The world’s natural resources are dwindling. This fact concerns not only oil and gas, but increasingly also more specialised raw materials such as indium, geranium and antimony, the prices for which have risen at an unprecedented rate in recent years. And climate change continues; it is too late to stop it, at best we can only slow it down. The consequences are already affecting all walks of life and everyday routines – in the way we design, construct, use and recycle our buildings, for instance.
Publisher: Institut für internationale Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co. KG, Munich.
To begin our study of flat roofs, Part A outlines their evolution. Flat roofs were already well established in many cultures and many climatic conditions before they started to spread
across Central Europe and North America as well. Additional usable floor space on the roof plus advantages for fire protection were the main reasons for their new-found popularity. main reasons for their new-found popularity.
However, it was not until waterproofing materials reached a certain stage of development
and codes of practice for the design and construction of flat roofs were drawn up in the 1960s
did we achieve the basis for good-quality flat roofs in cold and wet regions, too.