Living Wall for Year of Biodiversity
Prof. Brian Edwards sent Footprint these images from Copenhagen of a living wall installed at the European Environment Agency Headquarters to mark the UN International Year of Biodiversity.
Edwards, professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture and author of the Rough Guide to Sustainability (now in its 3rd edition), encourages architects to broaden their repertoire of sustainable design elements to include green walls. ‘Rather than focus upon green roofs, the building as a whole can contribute to enhancing the biodiversity of cities with associated benefits in air quality and noise levels,’ says Edwards. The installation, designed by architect Johanna Rossbach with Mangor & Nagel Arkitekirma and engineer Ramboll, represents a map of Europe with plant species reflecting different geographic regions.
A steel structure hung from the stone facade supports plywood platforms with felt pockets which house 5,000 plants.
Translucent silkscreen printed textiles over the windows form part of the map while retaining daylight to the building interior.
The wall will be relocated in November to the University of Copenhagen.
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Filed under: Eco-projects
Absoutely fabulous but the watering and maintenance of these walls is awesome and nothing looks worse than an unloved planted wall. Planted roofs are much easier with good environmental benefits but even they need a dedicated maintenance regime.
One of m favourite solutions is the Consourcio- Santiago Building in Chile of 1993, which grows its summer sun-shading from irrigated window boxes every 3 floors, gving summer delight and shade and annual evegy savings of the order of 20%.
Great living wall project.
Lushe
http://www.lushe.com.au