A centrepiece of modern architecture, flat roofs are a highly popular option for new buildings, whether they are industrial, commercial or even residential, and a specialist can help you find the right roof solution.
Part of this is due to practicality, since unlike an arched roof the space on top can be used in a wide variety of different ways, either as storage for a HVAC unit or heat pump, a rooftop dining area or even a garden as part of a green roof initiative.
There are a lot of benefits to flat roofs, and a lot of the materials and technologies that make flat roofs popular today are relatively new, but the concept is anything but.
Flat roofs have existed for as long as construction has in areas with warmer climates, to the point that flat roofs are not about practicality or part of an architectural movement but are part of construction tradition.
The reason for this is that, unlike an arched roof, a flat roof is much better at providing shelter from heat, and if you do not expect a lot of rain or colder climates, you can build a flat roof with traditional masonry techniques.
Naturally, this is not the case in the UK, a country somewhat famous for its changeable weather conditions, which would make the types of flat roofs seen in Egypt and the Levant all but impractical.
The mortars and masonry used to make flat roofs in a more arid region would collapse due to the freeze-thaw cycle very quickly in Britain, and so they required a rethink to ensure they would actually survive the different conditions.
This only became possible thanks to the Industrial Revolution and the establishment of structural steel, concrete and waterproof materials such as lead, asphalt and copper.
Eventually, these would be replaced by tar paper, roofing felt and later EPDM rubber.