In this paper, I consider an effect of green roofs – its mental and spiritual impact on health of residents living in urbanized area.
It is well known that natural open spaces and well-designed greenspaces provide a locus for recreation, social interaction and community action and are highlighted as having a particularly positive influence on health and well-being. Given that urban green spaces are now widely recognized as major contributors both to the quality of the environment, and to human health and well-being, an important question is whether this will move them closer to, or further from, the goal of mental and spiritual health on urban residents. Aside from psychological health benefits, the effect of environmental benefits of urban green space such as reducing the energy required for the building maintenance, increasing sound insulation, fire resistance, increasing in the life span of the roof, providing small-scale green open spaces, wildlife habitat, improving air quality, reducing urban heat island (UHI) effects, and improving storm water attenuation (Syumi and Hamidah, 2012). In addition to the physical benefits on green open spaces, research has also conducted on the physiological manifestations of stress and restoration (Ulrich and Parsons 1992; Ulrich Dimberg, and Driver, 1991). For example, one study used physiological measures to find the correlation between stress-reducing effects of nature scenes in a health-care setting.
This paper first reviews the health benefits of urban green roof and factors determining sustainable development, and then reports a study quantifying the relative influence of mental and spiritual factors on green roof. The theory builds on the basic framework of the environmental psych...
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Syumi Rafida Abdul Rahman. (2012). Green roofs as urban antidote: A review on aesthetic, environmental, economic and social benefits. Department of Landscape Architecture. UTM.
Gilles Duranton and Diego Puga. (2013). The Growth of Cities. CEMFI Working Paper No.1308.
Kristin L/ Getter and D. Bradley Rowe. (2006). The Role of Extensive Green Roofs in Sustainable Development. HortScience. 41(5):1276-1285.
Ulrich, R. S., Dimberg, V. and Driver, B. L. (1991). 'Psychophysiological indicators of leisure benefits', in Driver, B. L., Brown, P. J. and Peterson, G. L. (eds) Benefits of Leisure. State College, PA, Ventura.
Ulrich, R. S. and Parsons, R. (1992). 'Influences of passive experiences with plants on individual well-being and health', in Relf, D. (ed) The Role of Horticulture in Human Well-being and Social Development. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon pp. 93 - 105.
My own personal philosophy of leisure has been shaped by past and present activities I do for leisure and why I do them. To me, leisure is the sense of being free from external stressors that I face in my life such as school or work. The positive outcomes from partaking in leisure are generally overlooked and often underestimated. Leisure affects our emotions, our physical and mental health, and aids in the creation of relationships. In my own personal life, I have done and still participate in leisure as a way to sooth myself or unwind from the stress of school or work. The release of pent up emotions and energy for individuals helps their relationships with others and their overall health as well. When stress is released, an individual is
Frank Lloyd Wright is one of America’s most influential architects that has left a legacy of structures that are collaged with Nature (Mead, 2014, February). Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture, has left a legacy of tranquil spaces hidden within parks that are known for their “picturesque” qualities (Mead, 2014, January). These two men are completely different with the designs that they’ve created simply because they are using different mediums, but ultimately there aren’t a lot of contrasting elements to their designs. The similarities are evident when you begin to look at their main priority when designing; mental health and wellness. With health and wellness as a mutual focus it is easy to find that they had complementary design influences, theories, and design principles. To create a design that successfully helps to soothe the mind they both found that Nature is the best tool to use. This tool is now their unique contribution to design history, and as a result it stands out as something that today’s designers want to mimmic when focusing on mental health and wellness.
Look at the civilized, beautiful capital cities in every developed country all around the world which is the central of high fashioned and convenience facility. To live in the city, it seems like the nature surrounding is not important to us anymore. In “The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature” David Suzuki presents the connection between human and the nature and how we depend on the surrounding environment. However, within the past century, most of our modern technologies have been developed in order to provide people needs of goods and products (63). Many of the products we made are causing much more harm to the environment than the value that products provide. Technological development has damaged our environment to the point
Recently, with the no-fault laws, it has been easier to dissolve a marriage for any reason or for no reason at all. In the past, divorces as well as marriages had to occur as an agreement or as a contract of responsibility. Through the no-fault laws, however, marriages can be dissolved by the wishes of only one spouse. Many believe that courts should treat marriages as any other contract and thus a divorce should be considered a breach of a legal agreement. If courts treated business contracts as they treated marriages, and systematically favored the party that wished to withdraw, the direct result would be the collapse or decline in the economy.
According to The World Health Organisation (WHO) a Social Determinant of Health “Are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age” Social determinates of health (The World Health Organisation, 2017). (Charted institute of Environmental Health, 2015) says that poor housing can lead to poor health and intensify existing health conditions meaning housing is a key determinant of health as it affects people from birth to older age. Throughout this essay the physical mental health needs of individuals, families and communities will be shown and how housing may affect this.
... amount of runoff water picks up different types of wastes, either natural or human-made, and rushes them into different reservoirs, namely lakes, rivers, and sources of drinking water. Amazingly, green roofs can absorb between 50 and 100% of the precipitation that falls on the roof, greatly increase the filtering time for rainwater, and largely reduce the volume of storm water flowing into streams and drainage systems.
Roof gardens – Taking advantage of every square inch of the building, making a previously useless area habitable
However, within the past few decades science has begun further exploring this concept. Research has proven there is a direct link between spending time in nature and improvements in mental and physical health. A 2013 study (Biel and Hanes, 2013) found that spending even just 20 minutes in a natural environment significantly reduced cortisol levels, a hormone linked to stress. Another mental health study, found elderly adults who engaged in outdoor activities were less prone to depression (Christensen, Holt, and Wilson, 2013). In terms of physical health, spending time outdoors has been proven to reduce blood pressure levels and lower heart rates (Richardson, 2013). The scientific research offers an explanation as to why Strayed, Thoreau, and Emerson had such positive mental health experiences after spending time in
Well-recognized cities worldwide have built over the years great buildings with a variety of designs and concepts however consequently too much building has been making grievous decrease on energy efficiency. Now, “Green Architecture” has been popularized and as a result a modicum of energy efficiency has increased and also it has substantiated a new perspective, a new versatile way on architecture.
In a world where over half of the human population calls a city their home, the need to restructure and revolutionize the way we design our urban environments has never been greater. Currently, the notion that these vast metropolises of metal, concrete, and sludge could one day be fully realized pillars of sustainability is certainly laughable. However, when these same cities are constantly growing and multiplying across the globe, all the while using a greater and greater chunk of our planet’s energy, this impossible task becomes a necessary focus. To strive towards the closed, continuous loop of “true” sustainability could greatly alter the image of the modern city. Any improvement over the current state of urban affairs could carry weight, and even if that goal is not entirely fulfilled, the gained benefits would be immense.
A city has to be beautiful, though the definition of “beauty” is so vague. The beauty can be physical, such as enjoyable parks, streetscapes, architectural facades, the sky fragment through freeways and trees; or it can be the beauty of livelihood, people, and history. As landscape architects, we are creating beautiful things or turning the unpleasant memorial.
Despite the fact that novel technologies are continuously under development to complement existing practices in coming up with greener buildings, the universal intent is that such structures are designed to diminish the general effect on the built environment on health of the humans in addition to the natural environment via: Diminishing environmental degradation, pollution and waste, improving productivity of the employee and guarding occupant health, efficient usage of water, energy, in addition to other resources.
So many things in buildings can make a person act or feel important. An example of this would be someone who is not used to having nice things and when they go out on vacation it’s something as simple as a nice hotel suite to take away the stress that life can sometimes give to a person. But on the other hand a person that already lives in a nice big house with new things may not appreciate the capacity of a nice hotel suite because they already get that on a daily basis. (Clayton & Myers, 2009)
Physical surroundings of people help define the nature, intensity, and longevity of their values. A wealth of resources or mild climate creates a sense of well-being and optimism. In contrast rugged terrain, harsh weather, frequent disaster, and a lack of resources can create cynicism, fear of nature, and a need for interdependency to ensure mutual survival. To a degree we can connect favorable conditions with a higher standard of living and more competitive and detail oriented values.
If there are more people, more, density, and a good mixture of uses, it will be a safer city... You cannot find a single city that does not wish to make the city center more vibrant or livelier.” This quote from Jan Gehl, the principal of Gehl Architects, illustrates the importance of having a sustainable city. The Central Park project has showcased to the world on how the landscape we design or occupy, can affect our daily activities and surrounding neighborhood. It sets an example of how design must be appreciated as a crucial factor in sustainability and emphasized on the fact the connection of people and nature should not be ignored. All in all, landscape architects are the ones to determine the physical characteristics of the public realm environment, to decide whether a city is attractive to people and whether people will choose to live in the city in the long