Tijmen Dekker

Just look up

CumLaude

Department: Man and Public space

Roofscape

With different heights, surfaces, vegetation, wildlife and levels of sun exposure, city rooftops are a landscape in their own right. Hidden from view, they are underused. And yet, with more people now living in cities than ever before, urban space has never been more valuable. Tijmen Dekker hopes that by mapping rooftops, he can open our eyes to how important they can be. Letting nature take root here allows excess rainwater to be soaked up instead of flooding streets below. The extra insulation also saves on energy use, while providing a habitat for bees, birds and insects driven from the countryside by pesticides.