Green Garden Facade Assemblies for Residential Flats

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"GREEN GARDEN" FACADE ASSEMBLIES FOR RESIDENTIAL FLATS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
The ‘Green Garden’ Façade.............................................................................................................3
The ‘Green Garden’ Façade options................................................................................................3
Benefits of green facades and the living walls................................................................................5
Environmental benefit......................................................................................................................5
Community and social benefits........................................................................................................7
Economic benefits............................................................................................................................8
Sustainable benefits.........................................................................................................................9
Disadvantages Of green garden facades..........................................................................................9
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................11

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Introduction
Throughout history the greening of the roof and the outside walls of buildings has taken place.
There are many reason behind this practice which include; improving the insulation,
enhance the outdoor and indoor climate , improve the building aesthetic, increasing the
ecological values through the provision of habitats for insects and birds as well as reducing
the greenhouse gases such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide (Forsyth, 2015, p. 422).
Over the past years the substitution of the green surfaces with the impervious surfaces in
urban areas has led to an increased temperatures as compared to the temperature levels in
rural areas. This is because the paved surface absorbs, retains and radiates more solar energy
than grass and trees (Walter Leal Filho, 2017, p. 328). From the past studies which have
been carried out the ambient temperature in urban areas can be 6oC warmer than rural areas.
‘Green garden’ facades is very important practice in improving of the built environment’s
sustainability. This practice is also very ecological and aesthetically acceptable as an
adequate architectural feature which improves the overall appearance and performance of
the facades. Green gardens facades are very important for the overall improvement of
sustainability of the built environment. The adoption of the green garden facades is also
aesthetically and ecologically acceptable as an adequate architectural feature which improved
the facades. Furthermore their exploitation results to an energy conscious design which is
able to prevent densely populated urban areas from becoming deteriorated natural
environment.

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The ‘Green Garden’ Façade
The term ‘green garden’ facades refers to the system whereby plants are grown on vertical
surfaces of the building such as the building walls. The plants are grown in a much organized
manner and systematic upkeep. In most cases the climbing plants grow naturally on the
building facades by attaching themselves directly to the walls through different techniques. Self-
supporting and self-climbing climbers can either attach themselves directly to the façade or grow
along the façade without any support (Schnadelbach, 2012, p. 37). The main items of the
green walls are the plants, the plants media, supporting structures which support or attach the
plant to the façade and the irrigation system which depends on the design of the façade.
The ‘Green Garden’ Façade options
There are many options of green garden facades which are currently available in Australia and
the worldwide market. Some of the available options includes;
i) Modular trellis panel system
The structural block of this modular system is usually a solid, lightweight, 3D panel which are
made from a powered coated galvanized and welded steel wire which has ability to support
plants with two faces grid panels depth (McGuire, 2010, p. 94). In most cases this system is
designed to hold the green garden off the wall so that the plants do not append to the building,
offering a captive growing condition for plants which have many tendrils. The figure below is
an illustration of the modular trellis panel system.