Education for sustainability through conceptual modelling: green roofs as a way of integrating buildings and nature

Abstract

Questions arise concerning the way ecosystems inspire the design of the environment that undergoes human intervention. Planting vegetation on rooftops, as green roofs, brings numerous environmental, economic and social benefits. In order to better understand and to manage green roofs as sustainable urban ecosystems it is important to consider an interdisciplinary approach at a higher education level. This manuscript presents an exercise designed to support the understanding of green roofs as urban ecosystems through a conceptual model, acting as a facilitator tool to communicate across different disciplines and enabling to communicate and convey information in a graphic language. The exercise was implemented during an Erasmus Plus Project workshop and 16 participants with different backgrounds were engaged. Diverse outcomes were achieved in accordance with the participants' background, allowing the connection of diverse areas of expertise. As a result, the study shows how conceptual modelling can contribute to an interdisciplinary approach and therefore promoting a better integrated solution for socio-ecological problems. As such the study gives step forward in the practice of an Education for Sustainable Development. Keywords: green roofs, ecosystem services, conceptual modelling, education for sustainability, higher education