Master Thesis
Master's thesis by Janet Klawitter and Daria Sankina
Do you actually know what Hamburg's rooftops look like? No? Then you're probably like most people in Hamburg. Daria Sankina and Janet Klawitter from obenstadt also asked themselves this question last year and investigated the matter as part of a joint master's thesis.
DZ-Hyp Gebäude | Foto: Lucas Reyer
But why all this? Are roofs relevant at all?
Yes, because due to the ongoing urbanization trend, increasing demand for space and competition for space, there is a steady decline in open and green spaces in growing cities. However, open and green spaces have important benefits for the well-being of city dwellers, can mitigate the effects of heatwaves and heavy rainfall events and create new habitats for urban flora and fauna. This is why the planning and shared use of roof surfaces is essential for sustainable urban development and should be indispensable in practice.
Illustration: openstreet map
In Hamburg alone, there is an approx. 37 km² roofscape with an incredible amount of development potential that has hardly been used so far and is virtually being wasted. This corresponds to the size of Hamburg's city park, 25(!) times over.
As part of their master's thesis, Daria Sankina and Janet Klawitter went in search of existing and planned roof uses in Hamburg. However, locating roof uses is not so easy, as roofs are generally not visible. With the help of the press, the analysis of aerial photographs and hearsay, the two discovered 17 roof examples and analyzed them more closely. These included the schoolyard roof of the Katharinenschule and the planned roof park on the bunker in Feldstraße. Furthermore, challenges that arise in the planning and implementation of roof uses were identified and approaches for the implementation of more multifunctional roof uses in Hamburg were formulated.
We are also pleased to announce that Janet and Daria's master's thesis was recognized by the Irene and Friedrich Vorwerk Foundation as one of the best master's theses of 2021. Thank you very much!
Curious to find out more? You can get their Master's thesis here.
