Going Green with Vertical Landscapes
Edited by Vo Trong Nghia and Takashi Niwa
Preface
Why we use greenery
Experience through green projects
Nostalgic Future City
Double-skin system
The era of information technology
Application for sustainable building
Conclusion
Introduction
Technology advantages in going green
Technical application
Green technology and the future
Case studies
Green façades
Naman Retreat the Babylon
District Cooling System
Administrative building of FPT University
Siamese Ratchakru
Hotel Seven4one
Ideo Skyle-Morph Sukhumvit 38
Incarso
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
Atlas Hotel Hoian
Airmas Asri office
Experimental Structure in Slavkov u Brna (Austerlitz)
Herstal City Hall
Cornwall Gardens
Nanjing Vertical Forest
Vertical Forest
Oasia Hotel Downtown
Tung Po Avenue
Greenwalls
Outdoor greenwalls
Cafeteria within a greenwall
The Providore
Down Town
Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana
Torre Reforma Latino
Chedraui Polanco
Botanica Apartments
Ocean Financial Center
Mariano Escobedo
L’oasis D’Aboukir
Indoor greenwalls
Casa CorManca
The Village by Crédit Agricole
158 Cecil Street
G20 Los Cabos
Duxton Road
Unique Lounge
Klima Hotel
The Green Cathedral
TowerFour — Collins Square
Roof gardens
Chongqing Taoyuanju Community Center
New Ludgate
Trevose House
Factory in the Earth
PARKROYAL on Pickering
Sanya Block 5
Casa Jura
Zeimuls
rapid urbanization, Vietnam has missed out on the development of suburbia, which is a common feature in most Western countries. A worldwide shift from a suburban lifestyle to a dense, convenient, and urban lifestyle seems to be the driving force for the vertical greening movement. The gardeners of suburbia desire the convenience and stimulation of the city, but have nostalgia for gardening. Hence, the gradual rise of vertical greening. This movement is definitely popular in Southeast Asia, where there is a growing trend of replicating the look of green with the use of fake greenwalls and grass printed on tiles.
Common green space in Ho Chi Minh City is limited, with only 0.25% of the entire city covered in greenery. In order to raise this ratio without destroying the social fabric of the city, it is necessary to use
not only roof gardens but also trees and green façades to supply more green area.
As mentioned, the tropical double-skin system was designed in response to the climate of Southeast Asia. The green layer controls and filters sunlight, wind, noise, and privacy. The abundance of rain and sunlight in this climate allow vegetation to grow easily.
In addition, water retention reduces the severity of flooding and heat build-up in urban environments. The plants and vegetation provide pleasant views from the interior and exterior, which have psychological benefits for people (Figure 5). In the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, for example, points are
Figure 5 | Lebinh House
Climbing tree
Water supply system
Security with greenery
Existing structure with added green area
awarded for having not only external views, but also quality views such as flora, fauna, sky, and so forth. Furthermore, by-products such as vegetables, fruits, and flowers contribute to health and social wealth of communities.
The case studies we’ve shared later in this book illustrate VTN Architects’ methods of integrating greenery to the façades and roofs of buildings. The designs and selection of tropical plants creating the façades also work to reveal the identity of the residents to the neighborhood.
VTN’ s existing green projects promote greener cities by showing the efficiency and comfort that can be achieved. The increase in green projects will be a great tool against the urban heat island (UHI) effect,
which is when a metropolitan area is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities. VTN is currently working with the government to establish incentives, regulations, and targets to accelerate the process of greening the city. Greening regulations would reduce government costs while reducing the need to demolish existing communities to achieve a modern city.
As noted with the “House for Trees” project (Figure 6,) this design approach brings benefits to not only the residents, but also the local ecosystem, which would be applied on a city-wide scale, as it’s clear that the greening of cities enriches its biodiversity. Experts have noted that the greening of Singapore has lead to an increased number of birds and other wildlife returning to the country.
Figure 6 | House for Trees
Typical house
Green house
Complex
Guidelines for going green
By Erik van Zuilekom
Introduction
Our cities and human habitats are no longer merely building-lined streets. Due to advances in the field of living architecture and the technologies of roof gardens, green façades, and vertical gardens (also known as greenwalls), we are now observing our built environments as urban canyons, with walls offering opportunities for plants to colonize constructed cliff-faces (Figure 23 and Figure 24), ledges, ridges, and plateaus. We are changing the way we experience the spaces we construct while we are learning how to transform previously barren surfaces into productive spaces and verdant habitats.
The concept of living architecture is a diverse subject, including how humans associate with identity, nature, and the notion of place. This extends to how we conceptualize, design, and use spaces and buildings, and the interactions between our environments and human habitats.
As our understanding of science, including health and wellbeing, sustainability, design, ecology, construction, and climate have evolved, so too has our understanding of interconnectedness and integration. Living architecture, in the form of green roofs, walls and façades, has become an integral concept in the development of contemporary solutions to urban development and the significant environmental, commercial, social, and health pressures this form of expansion generates.
Over the years, many of the projects I have designed and consulted on have involved inspired, notably forward-thinking property owners and developers with an interest in improving how the buildings they conceptualize, design, and create interact with humans and the environment. I develop and maintain an ecological approach in my design philosophy and process, with a strong emphasis on developing adaptive and responsive green life solutions as a part of living architecture. It is my pleasure to note that the vast majority of these projects involve significant benefits to individuals, investors, and the environment. These benefits are increasingly supported by positive advancements in urban planning policy incorporating roofgarden, greenwall, and green-façade technologies. This includes initiatives to conserve existing, often very old, buildings as a function of urban renewal and extends towards contemporary improvements in architecture, embracing new ways of defining and responding to the future of human land-use and city expansion.
Roof gardens, green façades, and greenwalls
When discussing living-architecture technologies, industry vernacular has developed to differentiate between the various, diverse approaches to vegetating buildings. Terminology may vary slightly between countries, while the core approaches remain moderately similar, with specific technologies and variation thereupon developing in tandem to address elevated, horizontal versus the vertical plane.
Figure 23 | Greenwall at Bligh Street in construction process
Roof gardens, or green roofs, have a long history, arising as a logical solution to insulating buildings in notably cold climates, while simultaneously protecting roofing structures from harsh environmental exposures such as solar UV bombardment, wind buffeting, erosion, and temperature fluctuations. The inherently biophilic design concept of a living roof garden extends to the generation of habitat, water retention, usable space production, and improvements in aesthetic integration with the environment.
Roof gardens have evolved from utilizing locally sourced, organic, components towards extremely durable and lightweight technologies, available for use, notably on a vast scale. These advances have allowed roof-garden technologies to expand upon, enrich and improve existing architecture, with the retrofitting of roof gardens contributing towards urban renewal.
Each technological advancement in material and design has allowed for the expansion of this technology into ever-larger scaled and
more diverse applications, without an accompanying increase in weight associated with soils on roofs. Components have evolved to offer improved resistance to weathering, increased longevity, and malleability for use in a wide range of scenarios. Growing medias comprising predominantly mineral content and minimal organics have proven to offer stability in the longer term, both in terms of sustaining healthy plant growth, development and stability under high wind-shear, temperature and general use stress.
Mostly mineral-based substrates have stood the test of time, as evidenced by some of the oldest roof gardens recorded. This observation has led the high-mineral-content substrate model to persist into contemporary roof-garden design. Drainage of roofs and roof garden media is capable of being appropriately adjusted to suit a range of climates, from arid to tropical monsoonal, climates. Roof gardens are, in effect, the closest allied living architecture technology to traditional, terrestrial, gardens by way of being (designed) soilbased gardens installed on roofs and buildings.
Figure 24 | Greenwall at Bligh street after construction
Façade details
Glittering surface of a lake in front of the building
Grass in the roofs
Corner view of trees in the terrace
Cross section
Concept diagram of stacking green boxes
Seeing up the façade made by plants and sandstone 02–03
Elevation and cross section
The tower completes the slender form with an elegant circular crown
The sky terrace at the 12th story is like a town hall, with a central lawn surrounded by pavilions and greenery within a shaded cross-ventilated breezeway atrium
The façade extends up from the ground, allowing the greenery to be enjoyed from the street as well
The external façade peels apart to reveal a sky terrace at the 12th story, with central lawn, pavilions and greenery, within a shaded cross-ventilated breezeway atrium
The sky terrace at the 21st story is an urban resort with pool decks, water gardens, and camping pods, like an oasis above the urban jungle
Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana
LOCATION
Mexico City, Mexico AREA
2852 square feet (265 square meters)
COMPLETION DATE 2012
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
VERDEVERTICAL
PHOTOGRAPHY
VERDEVERTICAL
CLIENT Garner
The historic center of Mexico City is one of the least green areas within the capital of the country, so the strategy of implementing a vertical garden not only responded to a transformation of the urban landscape, but also the need to obtain the important environmental benefits that plants provide.
The mixed green façade of the greenwall of the Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana brings aesthetic feelings to the residents and passers-by. The designers chose several plant species to create irregular shapes, which draw people’s eyes to the poetry and passion of the unique design. The bike and trolley create a three-dimensional element in the wall that also attract attention.
When planning the concept, the designer took into account the seasonal changes that effect each plant and the ways in which they adapt to the cycles in this temperate climate zone. These changes can dramatically affect the aesthetic perception of a greenwall. The selected plants, therefore, had to accommodate cooler temperatures during winter, while also show full blossom in the heat of summer. Additionally, to help to promote a green landscape all year round, the designer chose both fast-growing and slow-growing species.
Side view of the greenwall The main entrance of the university's restaurant
G20 Los Cabos
LOCATION
Baja California, Mexico
AREA
30,139 square feet (2800 square meters)
COMPLETION DATE
2012
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Fernando Ortiz Monasterio / VERDEVERTICAL
PHOTOGRAPHY
VERDEVERTICAL
CLIENT FREE
Located in the convention center built to welcome the heads of states from around the world in the framework of the G20 event of 2012, this vertical garden became the largest vertical garden in the world at the time.
The designers chose several plant species to create living walls, which they arranged in a stripe pattern. They were implemented to create an element of aesthetic diversity to add to the palette of building materials and the surfaces created.
The interior greenwalls worked to create small private spaces for interactions, allowing guests to have comfortable experiences when holding meetings, having dinner, and chatting, while the outside greenwalls integrate into the entire building with the lawn and pool, allowing the head of state to enjoy the fresh air outside.
Project’s architectural drawings
Façades to be implemented with vertical gardens
The light shielding by the eaves
Biotope
Rainwater harvesting
Rooftop gardening The light is shielded by the eaves
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Title: Going Green with Vertical Landscapes
Author: Vo Trong Nghia & Takashi Niwa (Eds)
ISBN: 9781864707557
Printed by Everbest Printing Investment Limited, in Hong Kong/China
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