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Living | Living walls are defined as vegetation that grows directly onto a building's facade, or on a separate structure that can be freestanding or attached to a wall. Living walls can also be called [[green walls]], [http://greenfacades.com/ green facades], [http://www.greenstrides.com/2008/05/27/greening-buildings-with-bio-walls/ bio walls], and [http://fabricarchitecturemag.com/articles/0509_ce_vertical.html vertical vegetation]. Green or living walls are an emerging technology that integrates vegetation into the architectural environment. | ||
==What are Living Walls?== | ==What are Living Walls?== | ||
[[Image:3 level living wall.jpg|left]] | [[Image:3 level living wall.jpg|left]] | ||
*Living walls are vertically oriented gardens usually climbing a wall of a building or structure. Living walls have been used for centuries in Europe; whether this was an intentional use of living walls or a natural process of local fauna overtaking an available medium probably depended on | *Living walls are vertically-oriented gardens, usually climbing a wall of a building or structure. Living walls have been used for centuries in Europe; whether this was an intentional use of living walls or a natural process of local fauna overtaking an available medium probably depended on the cultural status of the occupants. Today living walls are re-entering the spotlight as an environmentally friendly way to reduce energy costs and bring nature back into the human landscape. | ||
*Living walls are a relatively untapped art and | *Living walls are a relatively untapped art and architectural medium where living plants become a dynamic and evolving artwork that requires periodic upkeep. | ||
*Living walls can be purely decorative, produce food or medicinal plants in small areas, provide energy savings through reduced heat absorption and even improve the quality of indoor air. | *Living walls can be purely decorative, produce food or medicinal plants in small areas, provide energy savings through reduced heat absorption, and even improve the quality of indoor air. | ||
==Why | ==Why Build Living Walls?== | ||
Benefits of living walls include | Benefits of living walls include: | ||
*Lowering energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions | *Lowering energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions | ||
*Reduction of Urban Heat Island Effect ( | *Reduction of Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE) | ||
*Increasing the thermal performance of buildings(lowering energy costs) | *Increasing the thermal performance of buildings(lowering energy costs) | ||
*Improvement of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) | *Improvement of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) | ||
| Line 20: | Line 20: | ||
*Improvement of health and well-being.<ref name=environmentdesignguide>[http://www.environmentdesignguide.net.au/media/TEC26.pdf Living Walls - A Way to Green the Built Environment], PDF from environmentdesignguide, Friday, 09 October 2009.</ref> | *Improvement of health and well-being.<ref name=environmentdesignguide>[http://www.environmentdesignguide.net.au/media/TEC26.pdf Living Walls - A Way to Green the Built Environment], PDF from environmentdesignguide, Friday, 09 October 2009.</ref> | ||
===Health | ===Health Benefits=== | ||
According to the U.S. EPA, | According to the U.S. EPA, indoor air quality can sometimes be much worse than the outdoor air quality of the most polluted cities. Constant exposure to poor air quality can cause asthma, irritation, and a myriad of other health problems. Poor indoor air quality is often due to poor ventilation and off-gassing of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from carpets, paints, upholstery, insulation,and countless other common products. Remedies for poor air on a small scale is limited to opening windows and fans while large scale systems often use Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. Living walls can be used on any scale to improve the indoor air quality. | ||
Living | Living walls provide health benefits on both the physical and psychological levels. The plants use CO2 and circulate the air in the room, removing VOC's from the ambient air. This reduces negative health effects associated with VOC's and poor indoor air. Living walls therefore improve air quality through photosynthesizing; absorbing CO2 and emitting oxygen. | ||
On a psychological level, plants can provide a calming effect as well as increase worker efficiency. Quantifying a psychological benefit from plants in a person's space is somewhat difficult. However, qualitative reports of general improvement in mood and calmness are common in measuring effects of plants on human psychology. | |||
===Energy | ===Energy Savings=== | ||
Exterior walls | Exterior walls | ||
Living walls reduce heat island effect. The sun's energy that used to reflect and radiate heat off of buildings is now absorbed by the growing plants. | |||
Living walls reduce indoor cooling needs and costs. Shading from the plants on an exterior wall can decrease the temperature inside the building. Lower temperatures indoors reduce the need for air conditioning. | |||
===Noise Reduction=== | |||
Living walls absorb sound waves, reducing city noise. | |||
===Reduction of Storm Water Runoff=== | |||
The soil from living walls absorbs rain, reducing runoff. | |||
===Building Protection=== | |||
*Living walls absorbs acid rain, keeping it off the building. | |||
*They protect against ultraviolet rays. | |||
*They reduce temperature change, which reduces expansion and contraction of building materials. | |||
===Creation of Habitat=== | |||
Living walls create habitat for microorganisms, insects, and birds. | |||
==Application/Uses== | ==Application/Uses== | ||
===How do | ===How do Living Walls Improve Indoor Air Quality?=== | ||
Air quality is improved by a biological process called | Air quality is improved by a biological process called biofiltration. Air can be forced past the plants and the soil medium containing microbes, which remove VOC's, dust, and dirt particles from the air. The pollutants from the air are absorbed into a liquid phase and consumed by the microbes. The microbes use the pollutants as an energy source and degrade them to carbon dioxide and water. The air is then pumped through the traditional HVAC system and is redistributed into the building. An estimated 65% to 90% of VOC's have been removed using biofiltration. | ||
[[Image:Livingwallhvac.jpg|thumb|right|Fig 1: Living wall combined with HVAC system]] | [[Image:Livingwallhvac.jpg|thumb|right|Fig 1: Living wall combined with HVAC system]] | ||
===How | ===How Do Living Walls Reduce Cooling Costs?=== | ||
Shading from the plants on a | Shading from the plants on a sunlit wall reduces the amount of direct light hitting the structure. The energy absorbed by the plants is converted into sugars through photosynthesis instead of reflecting and radiating most of the energy (heat) striking the wall. | ||
Indoor living walls can also reduce cooling/heating costs. Traditional HVAC systems must, by code, replace a certain amount of indoor air with fresh outdoor air every hour. While this is being accomplished the outdoor air must be heated/cooled to the desired indoor temperature. With an indoor living wall system the same air is used over and over again. The air is filtered by the living wall and maintains its temperature, eliminating the need to | Indoor living walls can also reduce cooling/heating costs. Traditional HVAC systems must, by code, replace a certain amount of indoor air with fresh outdoor air every hour. While this is being accomplished, the outdoor air must be heated/cooled to the desired indoor temperature. With an indoor living wall system the same air is used over and over again. The air is filtered by the living wall and maintains its temperature, eliminating the need to heat and/or cool outdoor air. | ||
==Design== | ==Design== | ||
===How are Living | ===How are Living Walls Made?=== | ||
Any plant requires a type of growing medium. Some plants require a lot of medium in order to flourish, other plants need very little. The first element to building a living wall is the physical structure of the wall. Plants need water and moist soil, two things not commonly found anywhere near drywall. Some method of retaining the drip from plants and soil is a good first step | Any plant requires a type of growing medium. Some plants require a lot of medium in order to flourish, other plants need very little. The first element to building a living wall is the physical structure of the wall. Plants need water and moist soil, two things not commonly found anywhere near drywall. Some method of retaining the drip from plants and soil is a good first step, for example, building little cubbies at slight upward angles. | ||
=== Types of Living Walls=== | === Types of Living Walls=== | ||
Living walls to choose from: | Living walls to choose from: | ||
* The [[panel system]] | * The [[panel system]] is a pre-planted system that you can buy from a company such as panel specialists at ELT Living Wall Systems.<ref>http://www.eltlivingwalls.com/</ref>. Once purchased you can either install the panels yourself or have an expert install them for you onto an existing wall, indoors or outdoors, along with an irrigation system. | ||
*In [[Felt Systems]] plants are fitted into felt pockets of growing medium and then attached to a waterproofed backing which is then connected to the building behind. An example of a felt system is Patrick Blanc’s Vertical Garden which is composed of a metal frame, a thin PVC sheet, and a felt polyamode layer which is attached to the PVC. | *In [[Felt Systems]] plants are fitted into felt pockets of growing medium and then attached to a waterproofed backing which is then connected to the building behind. An example of a felt system is [http://www.verticalgardenpatrickblanc.com/ Patrick Blanc’s Vertical Garden] which is composed of a metal frame, a thin PVC sheet, and a felt polyamode layer which is attached to the PVC. | ||
*Finally, | *Finally, a container/[[trellis system]] consists of vegetation that is grown in containers which climb onto trellises. Irrigation drip lines are put in place to control the watering and feeding of the plants.<ref name=environmentdesignguide /> | ||
==What is the | ==What is the Scale of a Living Wall?== | ||
Living walls can be adapted to almost any size | |||
[http://www.eltlivingwalls.com/photo_gallery.php a photo gallery of living walls] | [http://www.eltlivingwalls.com/photo_gallery.php a photo gallery of living walls] | ||
== Maintenance == | == Maintenance == | ||
If you consider living walls before the | If you consider living walls before the building's construction occurs you can greatly reduce maintenance costs. | ||
Once the initial panels are in place living walls require little maintenance. They are designed so their upkeep is about the same as a landscaped garden. Most important to the upkeep of living walls is their irrigation systems. Living walls are basically hydroponic systems where water and nutrients are fed to the wall through some means of mechanical irrigation. Some living wall systems are designed to collect rain water and/or reuse gray water.<ref name=environmentdesignguide /> | |||
== Types of Plants to | The panels sold by ELT are designed to allow the water to flow from cell to cell within the panel and from panel to panel within the wall. The water flows internally within the panels. The water flows from the top grooves in each panel, through the subsequent grooves, until it reaches to bottom of the panel where it drips out from the drainage channels and into the panel below. Irrigation systems are designed with automatic timers for ease of use. <ref>http://www.eltlivingwalls.com/irrigation.php</ref> | ||
The plants you choose for your living wall vary greatly | |||
== Types of Plants to Use == | |||
The plants you choose for your living wall can vary greatly, depending on the amount of sunlight available, the space available, the different places on your living wall (and different exposure to water), and whether your living wall is indoors or outdoors. There are many choices to choose from. There are also many vegetables that have been grown successfully in living walls.<ref>http://www.eltlivingwalls.com/planting_ideas.php</ref> | |||
==Concerns== | ==Concerns== | ||
* Moisture must be controlled to avoid mold growth. | * Moisture must be controlled to avoid mold growth. | ||
* Plants will attract insects. | * Plants will attract insects. | ||
* | * One must be careful to choose plants that won't release excessive pollen. | ||
* Plants must be maintained | * Plants must be maintained, including, trimming, watering, replanting, and washing. | ||
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||
| Line 98: | Line 91: | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
* [http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1078/ Green Roofs? How About Green Walls!] - EcoGeek, Wednesday, 17 October 2007. | * [http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1078/ Green Roofs? How About Green Walls!] - EcoGeek, Wednesday, 17 October 2007. | ||
[[Category:Alternative building]] | [[Category:Alternative building]] | ||
[[Category:Urban agriculture]] | [[Category:Urban agriculture]] | ||
Revision as of 01:09, 28 August 2010
Living walls are defined as vegetation that grows directly onto a building's facade, or on a separate structure that can be freestanding or attached to a wall. Living walls can also be called green walls, green facades, bio walls, and vertical vegetation. Green or living walls are an emerging technology that integrates vegetation into the architectural environment.
What are Living Walls?
- Living walls are vertically-oriented gardens, usually climbing a wall of a building or structure. Living walls have been used for centuries in Europe; whether this was an intentional use of living walls or a natural process of local fauna overtaking an available medium probably depended on the cultural status of the occupants. Today living walls are re-entering the spotlight as an environmentally friendly way to reduce energy costs and bring nature back into the human landscape.
- Living walls are a relatively untapped art and architectural medium where living plants become a dynamic and evolving artwork that requires periodic upkeep.
- Living walls can be purely decorative, produce food or medicinal plants in small areas, provide energy savings through reduced heat absorption, and even improve the quality of indoor air.
Why Build Living Walls?
Benefits of living walls include:
- Lowering energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions
- Reduction of Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE)
- Increasing the thermal performance of buildings(lowering energy costs)
- Improvement of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
- Reduction of Noise Pollution
- Increasing urban biodiversity and urban food production
- Improvement of health and well-being.[1]
Health Benefits
According to the U.S. EPA, indoor air quality can sometimes be much worse than the outdoor air quality of the most polluted cities. Constant exposure to poor air quality can cause asthma, irritation, and a myriad of other health problems. Poor indoor air quality is often due to poor ventilation and off-gassing of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from carpets, paints, upholstery, insulation,and countless other common products. Remedies for poor air on a small scale is limited to opening windows and fans while large scale systems often use Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. Living walls can be used on any scale to improve the indoor air quality.
Living walls provide health benefits on both the physical and psychological levels. The plants use CO2 and circulate the air in the room, removing VOC's from the ambient air. This reduces negative health effects associated with VOC's and poor indoor air. Living walls therefore improve air quality through photosynthesizing; absorbing CO2 and emitting oxygen.
On a psychological level, plants can provide a calming effect as well as increase worker efficiency. Quantifying a psychological benefit from plants in a person's space is somewhat difficult. However, qualitative reports of general improvement in mood and calmness are common in measuring effects of plants on human psychology.
Energy Savings
Exterior walls Living walls reduce heat island effect. The sun's energy that used to reflect and radiate heat off of buildings is now absorbed by the growing plants.
Living walls reduce indoor cooling needs and costs. Shading from the plants on an exterior wall can decrease the temperature inside the building. Lower temperatures indoors reduce the need for air conditioning.
Noise Reduction
Living walls absorb sound waves, reducing city noise.
Reduction of Storm Water Runoff
The soil from living walls absorbs rain, reducing runoff.
Building Protection
- Living walls absorbs acid rain, keeping it off the building.
- They protect against ultraviolet rays.
- They reduce temperature change, which reduces expansion and contraction of building materials.
Creation of Habitat
Living walls create habitat for microorganisms, insects, and birds.
Application/Uses
How do Living Walls Improve Indoor Air Quality?
Air quality is improved by a biological process called biofiltration. Air can be forced past the plants and the soil medium containing microbes, which remove VOC's, dust, and dirt particles from the air. The pollutants from the air are absorbed into a liquid phase and consumed by the microbes. The microbes use the pollutants as an energy source and degrade them to carbon dioxide and water. The air is then pumped through the traditional HVAC system and is redistributed into the building. An estimated 65% to 90% of VOC's have been removed using biofiltration.
How Do Living Walls Reduce Cooling Costs?
Shading from the plants on a sunlit wall reduces the amount of direct light hitting the structure. The energy absorbed by the plants is converted into sugars through photosynthesis instead of reflecting and radiating most of the energy (heat) striking the wall.
Indoor living walls can also reduce cooling/heating costs. Traditional HVAC systems must, by code, replace a certain amount of indoor air with fresh outdoor air every hour. While this is being accomplished, the outdoor air must be heated/cooled to the desired indoor temperature. With an indoor living wall system the same air is used over and over again. The air is filtered by the living wall and maintains its temperature, eliminating the need to heat and/or cool outdoor air.
Design
How are Living Walls Made?
Any plant requires a type of growing medium. Some plants require a lot of medium in order to flourish, other plants need very little. The first element to building a living wall is the physical structure of the wall. Plants need water and moist soil, two things not commonly found anywhere near drywall. Some method of retaining the drip from plants and soil is a good first step, for example, building little cubbies at slight upward angles.
Types of Living Walls
Living walls to choose from:
- The panel system is a pre-planted system that you can buy from a company such as panel specialists at ELT Living Wall Systems.[2]. Once purchased you can either install the panels yourself or have an expert install them for you onto an existing wall, indoors or outdoors, along with an irrigation system.
- In Felt Systems plants are fitted into felt pockets of growing medium and then attached to a waterproofed backing which is then connected to the building behind. An example of a felt system is Patrick Blanc’s Vertical Garden which is composed of a metal frame, a thin PVC sheet, and a felt polyamode layer which is attached to the PVC.
- Finally, a container/trellis system consists of vegetation that is grown in containers which climb onto trellises. Irrigation drip lines are put in place to control the watering and feeding of the plants.[1]
What is the Scale of a Living Wall?
Living walls can be adapted to almost any size a photo gallery of living walls
Maintenance
If you consider living walls before the building's construction occurs you can greatly reduce maintenance costs.
Once the initial panels are in place living walls require little maintenance. They are designed so their upkeep is about the same as a landscaped garden. Most important to the upkeep of living walls is their irrigation systems. Living walls are basically hydroponic systems where water and nutrients are fed to the wall through some means of mechanical irrigation. Some living wall systems are designed to collect rain water and/or reuse gray water.[1]
The panels sold by ELT are designed to allow the water to flow from cell to cell within the panel and from panel to panel within the wall. The water flows internally within the panels. The water flows from the top grooves in each panel, through the subsequent grooves, until it reaches to bottom of the panel where it drips out from the drainage channels and into the panel below. Irrigation systems are designed with automatic timers for ease of use. [3]
Types of Plants to Use
The plants you choose for your living wall can vary greatly, depending on the amount of sunlight available, the space available, the different places on your living wall (and different exposure to water), and whether your living wall is indoors or outdoors. There are many choices to choose from. There are also many vegetables that have been grown successfully in living walls.[4]
Concerns
- Moisture must be controlled to avoid mold growth.
- Plants will attract insects.
- One must be careful to choose plants that won't release excessive pollen.
- Plants must be maintained, including, trimming, watering, replanting, and washing.
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Living Walls - A Way to Green the Built Environment, PDF from environmentdesignguide, Friday, 09 October 2009.
- ↑ http://www.eltlivingwalls.com/
- ↑ http://www.eltlivingwalls.com/irrigation.php
- ↑ http://www.eltlivingwalls.com/planting_ideas.php
See also
External links
- Green Roofs? How About Green Walls! - EcoGeek, Wednesday, 17 October 2007.