Car parks in the sky

We have been talking about recycled materials, renewable buildings and circular economies for nearly 20 years now. CSR, equality, diversity and sustainability policies are mainstream nowadays and with COP27 having recently taken place, what we have considered to be the future and strived towards for over 20 years is already with us.

In our design process, the effect of our desicions, the materials and philosophies we use today, are chosen based upon what our mindset and challenges will look like in 30 years time. We are considering how to reduce our energy consumption, how to create energy from renewable sources, how to reduce citywide pollution within our cities and to improve the environments within which we live.

Cars and cities
One of the things which will change the most is our relationship between cars and cities. For over half a century our city design has been focused on allowing cars easily into the city, providing safe parking and encouraging easy access to retail, commerce and industry. The vehicle has been one of the dominant drivers in design. Indeed, in much of the UK, a key desicions in house choice for the residential housing market, is the number of parking spaces. Households have not one or two cars, but in many instaces 3 plus nowadays. Its a key econmoic factor in communities and revenue generation, and also a huge design consideration when looking at on street parking. This is set to change, dramatically.

Car free environments
And correctly so. With our increasing acceptance of climate change, hunger to build healthy fullfilling communities and changing societal needs, we actively try to design cars away from our cities and out of healthy lives. Modern planning policies start from the position of delivering car free environments with active mass transport and more of a connection to nature. In the impact assessments, we start from car free and design in mitigations and acceptances.

The roof space offers solutions
Zoontjens has always believed that the roofscape offers significant benefits for designers looking to resolve many of the issues brought about by society’s growth. For over 50 years we have championed the use of roof space to encourage social interaction, nature’s connection and resolve issues of climate change such as storm management and heat island effects. Zoontjens has been constructing rooftop car parks with considerable sustainable benefits for over 30 years. We have demonstrated that our solutions last in excess of the building lifespan and their demountable nature ensures that they can be re-used again creating circular solutions for a circular economy which is beginning to thrive.

You’re invited to touch the sky
Our relationship with the car is changing, but it will not happen immediately. It is a long term project in even the smartest of cities. We will still need areas to store , re-charge and have accessibility. The roof space offers solutions for all the above and more, and Zoontjens has the international experience to deliver these. We would like to invite you to find out more about our rooftop experience, innovative solutions and breath taking projects.