break through the wall with the strength of the finest foil's roots. Seeds that have fallen on the floor due to a bird or natural occurrence should be properly removed to avoid escalation.

What are some important tips for keeping a rooftop garden maintained?

Answer: Irrigation is incredibly important for rooftop gardening. Besides, one should plant shrubbery close together and fertilize plants regularly.

Can the roots of plants cause any harm to the building??

Answer: Plants with fibrous roots can not harm the roof, but taproots (such as mango) can penetrate the roof and cause damage by expanding their roots into the framework.

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