Articles and opinions

Rethinking the Roof

Written by Jeroen Pet | Jul 15, 2025 7:24:47 AM

Duurzaam Duinoord explored whether nature could make your roof smarter. No complex systems, just a mix of sedum and cork. Why?

Because buildings lose up to 30% of their heat through the roof in winter and gain about 40% of heat through it in summer. Sedum helps with summer cooling, but offers little in winter. Could cork fill that gap?

In collaboration with Earthkweek, they tested cork-sedum roof cassettes next to a standard gravel roof. The result: on hot days, the cork-sedum roof stayed cooler. On cold days, it held in more warmth. The more extreme the weather, the more noticeable the effect.

A simple, natural solution that makes buildings more comfortable and a bit more future-proof.

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