As record-breaking temperatures sweep across European cities, practitioners have recognized that existing infrastructure is poorly equipped to address the impacts of climate change. In response to this concern Roofscapes, a startup emerging from the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, has developed innovative solutions to amplify urban climate resilience. Their approach focuses on the strategic adaptation of underutilized spaces such as rooftops. By tackling the immediate challenges posed by extreme heat, the startup's work epitomizes how architectural innovation can directly contribute to addressing climate adaptation needs in cities. The company was recognized as one of ArchDaily's 2024 Best New Practices for their innovative approach to tackling urban issues such as affordability, lack of biodiversity, rising urban temperatures and repurposing.
Creating New Green Surfaces
As young designers, the founders of Roofscapes sought to align their work with their societal and environmental values, aiming to positively impact urban environments. The company is primarily focused on addressing climate change challenges in dense urban settings. While greening cities was identified as a key strategy for enhancing climate resilience, the limited space in dense urban centers like Paris and other major European cities posed a significant challenge. Recognizing the potential of green rooftops to improve urban climate resilience, especially in space-constrained cities, Roofscapes is exploring innovative ways for buildings to adapt alongside evolving societal needs.
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Urban Spaces for an Overheated Planet: 12 Projects that tackle this Global ChallengeFounded in 2020 by MIT graduate students Tim Cousin, Olivier Faber, and Eytan Levi, Roofscapes was incubated at the MIT DesignX accelerator, where it won first prize. The company's potential was further recognized when it received an award from the Ministry of Ecology in the Hackathon Renov'Action, leading to its inclusion in Urban Lab, the City of Paris' urban innovation laboratory. Recently, Roofscapes secured the "Paris Resilient Innovation" grant, supporting the implementation of a pilot project in the French capital, further validating their approach to urban climate adaptation.
A Pilot Project in Paris
The pilot project at the Académie du Climat in Paris marks a critical step in demonstrating the viability and benefits of Roofscapes' solutions. This initiative involves installing a green roof system to monitor various impacts, including temperature reduction, biodiversity enhancement, and water retention. It represents a practical application of their design philosophy and provides valuable data to support wider adoption of green roofs. The team's focus was sharpened by the 2019 European heatwaves, which saw unprecedented temperatures of 42.6°C in Paris, underscoring the urgent need to adapt urban environments to new climatic conditions.
After observing zinc roof overheating for several years, Roofscapes partnered with the City of Paris in 2024 through a research and development procurement. This collaboration with the Department of Ecological Transition and Climate aimed to refine and test Roofscapes' solutions for adapting Parisian zinc roofs to heatwaves. The Académie du Climat, a new institution launched by Mayor Anne Hidalgo in a repurposed town hall building to serve as a climate change forum, was chosen as the pilot site. Construction was completed between March and May 2024, marking a significant step in urban climate adaptation efforts.
The 100 sqm pilot project on the Académie du Climat's roof is designed to monitor various ecosystem benefits. Temperature sensors measure heat transfer impacts, while the project tracks rainwater retention and plant species' irrigation autonomy to optimize resilience during extreme weather events. Biodiversity surveys focus on spontaneous fauna, especially pollinators, to support resilient ecosystems.
Roofscapes discusses their motivations, "In Paris, rooftops comprise a third of the city's horizontal surface, representing a significant untapped resource in dense urban centers". However, European city centers predominantly feature pitched roofs, for which green and accessible solutions were lacking. Materials like zinc exacerbate the urban heat island effect, threatening urban livability. Roofscapes' project aims to address this gap through scalable design solutions. The team believes that rooftops have substantial unexplored potential for adapting existing buildings to climate change across Europe. Their approach not only tackles the specific challenges of Paris but also offers a model for urban climate adaptation that could be applied in various European contexts.
The pilot project has already shown positive impacts, with heat sensors recording temperature reductions of up to 17°C under the green roof compared to exposed zinc surfaces on sunny summer days. The once inert mineral roof is now a vibrant ecosystem, attracting insects and birds. Building users benefit from cooler spaces and access to an outdoor green area, significantly improving the work environment. "The project's visibility raises awareness about climate adaptation through roof modifications", they share. While immediate effects are apparent, comprehensive data on biodiversity and water retention will require several years of monitoring. Overall, the pilot demonstrates the potential for transforming urban roofs to address climate challenges.
"Our architectural experience showed that conventional procurement processes can limit innovation and sustainability goals," Roofscapes explains. This pilot reinforced their belief in more direct approaches, particularly with public authorities who seek innovative climate adaptation solutions. While these collaborations may take longer to develop, they're worthwhile investments. Once proven, the concept can engage a wider range of stakeholders.
Influencing Climate-Responsive Architecture in Europe
Roofscapes' pilot project demonstrates the technical feasibility and ecosystem benefits of adapting existing buildings for climate resilience. It proves that historical structures can be tactically modified to address issues like indoor overheating, shifting focus from new construction to strategic interventions on existing buildings.
As the first R&D public procurement contract by the City of Paris, it exemplifies successful collaboration between architectural initiatives and local authorities in translating innovative ideas into real-world solutions. This implementation has accelerated discussions about further deployments by making Roofscapes' approach more tangible to potential partners, including local authorities, social housing landlords, commercial real estate owners, condominium associations, and private owners. Ultimately, the project showcases how such interventions can play a crucial role in enhancing urban resilience to future climate conditions, providing a model for cities worldwide.
While initiated in Paris, Roofscapes' pilot project has implications beyond the French capital. The team is now engaging with other European cities to design climate adaptation solutions tailored to their specific urban contexts. "Scaling the concept requires a comprehensive understanding of implementation factors - we are exploring various configurations and contexts through additional projects, considering deployment on different building types such as schools, offices, condominiums, challenges posed by varied construction methods from different eras, and how diverse city contexts influence design responses", the team mentions. This systematic exploration aims to refine their approach and develop a scalable model adaptable to various building types across different urban environments.
Climate Adaption in Diverse Contexts
Roofscapes' philosophy positions architectural design as a driver for urban innovation and catalyst for meaningful change. Their approach follows a "research-advocacy-experimentation" framework, beginning with identifying urban challenges and crafting design responses, then advocating for awareness and solutions, and finally implementing tangible prototypes. This advocacy component, rare in the AEC industry, is seen as crucial for designers in shaping urban transition towards resilience and sustainability.
Beyond scaling roof adaptations, Roofscapes aims to explore other forms of climate adaptation in diverse contexts, including building facades, courtyards, and basements. Their goal is to realign existing building stock with changing climate and social needs, a focus derived from their MIT graduate theses.
To unlock the untapped potential for climate adaptation in urban environments, Roofscapes maintains research collaborations with institutions like MIT and ETH Zürich, engages in teaching initiatives at Harvard GSD and ENSCI, and discusses new climate adaptation projects with European cities. This multifaceted approach combines academic research, practical implementation, and cross-city collaboration to advance creative architectural solutions for urban climate resilience.
This feature is part of an ArchDaily series titled AD Narratives, where we share the story behind a selected project, diving into its particularities. Every month, we explore new constructions from around the world, highlighting their story and how they came to be. We also talk to the architects, builders, and community, seeking to underline their personal experiences. As always, at ArchDaily, we highly appreciate the input of our readers. If you think we should feature a certain project, please submit your suggestions.
