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🔏 Patenting Sustainability: How Igor Ustinov’s WaterRoofs System Redefines Climate Innovation

  • Writer: Melanie Galpin
    Melanie Galpin
  • May 16
  • 2 min read

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In a world where climate challenges demand urgent action, true innovation lies not only in invention - but in scalable, protected solutions that can transform industries. That’s why patents for sustainable technologies are more important than ever: they ensure that ecological breakthroughs can be safely commercialized, replicated, and trusted.

One such innovation is the WaterRoofs system, a patented evaporative roofing technology developed by Igor Ustinov - artist, inventor, and co-founder of UHCS (Ustinov Hoffmann Construction System).


🧠 The Vision Behind the Patent

WaterRoofs was born from a simple but powerful insight: the built environment is draining the planet’s water cycle.

Today’s conventional rooftops - flat, impermeable, and designed to evacuate water - contribute to:

  • Heat island effects in cities

  • Water stress by diverting rain into sewers rather than the atmosphere

  • Microclimate destabilization due to a lack of evaporation


Ustinov’s innovation? A modular roof tile system that retains rainwater in micro-grooves and releases it slowly through evaporation, mimicking the behavior of a forest canopy.

The tiles are made from recycled PET, are UV-resistant, customizable by climate zone, and can integrate with solar panels or rainwater harvesting systems.


📜 A Patented Technology for a Scalable Future

The WaterRoofs system is protected under international patent, ensuring its design and functionality are recognized as novel and applicable across jurisdictions.

Key components of the patent include:

  • Tile geometry and internal micro-channel structure

  • Water retention and drainage design for passive evaporation

  • Compatibility with different roofing angles and materials ‱ Adaptability to varying climatic zones based on regional evapotranspiration rates


This protection allows WaterRoofs to collaborate confidently with developers, cities, and manufacturers - while keeping its ecological integrity and innovation DNA intact.


♻ Why Patents Matter in the Age of Climate Crisis

In the sustainability space, it’s easy to overlook the role of intellectual property. But patents ensure longevity, trust, and investment readiness - key factors in scaling climate-positive infrastructure.

  • They prevent greenwashing by legally defining a system’s ecological function

  • They attract licensing partners, allowing faster deployment across global markets

  • They open doors to research funding, certifications, and regulatory adoption

For Igor Ustinov and the WaterRoofs team, the patent isn’t just legal protection. It’s a platform for transformation - from architecture as shelter, to architecture as an active player in water cycle restoration.


đŸ›ïž Recognition at the Highest Level

Ustinov’s work has already been acknowledged at international events such as the Geneva Inventions Expo, where his earlier construction system (UHCS) received the IFIA Prize for Best Invention. His presence as a 2025 jury member further confirms the importance of design-driven sustainability and patented climate tools.


🌿 Looking Ahead: From Innovation to Implementation

WaterRoofs is now available for pilot projects, public procurement, and collaboration with eco-minded developers. With its international patent secured, the system is ready to scale in cities facing drought, urban overheating, or climate adaptation mandates.

This is what 21st-century green technology looks like: protecting nature by protecting the ideas that serve it.


🔗 Learn more about our patented design at www.waterroofs.com


 
 
 

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