Lubaina Soni
I am investigating a light-weight green roof which has appropriate water storage for maximum survival of plants under various climatic conditions.
Replacing bare conventional roofs in cities with green roofs can help reduce impacts of urbanisation through cooling, rainwater capture and insulating underlying buildings. Climatic conditions have a great impact on plant survival on green roofs meaning that green roofs in hotter, drier climates may require supplementary irrigation. Increasing plant coverage and providing excessive water may demand increased weight-loading capacity of the building with increasing costs to support the weight of green roofs.
My research will examine how increased plant coverage on green roofs with less risks of survival can be made possible when the resources are limited. I will focus on making green roof systems lighter but at the same time being able support a wide range of plant species by providing appropriate water storage for plant water uptake under different arrangements on green roof.
Biography
My undergraduate studies in Architecture at University of Karachi, Pakistan, expanded my knowledge of built structures. Moreover, I was captivated by idea of how built environment could be altered and enhanced. This inspiration led me to acquire further graduate studies in Environmental Design at Allama Iqbal Open University of Islamabad, Pakistan, which allowed the interweaving of natural and man-made components designed for betterment of human habitat. Hence, I attained firm perception for construction and ability to envision and create balance between arts, mathematics and design.
A comprehensive research work during studies, particularly with experienced professionals widened my vision in field of urban landscape management, got published in a renowned research journal from Pakistan in 2016. Another research developed on green roofing systems proved my capacity for designing ecologically sound built environments, which got the opportunity to be presented in well-known American conference in 2017.
Currently, I aspire to accomplish post-graduate studies at the University of Melbourne, Australia and experiment on the future research needs of green infrastructure in terms of microclimate improvement / water conservation / indoor air quality / energy efficiency / low carbon footprint. I wish to design innovative technical solutions that can be implemented to re-invent new environment and forge better living conditions for the people living in dense cities.
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