The introduction of the new industry guide for green and living walls is a timely and transformative development. This guide showcases and addresses how to manage the risks that come with using ‘living walls’. We are now in an era where sustainability and environmental consciousness are at the forefront of most architectural innovations.
What are Living Walls?
Green and living walls are vertical gardens or structures that support various forms of vegetation, allowing plants to grow vertically along the surfaces of buildings. These installations can range from simple plant arrangements to complex systems that contain various species of plants, irrigation systems, and support structures.
Why would you install Living Walls?
Living walls aren’t just for aesthetic reasons, even though they look pretty. They have multiple benefits that are little known to many. This includes their environmental impact, biodiversity, and energy efficiency.
Environmental impact
Green walls contribute significantly to reducing the urban heat island effect. The urban heat island effect refers to a city experiencing significantly hotter temperatures in relation to nearby rural areas. This is because the walls absorb and reflect less heat compared to conventional building materials, which helps cool the surrounding environment. Additionally, they improve air quality by filtering pollutants and producing oxygen.
Biodiversity
By incorporating a variety of plants, green and living walls create habitats for wildlife, including insects and birds. This promotes biodiversity in urban areas, which are typically devoid of natural ecosystems. Biodiversity can be defined as the variety of all living things and their interactions.
Energy efficiency
The insulating properties of green and living walls can reduce the energy needed for heating and cooling buildings. This not only lowers energy bills but also decreases the overall carbon footprint of a building.
Aesthetics
Beyond their practical benefits, green and living walls enhance the visual appeal of buildings. They add a natural, organic element to urban landscapes, which can improve the mental wellbeing of residents and workers by providing a connection to nature.
The New Industry Guide
The guide is split into two parts. The first part is an interactive questionnaire that aims to gather information about the proposed living wall system. The purpose of this is to identify which systems need special consideration from a risk and insurance point of view.
The second part of the guide focuses on gathering background information and providing guidance for risk control. This includes engagement, testing, documentation, materials, design, upkeep and monitoring.
Where there is potential for risk, the guide suggests practical solutions to reduce property and business risks while assisting with insurance. Some of the potential challenges that may arise that are covered by the guide include the sustainability of the planted biomass, the maintenance, the overall inadequacy of regulations for proper property protection and the need to address potential water and fire damage.
Sustainability
To ensure that green walls are truly sustainable, the guide recommends using recycled or locally sourced materials for construction. It also advises on water conservation techniques, such as harvesting rainwater and irrigation methods. Biomass refers to the matter from recently living organisms. In order to keep ignition and fire spread to a minimum, the planted biomass must be maintained properly and kept irrigated.
Maintenance
Proper maintenance of the green and living walls is crucial for the health and longevity of the walls. This is why the guide contains detailed information and instructions on regular care, pest control, and seasonal adjustments in order to keep the plants thriving all year-round.
Regulation inadequacies
The proper protection of properties has been an on-going discussion for years. After the Grenfell Tower tragedy in June 2017, the discussions are even more prevalent today. However, there are still large holes in property protection legislation.
Water, Wind and Fire Damage
The potential damage caused by water, wind and fire must be considered. Weather conditions change on a daily basis. especially in the UK, so the walls must be able to withstand harsh conditions, or they could be destroyed. This is why they must be maintained all year round and catered for the possible risks that they may face.
To conclude…
The new industry guide for green and living walls as external cladding represents a significant advancement in sustainable building practices. By integrating nature into urban environments, spaces are created that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also healthy for the environment.