Double-skin roof is known as a very effective way to reduce both the conduction and convection heat transfers from roof to the ceiling of building, on the other hand, RBS (radiant barrier system) is very effective in blocking the radiation heat transfer between roof and ceiling. In this study, prototypical double roofs inspired by the concepts of both double-skin structure and RBS technique was specifically designed to cut down the solar heat gain from roof. The effect of energy saving was experimentally measured. A double roof structure, formed by a roof plate and an aluminum foil-PP (polypropylene) board-RC slab, can achieve good performance of heat barrier and is highly recommended. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.