Author: Tamara Urben-Imbeault

Maintenance is one of the most important aspects of making sure your landscape project survives- both literally and figuratively! When designing green walls, one key consideration is how a maintenance team is going to reach all of the parts of the garden. Many standard maintenance procedures for vertical gardens are the same as for any piece of landscape architecture, but there are a few things that may catch you off guard…

Green Wall on Le Pont Juvénal, Août 2008. Image © Patrick Blanc

Many vertical gardens are maintained by someone other than the building owner. Various vertical garden distributors offer maintenance packages that cover differing amounts of time. If a maintenance contract is signed, it is very important that the duration and scope of the work is well defined. Many vertical garden companies will send employees to the site to perform maintenance, but sometimes it is also necessary for one site maintenance staff to check systems themselves. At times like these, that the maintenance contract must be explicitly detailed.

TedCo Green Wall by Nedlaw Living Walls. Image courtesy of Nedlaw Living Walls

The Growing Green Guide outlines the regular maintenance procedures necessary to ensure a healthy vertical garden. The guide is organized into the following categories: establishment, routine, cyclic, reactive/preventative, and renovation maintenance. Each of these categories include various aspects that must be considered:

Well maintained vine system. Designer unknown. Toronto, Ontario. Image © Tamara Urben-Imbeault

1. Establishment maintenance refers to the maintenance procedures necessary within the first year or two after construction is completed. During this time, tasks such as pruning, weeding, and irrigation checks are vital to ensure that the outcome remains true to the design intent.
2. Routine or recurrent maintenance is an outline of things that have to be done in order for the garden to maintain a satisfactory image. This may include weeding, pruning, and removal of trash.
3. Cyclic maintenance is scheduled less frequently than the above. The sole function of cyclic maintenance is to ensure that vertical garden infrastructure (including the building facade) is secure and that all associated safety standards are met. This may also include pruning.
4. Reactive and preventative maintenance occurs when a part of the system fails or is showing signs of immanent failure. Failures are often caused by an extreme weather event (such as flooding) or from a long-term problem that has gone unnoticed (like roots blocking drainage holes for example).
5. Renovation maintenance includes work that changes the desired aesthetic of the wall itself. This often occurs after a change in ownership, or when a failing design is either removed or remodeled.

The above list is all fairly standard in landscape design, but one of the most unique aspects of maintaining a vertical garden versus one on grade is the height difference. Crews will often need additional tools to reach most of the garden. Sometimes a cherry picker is used, but in the event of gardens being beyond the reach of even the largest cherry picker, a suspension system may be used. In some cases, individual suspension similar to those used for rock climbing is used.

Vertical Garden irrigation tray detail at ING Direct Cafe, by Green Over Grey. Image ©Tamara Urben-Imbeault

The irrigation systems used in vertical gardening are a vital part of keeping the wall alive. As such, irrigation systems need to be checked regularly, and nutrients need to be monitored. If other renovations are being performed on the building, it is vital that the contractors are notified of the vertical garden to ensure their work doesn’t inadvertently damage it- for example, if water related repairs are scheduled and water must be turned off for an extended period of time, scheduling a time to turn the water back on temporarily will help to ensure that the wall doesn’t get too dry.

Plants themselves also have be pruned and monitored for disease. If plants die, new plants must be planted and old ones removed as not to impact the aesthetic of the wall or to cause a fire hazard. Fire hazards in vertical gardens are rare, as long as dead fall is removed as a part of regular maintenance.

Unkempt Vines at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Engineering building. Image © Tamara Urben-Imbeault

If vines are involved, must be trimmed once or twice a year, to prevent growth over windows or other undesirable places.

Keep tuned for the next post in our Vertical Gardening Series, entitled “Vertical Gardens in the Backyard”!

PLEASE NOTE: This article is not a complete guide to caring for your vertical garden. Always follow manufacturer and/or designer’s instructions. This post is simply a small glimpse of the maintenance you can expect with a vertical garden, it is by no means a comprehensive guide.

Leading image: Vertical Garden at ING Direct Cafe, by Green Over Grey. Image ©Tamara Urben-Imbeault

Written by Tamara Urben-Imbeault, M.L.Arch. student at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is currently working on her design thesis entitled “Vertical Gardening in Cold Weather Climates”
Contact: umurbeni[at]myumanitoba.ca or t.urbendesign[at]gmail.com

Source:

State of Victoria Department of Environment and Primary Energies (2014). The Growing Green Guide for Green Roofs and Vertical Gardens in Melbourne and Victoria. Retrieved from http://www.growinggreenguide.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/growing_green_guide_ebook_130214.pdf

Green Wall with bikes at the Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana, Mexico City. Image via Wikipedia

Vertical gardening is currently very trendy in landscape architecture and interior design. With trendiness, sometimes comes stagnation in design. Perhaps due to a lack of codes and guidelines in many cities, vertical gardening remains a flexible umbrella term for a variety of designs. This post will explore some of the world’s more innovative vertical garden designs. The following projects show the concept of vertical gardening pushed to the extreme in terms of engineering, materiality and concept. Often design offices are competing for the ‘biggest,’ ‘best,’ and ‘most diverse’ projects, but this list is here to show you that sometimes it is more fun to break out of the proverbial ‘box’ or ‘planter,’ if you will…

Bosco Verticale in Milan, designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti. Image via Wikipedia

1.  Bosco Verticale

First honourable mention goes to the Bosco Verticale, which has gained a lot of media attention in the last couple of years. A project by Boeri Studio, the concept of the residential towers is to build a vertical forest in the city of Milan. Currently under construction, this project will host a whopping 900 trees, various shrubs and floral plants at elevations up to 110 meters in height. On flat land, the Bosco towers would equal 10,000m2 of forest, and 50,000m2 of single family dwellings. Though the concept of growing trees on buildings is nothing new (see Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s tree tenants) I think this project is worth mentioning because of the sheer volume of trees it will host.

Image via the European Environment Agency Flickr Account

2.  European Environmental Agency

In 2010, the EEA (European Environment Agency) office in Copenhagen decorated the front of their building with a map of Europe in celebration of the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity. The map shows the ecozones of Europe, and was planted using different annual plant to differentiate the zones by their colour. Though this project was only on display for one summer, it remains an integral project to this list. It demonstrates how vertical gardens can be used as educational tools, as well as tools to enhance the biodiversity and beauty of a city.

EarthBank Project by Matt Brook and Walter Cicack. Image via Horticultural Building Systems

3.  Horticultural Building Systems

Another innovative, but less known vertical garden project was created at the University of Oregon by students Matt Brook and Walter Cicack. The project was completed during a design build studio called Horticultural Building Systems, lead by professor Richard Hindle in 2010. The wall is made from a single 3” slab of a custom mix of concrete and growing material. The mix was refined during the studio to be light weight enough to affix to the side of a shipping container, and strong enough that it could hold itself together. The wall was designed to accommodate a couple of grown varieties of sedum, as well as a grass and wildflower seed mix meant to fill out the wall over time. This project is a very interesting leap from the somewhat more traditional notion of a “planter brick,” wherein a modular concrete brick contains an open area for the growing medium and plant inside of it. This system combines the two traditional materials (concrete and soil) into one new hybrid growing medium. It is unknown whether the plants have survived over the years, or whether the seeds were able to successfully germinate.

The Sportzplaza Mercator in Amsterdam by Venhoeven CS Architecture+Urbanism. © Luuk Kramer

4.  The Sportzplaza Mercator

The Sportzplaza Mercator in Amsterdam is one of the more impressive vertical gardens I’ve seen. The building is a community centre with a variety of pools for therapy, fitness, aerobics, together with a cafe, party centre, childcare centre and fast food restaurant. During community consultation, VenhoevenCS and OKRA were told by the community that they wanted the building to be “as green as possible” so the architects took that idea literally: the building itself is an undulating landscape of green roofs and walls, with plantings only interrupted by windows and doors. Every available surface appears to be planted. It is purely magnificent to behold.

BIQ Residence IBA Hamburg. Photo by Gunnar Ries on Flickr

5.  BIQ Residence

Vertical gardens, although generally quite unsustainable and expensive, can be used to generate energy. One such project is the BIQ Residence. This facade, instead of growing traditional plants, grows algae. Panels of water are suspended on the outside of the building, promoting the growth of algae, which not only turns the outside of the building green, but also serves to heat the building, and to control light and shade within the building. The 200 sq.m of algae grown on 2 of the facades yield 15g of dried algae per sq. meter which in turn produces 4,500 kW/h per year when converted into biogas.

The Planter Brick by Rael San Fratello Architects

6.  The Planter Brick

In today’s age of technological advancement, the Planter Brick project by Rael San Fratello Architects shows how the technology of 3D printing may be used for vertical gardening. They have designed and printed ceramic masonry bricks with openings for soil and plants. This conceptual project is a great demonstration of how traditional building methods can be adapted to accommodate a garden.

Packaged Vertical Garden by Luzinterruptus. Image © Gustavo Sanabria

7.  Packaged Vertical Garden by Luzinterruptus 

Vertical gardens can be political statements as well, and in my opinion, this list wouldn’t be complete without one. A favourite of mine is the Luzinterruptus Packaged Vertical Garden, in Madrid. The concept of the garden is to bring attention to the lack of greenspace in cities, and critique vertical garden culture. Luzinterruptus believes what people really need is accessible greenspace, not green space on the side of a building no one has physical access to. Their garden is made of plastic containers to highlight the temporary nature of vertical gardening.

Keep tuned for the next post in our Vertical Gardening Series, that will be all about my personal favourite vertical garden designers!

Written by Tamara Urben-Imbeault, M.L.Arch. student at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is currently working on her design thesis entitled “Vertical Gardening in Cold Weather Climates”
Contact: umurbeni[at]myumanitoba.ca or t.urbendesign[at]gmail.com

Sources:

Arch Daily (2013). Sportplaza Mercator/ VenhoevenCS. Retrieved from http://www.archdaily.com/341219/sportplaza-mercator-venhoevencs/

Boeri Architetti (2009). Il Bosque Verticale. Retrieved from http://stefanoberiarchitetti.net/en/news/il-bosco-verticale/

European Environment Agency (N.D.). Europe in Bloom: A Living Facade at the European Environment Agency. Retrieved from http://eea.europe.eu/themes/biodiversity/living-facade

Hindle, Richard L. (2010). The Earth Bank: A Living Building System by Matt Brooke and Walter Cicack. Horitcultural Building Systems. Retrieved from http://horticulturalbuildingsystems.blogspot.ca/2010/08/earth-bank-living-building-system-by.html

KOS Wulff Immobilien GmbH (2012). Mikroalgen: Clevere Energiebündel. Retrieved from http://www.biq-wilhelmsburg.de/die-fassade/biologie.html)

Luzinterruptus (2010). Jardín para un futuro, no muy lejano / Garden for a not too distant future. Retrieved from http://www.luzinterruptus.com/?p=67

Rael San Fratello (2014). The Planter Brick Retrieved from http://www.rael-sanfratello.com/?p=60

Robertson Building Biofilter by Nedlaw. Image ©  Tamara Urben-Imbeault

Biofilters are a relatively new and innovative technology in the world of vertical gardens that combine the fields of landscape architecture, building architecture and horticultural science. A biofilter is broadly defined as a hydroponic vertical garden that has been designed to pull air through the growing medium to filter it. (See the previous post “A History of Vertical Gardens from Simple Vines to Hydroponic Systems” for more information about different types of vertical gardens). By passing through the felt growing medium, microbes on the plant roots can filter out up to 85% of the harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from of the air. These gardens can be independent of, or built into, a building’s HVAC system.

Nedlaw Living Wall at Drexel. Image courtesy of Nedlaw Living Walls.

The first biofilter was designed and built at the University of Guelph Humber in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as a collaboration between then-student Alan Darlington, and Diamond Schmitt Architects. The goal of the project was to showcase the research that was being done by Darlington and others at the school as a part of NASA’s Advanced Life Support Program. The system, installed in an atrium at the Toronto campus, is now 10 years old and continues to be an integral part of research projects on the topic. Studies of the wall have proven that reductions in levels of toluene, dust, and airborne fungal spores result from the installation of a biofilter. One of the big advantages of this system is that no toxic waste by-products are created through the filtering process. The use of an open air hydroponic system exposes microbes present around plant roots which feed off of harmful VOCs, removing up to 85% of them in a single pass.

Dr. Alan Darlington with the Nedlaw system at the Sun Life Financial Building in Toronto, August 2013. Image ©Tamara Urben-Imbeault

Most of the plants used in biofiltration are tropical plants commonly found in homes around North America such as Ficus benjamina; Philodendron selluom; Umbrella Plant, Shefflera arboricola; Rubber Plant, Ficus elastica; Dracaena spp.; and Ivy, Hedera algeriensis, among others. Biofilters, like all other hydroponic walls, are planted with plants that have already been started in a greenhouse, so the result is immediate. As with all living landscapes, die off and disease do sometimes occur, so regular maintenance is necessary. Depending on the types of plants used, and their propensity for disease, 90% of the plants will usually establish themselves successfully. On average, monthly maintenance is recommended to check plants for disease and die off, and weekly checks are necessary to ensure the irrigation system is functioning normally. That said, the manufacturer recommended maintenance schedule must be followed to ensure longevity.

Close up of Nedlaw’s Leamington Living Wall. Image courtesy of Nedlaw Living Walls.

Biofilters can significantly contribute to the betterment of people’s health. Various studies have proven that living walls promote increased productivity, reduced sick days, give a better sense of well being in employees, lower blood pressure and increase positive feelings. Views to parks or green space have been proven to reduce recovery time for hospitalized patients, and it is assumed that similar outcomes would result from views that include green walls.

Image courtesy of Nedlaw Living Walls.

Biofilter quotes are available through Nedlaw Living Walls and are custom for each project.

Stay tuned for the next post in our Vertical Gardening Series, where I share some gardens that I believe are some of the most innovative projects from around the world!

Credits:

Leading image: Robertson Building Biofilter by Nedlaw. © Tamara Urben-Imbeault

Written by Tamara Urben-Imbeault, M.L.Arch. student at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is currently working on her design thesis entitled “Vertical Gardening in Cold Weather Climates”
Contact: umurbeni[at]myumanitoba.ca or t.urbendesign[at]gmail.com

Sources:

Banting, D., Doshi, P.H., Li, D.J., Missios, D.P., Au, A., Currie, B.A., Verrati, M., (2005.) Report on the Environmental Benefits and Costs of Green Roof Technology for the City of Toronto. City of Toronto and Ontario Centres of Excellence – Earth and Environmental Technologies (OCE-ETech), Toronto, Ontario,

Beatley, Timothy. (2011). Biophilic Cities. Washington: Island Press.

Diamond Schmitt Architects (2014). Living Wall Biofilter Turns 10. Diamond Schmitt Architects: News. Retrieved from http://www.dsai.ca/news/living-wall-biofilter-turns-ten

Green Over Grey (2009). Indoor Air Quality. Retrieved from: http://greenovergrey.com/green-wall-benefits/indoor-air-quality.php

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, GRHC (2010) Green Walls 101: Systems Overview and Design Second Edition Participant’s Manual. Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.

Hum, Ryan and Lai, Pearl (2007) Assessment of Biowalls: An Overview of Plant-and-Microbiral-based Indoor Air Purification System. Physical Plant Services, Queen’s University. Retrieved from https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.queensu.ca%2Fpps%2Freports%2Fbiowalls.pdf&ei=aZeRUaOiCq7TigKu54DwBQ&usg=AFQjCNEnv_PyXnqBCiam0bR8331xr8epNA&sig2=KgN9f25OJGLCYJrW9zAFBQ&bvm=bv.46471029,d.cGE

Kaplan, Rachel (1993). The Role of Nature in the Context of the Workplace. Landscape and urban planning 26 (1): 193–201.

Miflin, Claire (2007). Vegetation in Architecture. The American Institute of Architects. Posted April 17, 2008: http://www.aia.org/akr/Resources/Documents/AIAP037639?dvid=&recspec=AIAP037639

Nedlaw Living Walls (2011). Retrieved from http://www.naturaire.com/

Ulrich, R.S. (1984). View Through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery. Science Magazine. Vol 224, no. 4647.

Vowles, Andrew (2004). Guelph-Humber Plant Wall A Breath of Fresh Air. Retrieved from: http://www.uoguelph.ca/atguelph/04-11-10/featuresair.shtml

Vertical gardening in any climate can be extremely complex. The regional climate, or plant hardiness zone, is the biggest overriding climatic aspect that needs to be considered, along with the neighbourhood microclimate, and the microclimate of the wall itself.

USDA Hardiness Zones in North America, image via Wikipedia

REGIONAL CLIMATE

The regional climate plays a big role in determining what kind of vertical garden system is appropriate for a given site. As an example, if the site experiences a long winter below 0°C, a hydroponic system would be out of the question if the garden is to stay in place throughout the winter. These types of systems are not designed to freeze, and if they are installed in colder climates, insulation/heating or complete removal will be necessary to protect the garden during the winter. While most outdoor vertical gardens are designed for warmer climates than USDA zone 5, researchers are currently working on developing a system that works well in colder climates. If you know of, or have worked on, a vertical garden project somewhere colder, please post a comment below to share!

NEIGHBOURHOOD MICROCLIMATES

Ecotect Shadow Analysis, image by Tamara Urben-Imbeault

In landscape architecture, we often plan our designs in response to, or for the creation of, microclimates. It is because of them that we are able to plant some species that would normally not be found within the given region. A vertical garden may be highly dependent on the existence of a microclimate for shelter from the wind, lower (or higher) than average temperatures, higher humidity levels, or a variety of other aspects, depending on the location. When planning a vertical garden it is important to know what kind of microclimate you are working within to determine if a vertical garden is appropriate or not, and if so, what kind of plants you should use.

Some of the most important things to consider when designing a vertical garden are: the average temperature (as well as the extremes), wind exposure, sun exposure and ambient humidity and access to water. The average temperature will tell you which plants will be able to survive in your garden, and details like solar orientation and humidity or access to water will further narrow the plant palette.

RELATED STORY: Vertical Gardens: A Brief Introduction

Autodesk Flow Design Wind Analysis, image by Tamara Urben-Imbeault

WALL MICROCLIMATES

Wall Microclimate, image ©Tamara Urben-Imbeault

The microclimate of a wall is also remarkably complex, ranging from hot and dry, to slightly cooler, and to more moist. A green wall is a gradient of different climatic scenarios, and may vary from wall to wall depending on the surrounding climate and microclimate. Toward the top of the wall there is often increased solar exposure (depending on the prevalence of shadows cast by adjacent buildings), and increased wind. These two factors together frequently result in decreased moisture content in a vertical garden.

There is often more shade towards the bottom of the wall (again due to neighbouring buildings) as well as lower wind speeds which result in an increase in moisture. Water within the vertical garden will also accumulate towards the bottom of the wall, contributing to higher moisture levels. The first storey of a facade will also face increased disturbance from people, animals and passing cars.  Between 2 – 7.5m in elevation, dust will be captured on the leaves of the garden: If dust uptake is a priority, plant species with large leaves should be chosen, as the amount of dust accrued is directly relative to the size of the leaf itself.

RELATED STORY: A History of Vertical Gardens From Simple Vines to Hydroponic Systems

Climates are extremely complex and constantly changing. With global climate change, weather is becoming increasingly unpredictable, but with the aid of new technology, and programs like Ecotect and Autodesk Design Flow (pictured above), we can further study the impact of the climate on our designs. It is important that we also take the time to visit the site, and make our own notes and observations.

My own personal notes and observations of naturally occurring vertical gardens (cliffs) will be the subject of the next Vertical Garden Series post, which will be published next Thursday, so stay tuned!

Written by Tamara Urben-Imbeault, M.L.Arch. student at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is currently working on her design thesis entitled “Vertical Gardening in Cold Weather Climates”
Contact: umurbeni[at]myumanitoba.ca or t.urbendesign[at]gmail.com

Sources

Bass B., Baskaran B. (2003) Evaluating Rooftop and Vertical Gardens as an Adaptation Strategy for Urban Areas, Institute for Research and Construction, NRCC-46737, Project number A020, CCAF Report B1046, Ottawa, Canada, National Research Council.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, GRHC (2010) Green Walls 101: Systems Overview and Design Second Edition Participant’s Manual. Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.

Kohler, M., 2008. Green Facades – A view back and some visions. Urban Ecosystems 11, 423-436.

Loh, Susan and Stav, Yael (2008) Green a city grow a wall. In: Proceedings of the Subtropical Cities 2008 Conference : From Fault-lines to Sight-lines : Subtropical Urbanism in 20-20, 3-6 September 2008, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland.

Peck SW, Callaghan C, Bass B, Kuhn ME (1999). Research Report: Greenbacks from Green Roofs: Forging a New Industry in Canada. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

Stav, Yael (2008) Living Walls and Their Potential Contribution to Urbanism in Brisbane. Queensland University of Technology. Brisbane, Queensland. Retrieved from: http://www.academia.edu/1326234/Living_Walls_and_Their_Potential_Contribution_to_Sustainable_Urbanism_in_Brisbane

Vertical gardens have been growing in our cities and homes for centuries. The surge in vertical gardening technology in the 20th century has made this fact easy to forget. So, in case you’ve forgotten, or maybe you never knew, here is a brief history of the evolution of vertical gardening!

via Landscape Architect’s Pages, Image © Davis Landscape Architecture Ltd, London, UK

IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WERE VINES

The first vertical gardens date back to 3000 BCE in the Mediterranean area. Grape vines (Vitis spp.) were, and continue to be, a very popular food crop for people in the region, so they were commonly grown in fields, homes, and gardens throughout the area. Sometimes vines were planted for the purpose of growing food, and others to simply provide shade in places where planting trees was not an option. Above is an example of Vitis vinifera that is being grown today in Greece.

University of Toronto’s Falconer Hall covered in Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) image © Tamara Urben-Imbeault

In the last couple centuries, vine-based gardening has spread steadily throughout the world, aided largely by the Garden City Movement. The Garden City sought to integrate nature into the city, and because of the limited footprint needed for vertical gardens on grade, they quickly became an easy and fairly inexpensive way to green many cities. Species like Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), English Ivy (Hedera helix) and Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) are historically some of the most commonly planted vine species. Still widely used today, these plants are looked upon favorably for their ability to survive various climates and affix themselves to facades without the help of a trellis.

RELATED STORY: Vertical Gardens: A Brief Introduction

Although vertical gardening has existed throughout history, its modern-day popularity boom didn’t begin until the 1980s. In particular, German government incentives for city greening led to the creation of many vertical gardening projects, sparking further research into the living wall’s thermal benefits.

In 1987, leading German researcher Manfred Köhler wrote a thesis on vertical gardens’ thermal properties–how the green insulation layer cools buildings in the summer and retains heat in the winter–and it remains to this day a primary source on vertical gardening in colder climates. Köhler has since collaborated with researchers around the world, and has contributed to a famous German guide to vertical gardening: The Forschungsgesellschaft Landschaftsentwicklung Landschaftsbau (FLL) Richthimie für die Planning, Ausführing und Pflege von Fassadengegrüngen. It was first published in 1995, with a second edition published in 2000. Unfortunately, the guide is only available in German and it is unknown if the FLL has plans to translate it into any other languages.

Espaliered Pear Tree. image via Wikipedia

ESPALIERED TREES

The next incarnation of vertical gardening is known as Espalier. Espaliered trees became very popular in France in 2500 BCE and continue to be grown around the world today. Espaliers are usually fruit bearing trees, with apple and pear trees as the most commonly used species. The trees are tied to a wire framework or fence in order to train the young branches to grow into specific shapes (the process bears many similarities to the process undertaken to create a bonsai). They are grown in various patterns, the most popular of which are horizontal lines, 45° lines, and diamond shapes. The pattern shown above is known as Candelabra.

Mur Vegetal at the Taipeh Concert Hall, image © Patrick Blanc

HYDROPONIC WALLS

Back in the 1980s, the world renowned French botanist Patrick Blanc began to experiment with his trademark hydroponic system, Mur Vegetale, which he has now applied to massive internationally-acclaimed green wall projects around the world. His first major project was completed in 1996, and he has since gone on to work with some of the most internationally recognized architects worldwide.

Blanc’s gardens are probably the most widely recognizable type of vertical garden by the general public. Amazingly, his lush creations subsist on a growing medium comprising just two thin sheets of felt, with a total thickness of only a couple millimeters. This means the system is relatively lightweight and soil-free. Because of the lack of soil, hydroponically-grown green walls are susceptible to fewer pests and fewer structural modifications are needed to accommodate the weight. Since the first installation of Mur Vegetale, many similar systems have turned up on the market.

University of Guelph’s Humber Campus Biowall. Designed by Nedlaw. image via Crossey Engineering Ltd.

BIOWALLS

In the 1990s, another interesting development in the technology of vertical gardening took place at the Guelph University’s Humber Campus in Toronto, where a team of researchers built and tested a hydroponic vertical garden that would double as a giant air filter. This research, initially funded by NASA, evolved into a company by the name of Nedlaw, which currently operates out of Ontario.

Vertical gardening is continuing to change and grow in the DIY community as well. Many popular projects involve re-using various materials like old eaves troughs, shipping pallets, and shoe organizers. These more DIY style vertical gardens will be covered in a future post in a few weeks.

Keep watching for the next post in Land8’s Vertical Gardening Series where we will explore “Vertical Gardens and the [Macro + Micro] Climate”!

Lead image © Tamara Urben-Imbeault

Written by Tamara Urben-Imbeault, M.L.Arch. student at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is currently working on her design thesis entitled “Vertical Gardening in Cold Weather Climates”
Contact: umurbeni[at]myumanitoba.ca or t.urbendesign[at]gmail.com

Sources:

Blanc, Patrick. (2008) The Vertical Garden From Nature To The City. New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, GRHC (2010) Green Walls 101: Systems Overview and Design Second Edition Participant’s Manual. Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.

Hum, Ryan and Lai, Pearl (2007) Assessment of Biowalls: An Overview of Plant-and-Microbiral-based Indoor Air Purification System. Physical Plant Services, Queen’s University.

Nedlaw Living Walls Inc (2011). Living Walls – Green Walls. Retrieved from http://www.naturaire.com/

Prairie Public Television; PBS (2014). The Lost Gardens of Babylon Guide To Ancient Plants. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/uncategorized/the-lost-gardens-of-babylon-guide-to-ancient-plants/1176/

Peck SW, Callaghan C, Bass B, Kuhn ME. Research report: greenbacks from green roofs: forging a new industry in Canada. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC); 1999.

Vertical gardens have recently become very trendy in the world of landscape architecture and design. There are many readily available vertical garden products and systems on the market, making them popular with the DIY community and also for corporate branding. This is the first in a 9 post series on vertical gardens, where I will be talking about different types of vertical gardens, their history, and some of the unique characteristics that have, and continue to make them unique and unexpected additions to the landscape.

A successful vertical garden is an assemblage of many different types of plants, suited to adapt to verticality, specific moisture conditions on the wall, solar exposure, wind exposure, and varying levels of disturbance. As such, it bears much similarity to the roof garden. 

Vertical Gardens and Green Roofs. Image © Tamara Urben-Imbeault

While vertical gardening obviously includes a few challenges that differentiate it from roof gardening, overall the two are quite similar in the following aspects; micro-climate, limited soil, irrigation requirements, and plant pallet. But, before you go out and buy a roofing system to put on your wall, you should know that wall planting systems are very different from roofing systems, and it is critical that you choose one that is suited to your intended application. However, these similarities mean that many of the advantages of vertical gardening are similar to those of green roofs, namely:

– Aesthetic improvement,
– Reduction of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) Effect,
– Improvement of air quality through pollution and dust control, as well as carbon sequestration,
– Storm water absorption (if designed to receive storm water run off from a horizontal surface like a roof top),
– Noise reduction and refraction,
– Potential for native habitat integration,
– Potential for food production,
– Increased urban green space and improved livability (Biophilia),
– Corporate image greening,
– Local job creation,
– Use of under-utilized urban spaces (facades),
– Worth LEED points.

RELATED STORY: Top 5 Green Roofs from Switzerland Tour

There are two overriding categories that all vertical gardens can be classified into: soil bearing and non-soil bearing systems.

SOIL BEARING SYSTEMS

Soil bearing systems are very widespread. From vines planted in the ground to elevated planter boxes and even to planter-style retaining walls, there are lots of iterations of these available on the market today. Some of these systems require additional irrigation, while others can be designed without it, as long as growing conditions are favourable and manual watering is provided during the establishment phase of the plants.

Soil bearing designs are generally less expensive, but often much heavier than soil-free systems. Below is an example of a vine wall at the ARTLab at the University of Manitoba that grows up from soil in the ground, and around a metal trellis. The Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, here grows about 2 feet away from the building, leaving plenty of space for the vines to fill out over time. Planted only 2 short years ago, the vines remain quite small, but over time they will grow to cover the entire wall.

ARTLab vertical trellis by Amico. Building by Patkau Architects, Image © Tamara Urben-Imbeault

Aveda Green Wall. Image © Tamara Urben-Imbeault

Not all soil bearing systems are quite so obviously soil bearing. Just last weekend, I stumbled upon a green wall (pictured above) in the Minneapolis International Airport. I had initially assumed that it wasn’t soil bearing (because of the density of plants), but upon further inspection I saw that it was. It was a relatively simple design; common potted plants arranged on a metal framework to hold them in a way that successfully hides all the pots and covers the whole wall. The beauty of this kind of garden is that any diseased or dead plants can very easily be removed and replaced, without the need for specialised maintenance crews.

RELATED STORY: Vertical Garden System at the Screen House | San Francisco, CA

The last, and least common, type of soil bearing vertical garden I will discuss in this article is the planted retaining wall. These walls are typically composed of modular concrete or masonry units that contain openings for plants on one side. These walls must be carefully designed by a landscape professional.

NON-SOIL BEARING SYSTEMS

Non-soil bearing systems are a bit more specialized and require a slightly more elaborate set up than soil bearing designs. These include hydroponic gardens, which utilize a felt-like material as the growing medium for the plants. These types of gardens require regular irrigation, and are always sold with automatic watering systems. Such systems also need nutrient mixes added to the water to ensure that the plants get the proper minerals they need to thrive. The most well known hydroponic vertical gardens are the work of famed Botanist Patrick Blanc. His trademarked design, the Mur Vegetal, has been installed in various locations around the world. The Caixa Forum (pictured below) is one of his most well known gardens.

Caixa  Forum Madrid. Image © Patrick Blanc

As beautiful and exciting as all of these projects are, there are a few drawbacks that designers face when planning a vertical garden. Even though vines have been growing on facades around the world for centuries, there are still many unknown factors and misconceptions about vertical gardens. The most common hurdles a designer can expect to face during a vertical garden project are;

– Lack of knowledge and awareness from the public and designers,
– Lack of empirical evidence of longevity, and ecological significance,
– Lack of detailed and large scale analysis of regional and neighbourhood scale impacts,
– Lack of climate specific precedents and tested/proven plant lists,
– High cost, and lack of government incentives,
– Lack of industry codes and standards,
– Associated risks such as structural damage due to water/plants.

There are currently researchers working to diminish the impact of the drawbacks listed, and depending on your climate and country, many of these may have already been overcome for you!

There are many different types of vertical gardens that range in complexity, from large scale commercial installations, to smaller DIY-style projects. Whether you are designing a landscape for a large corporate office, or something more modest for a backyard or balcony, there are lots of vertical gardening options out there! Have a look at the sources below for further information, and watch for the next post in our Vertical Gardening Series, entitled “Vertical Gardening Throughout the Ages”!

Lead image: Bay Meadows Welcome Center. Designed by BCV Architects. Living Wall Installation by Habitat Horticulture. Image © Gary Belinsky

Written by Tamara Urben-Imbeault, M.L.Arch. student at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
She is currently working on her design thesis entitled “Vertical Gardening in Cold Weather Climates”
Contact: umurbeni[at]myumanitoba[dot]ca or t.urbendesign[at]gmail[dot]com or post a comment below!

Sources:

Bass B., Baskaran B. (2003) Evaluating Rooftop and Vertical Gardens as an Adaptation Strategy for Urban Areas, Institute for Research and Construction, NRCC-46737, Project number A020, CCAF Report B1046, Ottawa, Canada, National Research Council.

Blanc, Patrick. (2008) The Vertical Garden From Nature To The City. New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc.

Dunnet, Nigel & Kingsbury, Noel. (2004) Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls. Portland: Timber Press Inc.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, GRHC (2010) Green Walls 101: Systems Overview and Design Second Edition Participant’s Manual. Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.

Peck SW, Callaghan C, Bass B, Kuhn ME (1999). Research Report: Greenbacks from Green Roofs: Forging a New Industry in Canada. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).