AN INTRODUCTION TO GREEN WALLS:

LIVING WALLS

Mehdi Rakhshandehroo
Faculty of Design And Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Abstract
In the challenge of urban expansion and environmental preservation,
sustainable development is a significant response to our centurys
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 faades 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.
Introduction
Since 2000 years ago climbing plants have been manipulated to the main
building faade.
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:
o The wall material directly
o Ground
o Modular panels attached to the faade

Source: http://makinglewes.org
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)

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

1. Green faades (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

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:

o Need more detailed design
o Have complicated layers, supporting materials and mechanism of water and
nutrient
o Are more energy consuming and difficult to maintain
o Apply a variety of plants, mostly evergreen plants as ferns, low shrubs, perennial flowers
and even edible plants

o Offer much more creativity and aesthetic

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

o Living wall systems based on planter boxes last more than 50 years.
o Living 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)
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)
Passive living wall, (Source: La societe Green wall)
 Active living walls
Apply a forced air flow through the subs-
tract.
It is intended to be integrated into the
buildings 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)
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
buildings main wall.
The irrigation system that propels, Mur Vegetal (Source: http://flickr.com/photos)
water from top to down, also
distribute nutrients to the plants
roots.
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.
o Constructed from some stacking
material made of concrete or
plastic with spaces for plants
and growing media. Landscape wall, (Source: http://www.herculesmfg.com)
Thank you
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