Transformation of Urban Spaces: The Impact of Green Roofs in Košice, Slovakia

Abstract

The creation of the greenIZOLA Experimental Center results from a long-term collaboration between the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Košice, and the construction company, IZOLA Košice, s.r.o. The project focuses on a four-story administrative building with four terraces and services, asphalt roads, and warehouses located in the industrial part known as Nad Jazerom, in Košice, Slovakia. This study examines the benefits of green roofs as a case study in green transformation processes. Green roofs have multiple benefits. In addition to reducing energy demands for heating and cooling through better insulation properties, green roofs can improve stormwater management and local water balances by mitigating water runoff and increasing local evaporation. They can reduce energy demands, improve stormwater management, and enhance biodiversity. The research involved comparing pre- and post-establishment data with simulations. The roof was divided into three test segments for temperature measurements throughout the year. External climatic parameters were monitored using a weather station and a pyranometer. Long-term temperature monitoring in the individual roof layers was also conducted. This data was crucial for validating the building energy demand simulation models, assessed using the SimStadt platform. The results showed a 15–40% reduction in U-values with different types of greening. The findings could encourage more widespread implementation of green roofs in Slovakia and Eastern Europe.