This document provides an overview of green walls, including:
- A brief history of green walls from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to modern developments.
- The main types of green walls: green facades, cable and wire-rope net systems, modular trellis panels, and living walls.
- The key benefits of green walls including improved air quality, aesthetic benefits, building protection, and energy efficiency.
- The main factors to consider for green walls: plant selection, irrigation, structure, costs, and maintenance needs.
- Some special green wall systems and the main challenges of initial expense, structural concerns, and ongoing maintenance.
2. Contents
• Introduction
• History of Green Walls
• Types of Green Walls
• Benefits of Green Walls
• Main Factors
• Special Cases
• Challenges
• Conclusion
5. Some important developments
• 1920s: The British and North American garden city movement promote
the integration of house and garden through features such as self-clinging
climbing plants.
• 1988: Introduction of a stainless steel cable system for green facades.
• 1990s:Introduction of Cable and wire-rope net systems
• 1993: First major application of a trellis panel system in California
• 1994: Indoor living wall with bio-filtration system installed in Canada
• 2002: The MFO Park opened in Switzerland. The project featured over
1,300 high par climbing plants.
• 2005: The Japanese government sponsored a massive green wall in Expo
2005, comprised of 30 different modular green wall systems available in
Japan.
• 2007: Seattle implements the Green Factor, which includes green walls.
7. Green Facades
Climbing plants or cascading groundcovers to cover
specially designed supporting structures
Rooted at the base of these structures, in the
ground, in intermediate planters or on rooftops
Self-clinging plants such as English ivy
Their sucker root attach directly to a wall, covering
entire surfaces
These can damage unsuitable walls and/or cause
difficulties when the time comes for maintenance.
9. Cable and Wire-Rope Net Systems
Cables are employed to support faster
growing climbing plants with denser foliage
Wire-nets are used to support slower growing
plants that need supports at closer intervals
10. Modular Trellis Panel System
light weight, three-dimensional panel made
from a galvanized and welded steel wire
Because of the panels are rigid, they can span
between structures and can also be used for
freestanding green walls.
11. Living Walls
Pre-vegetated panels, vertical modules or planted
blankets, fixed vertically to a structural wall or
frame
Panels made of plastic, expanded polystyrene,
synthetic fabric, clay, metal, and concrete
Support a great diversity and density of plant
species
There are various forms, with the main
differences between interior and exterior designs.
13. Modular Living Wall
Emerged from the use of modules for green
roof applications, with a number of
technological innovations
Often pre-grown, providing an 'instant' green
effect upon completion of the installation
14. Vegetated Mat Wall
Composed of two layers of synthetic fabric
with pockets that physically support plants
and growing media
Nutrients
distributed through
an irrigation
system that
cycles water from
the top to down
16. PUBLIC/PRIVATE BENEFITS
Area of impact Description Benefits
Reduce urban heat
island effect
Temperature rise in urban areas caused
by the replacement of natural
vegetation by other structures
Promotes natural cooling
and reduces temperature.
Improved exterior
air quality
Modern urban environments are having
high concentration of air pollutants
Captures airborne
pollutants and filters
particulate matter
Aesthetic
improvement
studies have linked the presence of
plants to improved human health and
mental well being
•Creates visual interest
•Increases property values
•Hides unsightly features
Building structure
protection
Buildings are exposed to the weathering
and cause deterioration
Protects exterior from UV
radiation and temperature
fluctuations
Improved energy
efficiency
Improves thermal insulation capacity
through external temperature regulation
Reduces ambient
Temperature
Improved indoor
air quality
Filter contaminates that are flushed out
of buildings through traditional
ventilation systems
Captures airborne
pollutants such as dust and
pollen
17. Environmental Benefits
Offer cooling in the city through direct
shading and evaporate transpiration
Filters gaseous and particulate pollutants from
the atmosphere in the urban environment
Economical Benefits
Reduce climatic stress on building and increase
the service and practical life of buildings and
reduce cost on the painting materials
Reduce energy used for cooling vastly
20. 2. Factors for Successful Green Facades
i. Attachment to building envelope
ii. Calculation of structural loads
iii. Plant selection
iv. Plant maintenance
v. Registered manufactures and trained
installers
21. 3.Factors Affecting Living Walls
i. Irrigation
ii. Use correctly specified plants
iii. Consideration of the microclimates
iv. Growing medium
22. 4. Cost
i. Project size.
ii. Design team costs.
iii. System type.
iv. Support structure requirements.
v. Building location.
vi. Complexity of design.
vii. Use of standard or custom
components.
23. 5. Maintenance
• Different plants will have different irrigation and
nutrient requirements
• Cable and wire-rope system require periodic
checking to ensure that the elements are
properly in place as the plants mature
• Living walls require regular irrigation and degree
of maintenance required will depend on the type
of living wall system and the vegetation used.
• Aesthetic qualities expected by client
24. SPECIAL CASES
1. Loose Medium Wall
2. Mat Medium Wall
3. Structural Media Wall
4. Pro Wall
5. Versa Wall Systems
26. CONCLUSIONS
• Green walls provide an efficient tool in energy saving,
bio diversity and temperature-air control
• Offer a new emerging way to a green built
environment
• Still under research, not commonly practiced in
India, but in foreign countries like USA, Japan &
France
• To be hoped that the development of experience &
knowledge of benefits will encourage people to
switch to green built construction.