‘NaturBuild’ new course on how to build, maintain and deconstruct a green roof

The ‘NaturBuild’ project, co-founded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union, will launch next August a training course on the benefits, construction, maintenance and deconstruction of green roofs, aimed at workers in the construction sector who want to start a professional career in this field.

It is a free online course of 70 hours in which users will have the opportunity to (re)qualify in a booming activity with a high demand for employment, which contributes to mitigate pollution in cities. The platform, in addition to incorporating didactic games, offers students a flexible timetable and the possibility of evaluating their own progress.

The ‘NaturBuild’ course is composed of 4 modules, structured as follows:

• Module 1 on the benefits of green roofs. This module explains the benefits of installing this type of construction both for buildings and for climate change. It also addresses the characteristics, installation, maintenance and deconstruction phases, as well as the jobs involved and occupational risk prevention measures.
• Module 2 on the installation of green roofs. This unit deals with the different types of roofs, the requirements for their construction and how to install the different layers of the Green Roof System. In addition, other constructive elements that can be installed on the roof (solar panels, awnings…) and the costs of their installation are discussed.
• Module 3 on the maintenance of green roofs. This module deals with the different types of maintenance, the tools used and teaches students how to identify damage caused by use and possible solutions. It also explains how to carry out proper maintenance of all the elements that make up a green roof: solar panels, plants, vegetation, irrigation system …..
• Module 4 on the deconstruction of green roofs. The last unit explains the jobs and activities involved in the deconstruction process, the dismantling plan and how to proceed with the deconstruction and waste management, as well as the possibility of reusing them.

A project for urban and building sustainability

The course that will be open next August has been developed by the entities of the European consortium of the ‘NaturBuild’ project, made up of education and professional training organisations of great recognition within the construction sector in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece.
As the Mediterranean countries share the same climatic challenges, the analysis of the environmental conditions has allowed the establishment of certain similarities that have favoured the analysis of the benefits and types of green roofs existing in these areas. In parallel, the partners have carried out research on regulations and success stories in this field, which was collected in the ‘Analysis of Mediterranean regulations and best practices on nature-based solutions‘. In addition, an interactive map has been developed highlighting good practices and examples of green roofs in the countries of the initiative.