Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Vertical green
Green facades
(rooted into the soil, climbers with
or without supporting system)
Living walls
(rooted in artificial substrates or
potting soil, modular systems)
Fig. 6.10
Basic distinctions between greening principles
Table 6.3
Overview of differences between green facades and living wall concepts
Criteria
Green façade
Living wall concepts
Field of application
Sound barriers, facades
(of typically older structures)
Every façade or vertical surface
to create an ''extra value''
Rooting medium/
substrate
Subsoil
Planter boxes, mineral wool,
foam or felt layers
Layers
-
Multi-layered
[50 kg/m
2
Weight of substrate
-
Vegetation
Self-climbers (common ivy,
boston ivy, etc.)
Climbers, shrubs, grasses, herbs, etc.
Use
Aesthetical reasons
habitat for animals
Aesthetical reasons
habitat for animals
local food production
insulating capacity
ecological measure
Maintenance
Regular/low
High
Costs (€/m
2
)
30-45
250-1,000
6.5.4 Overview of Vertical Green: Green Facades
and Living Walls
Green façades, green walls, living walls, vertical green, and vertical gardens are
descriptive terms, which are used to refer to all forms of vegetated wall surfaces.
From the ground rooted traditional green façades and modern techniques to create
green walls ensure that fundamental differences arise in vegetation types. Basi-
cally, one can understand systems rooted into the ground and based on hydroponic
systems (not rooted into the ground). Green wall technologies may be divided
therefore into two major categories (Fig.
6.10
), namely: rooted into the ground and
rooted in artificial substrates or potting soil.
Both basic principles can be classified according to their application form in
practice (Table
6.3
). Within the categories a distinction is made between whether
if the greening system uses the façade as guide to grow upward (direct greening) or
if the greening system and the façade are separated with an air cavity (indirect
greening). The air space (cavity) between façade and greening system can be
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