AN INTRODUCTION TO GREEN WALLS: LIVING WALLS

In the challenge of urban expansion and environmental preservation, sustainable development is a significant response to our century’s requirements. Although vertical greening (green walls) are not a new concept but flourished during the last decade as one of the approaches to sustainability. Vertical gardens, vertical farms, balcony gardens, containers or planter boxes greening, green or eco-buildings, wall planters, and green envelops are all different types of green walls. Planners and designers can look for enhanced solutions where the façades are more than tinted glass barrier; greening the building envelope with vegetation can be used as a mean to restore the environmental conditions in urban areas.
Environmental benefits of green walls have been proven on both new and existing buildings; they can be applied for insulating against environmental impact, mitigating the effect of urban heat island, increasing biodiversity and ecological value, outdoor and indoor comfort, air quality and social and psychological wellbeing. Green walls are categorized into living walls and green facades; living walls which are the subject of this presentation categorized into passive and active systems, Mur-Vegetal and Landscape walls according to their systems and growing method.

1. AN INTRODUCTION TO GREEN WALLS:
LIVING WALLS


Mehdi Rakhshandehroo
Faculty of Design And Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

2. Abstract
•In the challenge of urban expansion and environmental preservation,
sustainable development is a significant response to our century’s
requirements. Although vertical greening (green walls) are not a new concept
but flourished during the last decade as one of the approaches to
sustainability. Vertical gardens, vertical farms, balcony gardens, containers or
planter boxes greening, green or eco-buildings, wall planters, and green
envelops are all different types of green walls. Planners and designers can
look for enhanced solutions where the façades are more than tinted glass
barrier; greening the building envelope with vegetation can be used as a
mean to restore the environmental conditions in urban areas.

•Environmental benefits of green walls have been proven on both new and
existing buildings; they can be applied for insulating against environmental
impact, mitigating the effect of urban heat island, increasing biodiversity and
ecological value, outdoor and indoor comfort, air quality and social and
psychological wellbeing. Green walls are categorized into living walls and
green facades; living walls which are the subject of this presentation
categorized into passive and active systems, Mur-Vegetal and Landscape
walls according to their systems and growing method.

3. Introduction
•Since 2000 years ago climbing plants have been manipulated to the main
building façade.
•They may be applied as indoor or outdoor systems.
•The selection of plants and soils should be different according region and
climate.
• Selected plants roots can grow in:
oThe wall material directly
oGround
oModular panels attached to the façade
Source: http://makinglewes.org

4. Benefits
Environmental benefits include:

•Aesthetic enhancement
•Pollution filtration
•Requisition carbon dioxide
•Decrease in fine dust levels
•Cleaning the air
•Photosynthesis
•Serve as an “extra insulation” to
decreases the wind flow and heat
radiation
•Blocking of the direct sunlight
•Energy saving
•Sound reduction
A bridge in France,(Source: http://urbantimes.co)

5. •Green walls (vertical greening)
can be categorized According to their
systems and growing methods:

1. Green façades (direct and indirect
system)
2. Living walls (passive, active, Mur-
Vegetal and landscape wall)

This presentation will discuss
different issues of living walls.
Living wall, Source: http://makinglewes.org

6. Living walls
•Living wall systems (LWS) are built of modular panels, each part holds its
own soil or artificial growing medium

•In a comparison to green facades most of these systems:
oNeed more detailed design
oHave complicated layers, supporting materials and mechanism of water and
nutrient
oAre more energy consuming and difficult to maintain
oApply a variety of plants, mostly evergreen plants as ferns, low shrubs, perennial flowers
and even edible plants
oOffer much more creativity and aesthetic

7. •The durability of living wall systems are important to take into account:

oLiving wall systems based on planter boxes last more than 50 years.
oLiving wall systems with panels based on felt layer have an average life
expectancy of 10 years
Living walls based on: a- planter boxes, b-foam substrate, c- felt layers, (source: R. Sharp 2008)

8. Passive living walls
•They are mostly applied in modular
systems.
•As modular systems are usually pre-
grown, can provide an immediate green
effect.
•They should be supplied with irrigation
system along the wall at different levels
•A waterproof substance separates the
building wall and system to prevent wetting
problem.
•Fertilizers, emitters, Insulation and lighting
systems may be required.

Living walls components: 1- Panels, 2- Non-soil structural growth
medium,3- Plants,4- Remote irrigation/fertilization system,5- Stainless
steel frame, (Source: Gsky.com)

9. Passive living wall, (Source: La societe Green wall)

10. Active living walls
•Apply a forced air flow through the subs-
tract.
•It is intended to be integrated into the
building’s infrastructure and designed to act as bio-
filter indoor and ecological air conditioning system.
•Rich nutrient water recirculated from a
manifold.
•Two layers of synthetic fabric sandwich
the roots mass.
• The plants absorbs carbon monoxide and
produces cool fresh air by a fan that pulls
environment air through the system and distribute it throughout
the space.
•Where this system is integrated with the
building's air condition, reduces energy
consumption.
Active living wall, (Source: GM Canada and air quality solution)

11. Mur-Vegetal

•Mur-Vegetal is an exclusive type
pioneered by Patrick Blanc who is a
French botanist specialized in plants
from.
•This system consists of two layers of
synthetic fabric with several pockets
that physically keep growing media
and support plants.
•It is held by a frame and supported by
a waterproof substance against the
building’s main wall.
• The irrigation system that propels,
water from top to down, also
distribute nutrients to the plant’s
roots.
Mur Vegetal (Source: http://flickr.com/photos)

12. Landscape walls
•Landscape walls are an
evolution of landscape berms.

•They are:
o Normally sloped against the
vertical barrier and have the
major functions of slope
stabilization and noise
reduction.
oConstructed from some stacking
material made of concrete or
plastic with spaces for plants
and growing media.
Landscape wall, (Source: http://www.herculesmfg.com)

13. Thank you

14. References:
•ARAbI, R., SHAHIdAn, M. F., Kamal, M. M., Jaafar, M. F. Z. B., & Rakhshandehroo, M. (2015). Mitigating Urban Heat Island Through Green
Roofs. Current World Environment, 10(Special Issue 1 (2015)), 918-927. http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.10.Special-Issue1.111
•Hindle, R. L. (2012). A vertical garden: origins of the Vegetation-Bearing Architectonic Structure and System (1938). Studies in the History of
Gardens & Designed Landscapes, 32(2), 99-110. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14601176.2011.653535
•Ottelé, M., van Bohemen, H. D., & Fraaij, A. L. (2010). Quantifying the deposition of particulate matter on climber vegetation on living
walls.Ecological Engineering, 36(2), 154-162. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925857409001098
•Köhler, M. (2008). Green facades—a view back and some visions. Urban Ecosystems, 11(4), 423-436.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11252-008-0063-x
•Ottelé, M., van Bohemen, H. D., & Fraaij, A. L. (2010). Quantifying the deposition of particulate matter on climber vegetation on living
walls.Ecological Engineering, 36(2), 154-162. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925857409001098
•Perini, K., Ottelé, M., Fraaij, A. L. A., Haas, E. M., & Raiteri, R. (2011). Vertical greening systems and the effect on air flow and temperature
on the building envelope. Building and Environment, 46(11), 2287-2294.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S036013231100148X
•R. Sharp, J. Sable, F. Bertram, E. Mohan, and S. Peck, “Introduction to Green Walls: technology, benefits & design,” Toronto Green Roofs
Heal. Cities, 2008.
•Sharp, R., Sable, J., Bertram, F., Mohan, E., & Peck, S. (2008). Introduction to Green Walls: technology, benefits & design. Toronto: Green
Roofs for Healthy Cities.
•Rakhshandehroo, M., Yusof, M., Johari, M., & Arabi, R. (2015, March). Living wall (vertical greening): Benefits and Threats. In Applied
Mechanics and Materials (Vol. 747, pp. 16-19). http://www.scientific.net/AMM.747.16
•Rakhshandehroo, M., Yusof, M., Johari, M., & Deghati Najd, M. (2015, March). Green Façade (Vertical Greening): Benefits and Threats.
InApplied Mechanics and Materials (Vol. 747, pp. 12-15). http://www.scientific.net/AMM.747.12
•RakhshandehrooM., Mohdyusof M. J., Tahir O. M. and Yunos M. Y. M. THE SOCIALBENEFITS OF URBAN OPEN GREEN SPACES: A
LITERATURE REVIEW MANAGEMENT RESEARCH AND PRACTICE VOL. 7 ISSUE 4 (2015) PP: 60-71. http://mrp.ase.ro/no74/f5.pdf