Roofs

With the ultimate goal of providing affordable homes in cities where living space is increasingly at a premium, a German company is shooting for the moon by landing on the rooftops. Cabin Spacey's small, prefab shelters are designed to be installed on top of buildings, or in other unused sites.

Of all the scenarios you'd want to find yourself in during a heatwave, being barefoot on a hot tin roof would be toward the bottom of the list. But scientists have developed a material said to keep a rooftop cooler than the air that surrounds it, saving energy and sweating residents in the process.

Rojkind Arquitectos recently collaborated with AGENT to redesign a helipad in Mexico into a sustainable rooftop garden and customizable office space.

The Solar Powered Fresh Air Skylight can be opened and closed via remote control, without installing any wiring.

Dow Solar is rolling out its new POWERHOUSE Solar Shingles in northern California and central Texas.

A team of MIT graduates has demonstrated a thermally-activated, color-changing, roofing material called “Thermeleon” that helps reflect heat in summer and absorb heat in winter.

'Green roofs' are proving even more beneficial than first thought after a new study has revealed their ability to remove harmful carbon dioxide from cities.