High temperatures in classrooms. This problem affects millions of students and teachers who live in tropical regions of the world daily, even influencing how they learn and engage with their studies. And it was precisely this issue that mobilized three students and a teacher from Colégio Carlos Restrepo Araujo, located in Bosconia, Colombia, to think of simple and economical ways to refresh the environment.
Observing how the thermal sensation was significantly lower under the trees, the group developed an accessible methodology and equipment for installing green roofs in the institution’s building. The chosen plants create a kind of insulating layer, reducing the incidence of heat, and refreshing the environment, just like the shade of a tree.
“In the beginning, naturally, outlandish ideas emerged, which were very costly or that generated secondary problems such as installing air conditioning, which, in addition to being financially unfeasible, generates direct environmental problems,” analyzes teacher Hernán Alvarado, who coordinated the team of students.
When the young people observed in practice the well-being generated by the shadows of the trees, they began to think about other possibilities for action. There, the group began intense research, seeking references on how to build, without large financial investments, the proposal for green roofs. “But then the problems arose. First, green roofs are common in Europe, where the technology is often applied out of environmental concerns and not necessarily as a strategy to lower temperatures. And secondly: the standard ceilings of schools in the region are sloping metal sheets. How would we go about planting the trees? How to ensure waterproofing? What is the maximum weight that the structure could have?” narrates the teacher, highlighting the importance of the investigation process of the multiple issues that make up a challenge. He explains that more than 70% of the buildings in the region have roofs like the school’s, which, although less expensive, increase the ambient temperature and the feeling of heat.
Design Thinking at 40ºC: ideas to solve climate issues
Based on Design Thinking, the teacher worked with the class on each of the questions, and from the investigation and survey of ideas and possibilities, they began to prototype the solution. As an initial response, they decided to place the plants in pots that could be fitted into structures and then transferred to the roofs. There were several designs until arriving at the solution for the nurseries, such as drawers that could be fitted onto rails, simulating building blocks.
The prototype was installed for testing at distances of 1m in height. From the tests, it was possible to verify that the technology developed by the young people lowers the ambient temperature by up to 8ºC, becoming a truly viable solution not only for schools but for homes and other buildings.
However, as temperatures in the region are very high, water evaporates very quickly, making it difficult to water. Thus, an improvement to the prototype was developed, adding to the structure a compartment for storing both irrigation and rainwater.
To arrive at the final prototype, the group called on different specialists, in addition to intense research of references on scientific websites and materials specializing in the subject. The graphic design of the prototype was done with the support of the teacher himself, in the computer activities, while the biology teacher and the physics teacher supported with the choice of plants, ways of measuring temperatures, and definition of strategies to deal with the water evaporation. “It was a work that uniquely mobilized the students, and that involved different segments and people from the school”, argues Hernán. With the mentoring support of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, the group was able to advance and understand the different stages of Design Thinking. “They supported us a lot in the iterations, understanding how we could actually improve the prototype and make our solution a replicable proposal”, justifies the teacher.
CoolRoof green roof: how it works
The solution was named CoolRoof, in a play on words: Cool, in English, means both “fresh” and “nice” and Roof means “ceiling”. Its final structure consists of two rails that connect two-level plastic rectangular structures. The lower level collects rainwater, and the second receives the plants. As it is a plug-in structure, it is possible to change the containers and plant pots individually, replacing or adjusting the patterns according to the need or configuration of the roofs.
The initiative used a plant popularly known as chorrito, a vine that is typical of the region and has a good response as a thermal insulator. Because it is a vine, it grows quickly and occupies spaces more easily.
CoolRoof: green roof as a continuity project
The proposal, although only tested on an initial scale, caught the attention of local authorities. With the visibility of their participation in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow program, young people were able to present the project to the City Hall, which is interested in testing and replicating the proposal in schools and other public facilities in the region.
The prototype was also presented to the National Learning Service (SENA), a Colombian public institution for professional, technical, and entrepreneurial training linked to the country’s Ministry of Labor, which showed great interest in supporting the group to continue testing and scaling the solution. The idea is to incubate the initiative in the region’s Tecnoparque, qualifying both the prototype and the form of project management.
Multiple wins: project-based learning
In addition to the interest in the continuity of the project, which for the students and teacher is the greatest victory, the teacher celebrates working with the STEM approach and Project Based Learning. For him, the group’s advances were visible, and the skills and knowledge developed will certainly impact their lives as students and as citizens and professionals in the future.
For Hernán, although the students have advanced in many aspects, technical and soft skills; four skills must be highlighted. First, the teacher highlights the time management capacity of his students, who had to combine school activities with the demands of the project.
As a second point, the teacher celebrates how the group qualified their ability for teamwork, with each one defending their points of view and ideas but knowing how to listen and appreciate the collaboration of the colleague. Thirdly, Hernán assesses that young people have lost their fear of making mistakes: “learning to dream, to try, even if the initial response is not what was expected”.
Finally, the teacher explains that having contact with the external community, organizing the pitch, and speaking in public in front of a panel of experts made all the difference. “Today my students feel comfortable in environments they were not familiar with. They have security! And as a teacher this is the greatest gain I could wish for,” he celebrates.
