NATIONAL COLLEGE OF ARTS, RAWALPINDI

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

LANDSCAPE ASSIGNMENT

URBAN LANDSCAPE INTERVENTIONS

By:

MARSHA MIAN #116

(2020)
VERTICAL GARDEN?
A vertical garden is a technique used to grow plants on a vertically suspended panel by using
hydroponics. These unique structures can either be freestanding or attached to a wall.
Vertical gardens have been used since ancient civilizations; many modern vertical gardens
can last for decades and give a pop of nature into the modern day business. It is also a
vertical arrangement of plants and other organisms that naturally remove toxins and
unhealthy contaminants from the air that we breathe. They can be a complete ecosystem or a
simple configuration of plants and they have been introduced to decontaminate urban
environments. Living walls are both indoor and outdoor.
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.

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.

HISTORY
1920’s: There was a garden city moment  from the British and Americans which encouraged
the integration of garden features and plant usage, for example, using pergolas, trellis
structures and self-climbing plants.
1988: There was the introduction of the stainless steel cable for green facades.
1990s: Cable and wire rope net systems and modular tellis panel systems enter the market
place

1993: The first major application of the new trellis panel system was featured at the
Universal City Walk in California. It’s a stunning example of what a lovely feature plants
can make in a city.

1994: In Canada, in the Canada Life Building in Toronto, an indoor living wall was created
an indoor with bio-filtration system
2002: A stunning example of a living wall is found in the MFO Park. It is multi-tiered
approximately 300 inches long and 50 inches high. The park structure opened in Zurich,
Switzerland. This project had 1,300 plants.

2005: Japanese Federal government sponsored a massive Bio Lung exhibit, the centre piece
of the expo in Aichi Japan. This wall had 30 different modular systems available in Japan.
2007: Seattle implements the Green Factor, which includes green walls.

EVOLUTION

IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WERE VINES

The first vertical gardens date back to 3000 BCE in the Mediterranean area. Grape vines
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 tricuspid at)

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.
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.

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

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

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.

BENEFITS OF VERTICAL GARDENS

Benefits of Green Wall

Aesthetic benefits
Green wall is often used to
improve the aesthetic value of
the urban area. Vegetation
can provide visual contrast
and relief from the highly built-
up city environment. Plants
also give the city dwellers a
sense of closeness to the
Mother Nature in the hard
concrete jungle in the city.
Apart from that, natural
landscape provides elements
of
natural scale and visual beauty
as well as seasonal indicator to
buildings and streets. In
addition, softness of the
greenery compared to the
hard surface of the concrete
can
also provide visual relief to
plain walls. Unattractive
building walls can be veiled by
the
green walls and vegetation.
Improved thermal efficiency of
the building
Plants can offer cooling
benefits in the city through two
mechanisms, direct shading
and
evaporative transpiration. The
plants used in green walls
provide shade to the building
and shading extent depends
on the density of the plants in
the green walls. Shading of
building leads to temperature
reduction in and around
building.Green walls provide
minimum diurnal fluctuation
through providing insulation to
the building. It has been
reported that Green walls can
reduce the surface
temperature of buildings by as
much
as 15.2oC
Indoor air quality improvement
Plants have been widely
believed to be effective
scavengers of both gaseous
and
particulate pollutants from the
atmosphere in the urban
environment. They can
improve
the air quality by filtering out
airborne particles in their
leavesand branches as well as
by
absorbing gaseous pollutants
through photosynthesis. They
filter airborne particles in
their leaves and branches as
well as absorb gaseous
pollutants. Through bio
filtration,
Volatile Organic Compounds
commonly known as VOCs are
absorbed through both
plants and planting medium.
Economical benefits
Plants introduced around
buildings can improve
construction integrity by
reducing the
weather effect. The uses of
green walls reduce the climatic
stress on building façades
and prolong the service and
practical life of buildings. It
also helps in the reduction of
building deterioration by UV
(ultra violet) rays. Reduced
cost on the painting materials
is one of the economical
benefit of the green walls. It
has been reported that in
warmer
climates, energy used for
cooling in a building can be
reduced by 28%. Greenery can
also add value to the property.
530 Commercial Horticulture
Improvement of Health and
Wellness
It has been proved that visual
and physical contacts with
plants can result in direct
health benefits. Green wall can
generate restorative effects
leading to decreased stress;
improve patient recovery rate
and higher resistance to
illness. The vertical gardens
helps in absorbing the
obnoxious gases and volatile
compounds produced due to
the use
of all modern amenities, thus
reducing the risk of cancer,
stroke, depression, heart and
respiratory ailments.
Reduction of Urban Heat Island
effect (UHI): There are
following causes of urban
heat island effect.
a) Canyon geometry
Urban canyons, especially the
deep ones, work as traps
which decrease the loss of
both
short-wave and long wave
radiation emitted from streets
and building will eventually
find their way into indoor
space or re-emit back to the
surroundings after sunset.
b) Building materials
During the day time, more
sensible heat can be stored in
building materials, such as
concrete, brick and asphalt,
due to their big heat capacity.
The stored heat will then be
released back to the
environment at night.
c) Greenhouse effect
Long-wave radiation can easily
be trapped inside the polluted
urban atmosphere due to
the greenhouse effect.
d) Anthropogenic heat source
Anthropogenic heat generated
from industrial combustion,
traffic, air-conditioners and
so on can aggravate the UHI
effect.
e) Evaporative cooling source
The UHI effect can be
mitigated by evaporative
cooling means, such as
vegetation,
water body and so on, since
more incident energy can be
transformed into latent heat
rather than sensible heat.
Unfortunately, the lack of such
evaporative cooling methods
in cities, especially the loss of
greenery, causes severe UHI
effect.
f) Wind pattern
Heat trapped inside urban
canyons can be averted from
source areas by turbulent
transfer. However, such heat
loss from within streets can be
reduced where there is
possible obstruction of wind
flow by urban settings. In this
case, ventilation in urban
open space is of great
importance. Most of the solar
radiation were intercepted and
seized by the dense foliages of
the plants, except for a very
small portion transformed
Vertical Gardening: A New Concept of
Modern Era 531
into chemical energy through
photosynthesis. The absorbed
solar radiation are then
modified to latent heat which
converts water from liquid to
gas, resulting in low leaf
temperature, lower
surrounding air temperature
and higher humidity through
the process
of evapo-transpiration. In
other words, the UHI can be
alleviated through these
mechanisms. Plants can adjust
climate through their unique
shading, wind shielding,
evapo-transpiration and
photosynthesis processes.
Other Benefits of Green Wall
Includes
• Reducing internal room
temperature by 5 to 10
degrees in summer by
installing
them from outside.
• Plants are away from soil-
borne diseases.
• More plants with in limited
space.
• Helps in saving water.
• Helps in hiding less
attractive portions of
landscape.
• Provides excellent air
circulation for the plants.
• Can provide privacy and a
disguise from unattractive
views.
Classification of Vertical
Gardens/Green Walls
There are two main categories
of green walls: green façades
and living walls. Green
facades are made up of
climbing plants either growing
directly on a wall or, more
recently, specially designed
supporting structures. The
plant shoot system grows up
the
side of the building while being
rooted in the ground. With a
living wall, the modular
panels are often made of
stainless steel containers, geo
textiles, irrigation systems, a
growing medium and
vegetation.The vegetation for
a green façade is always
attached
on outside walls; although
some living walls can also be
green walls for interior use.
1. Container/trellis system
Commonly known as Green
façades, refer to vines and
climbers that grow from the
ground or from large
containers at various locations
around the building supported
either
by the wall itself or by a
supporting trellis/mesh. The
wall-climbing type is the very
common and traditional green
walls method. Although, it is a
time consuming process,
climbing plants can cover the
walls of building naturally.
Sometimes, they are grown
upwards with the help of a
trellis or other supporting
systems.
2. Modular panel system
Commonly known as living
wall, the panel system
composed of pre planted
panels,
vertical modules that hold
growing media to support
plants that are fixed vertically
to a
structural wall or frame. The
module type is the latest
concept compared to the
previous
532 Commercial Horticulture
two types. It requires more
complicated design and
planning considerations before
a
vertical system is ready.
Requirement of plants and media for
different types of vertical garden
Vertical garden type Plant Growing
media Construction type
Wall Climbing Climbing plants Soil on
ground or in Minimal supporting
planter box structure is needed
Hanging Down Plants with long Soil in
planted box on Planter box and
supporting
hanging down stem every storey
structure should be made
according to storey
Modular Short plants Light weight
panel of Supporting of structure for
artificial growing media hanging or
placing modules
should be built on facades
Planning for the Vertical
Garden
Planning includes suitable
location, local climate,
availability of plant material,
set up of
supporting structures including
necessary preparations for
integrated drip-tube irrigation
etc. A vertical garden can be
built virtually in any location
and key to success is the
selection of the right species
for the right location.
Green wall consists of………
• Plant Material: Plants
selections are site-specific
and determined by light
availability, location, size,
color, texture, and growth
habits.
• Planting Matrix: Medium for
the plants to root and anchor
onto a vertical surface.
These can be in the form of
organics, such as soil, or
inorganic like plastics or
synthetic fibers.
• Irrigation System: To
supply the plants with water
and nutrients for proper
growth.
• Waterproof Barrier: To
protect the building’s façade
from moisture.
• Structural Support: For
supporting, the structural load
of the vertical garden
system onto the building
façade.
• Lighting: To supply plants
with sufficient lighting to
photosynthesize and promote
natural growth habits. Lighting
can either be supplied by a
natural source (the
sun) or artificial source (metal
halide, high-pressure sodium,
and LED lights)
1. Save Your Space:
A vertical garden uses a very limited space for planting, you can have piles of plant
vertically arranged one by one or hanging one above the other. You just need to take care
that the plants are getting proper sunlight.
2. Keeping your Diversity of plants:
You can even experiment with growing diversity of plants like decorative and vegetable
plants row by row to give aesthetic to the garden. Comparatively the vertical garden is easier
to grow and maintain as well.
3. Safe way of gardening:
The plants are grown off the ground which minimizes the risk of pest. It also protects the
plant from damage due to pets which dig up the outdoor gardens

4. A Protective Shield:
Everybody knows that plants absorbs pollutants and harmful compounds, so when we grow
plants vertically in compact way, it acts as a protective shield and gives you a pure
environment to breath in.
5. Insulate your building:
Your green living wall do not only absorbs the air pollutant but also the heat, noise, harsh
weather and UV rays. It regulates temperature through transpiration and gives you cooling.
6. Easy to maintain:
Vertically arranged Plants are easy to reach, makes fertilizing, watering, pruning and
harvesting are also convenient.
7. Gives you privacy:
You can grow your green wall outside windows or a little far from the door but to keep it
hidden from the outsider and also it gives you shades from the sunlight out and privacy from
the passerby.
8. Living room divider:
You can grow a vertical garden on wheeled container and keep it indoor as a beautiful &
attractive room divider. This wheeled container will help you to move the garden to the
sunlight as needed.
9. Reuse your wastes:
This type of green architecture can be easily made by the use of recycle materials such as
plastic bottles, old shoe organizers, broken ladder, basket, shoe, can etc.,
10. Grow more kinds of Plants:
You can actually increase the varieties of the plant by adding the climbers including
cucumbers, tomatoes and melons downside of the garden and the small plant varieties to the
top of it.
11. Poor quality soil? Don’t worry:
If you have poor quality soil in your garden there is no need to go for cost wasting treatment
to grow your garden, you can always opt for vertical gardening with the use of appropriate
good quality soil.
12. A healthy vegetation:
In vertical gardening the plan gets more exposure of sunlight and air circulation as it grows
upwards, which results in a healthy garden.
13. Plants reduce stress:
Many studies have found the Physiological effect of Plants in reducing the physical signs of
stress and promote access to vegetation for having a greater positive human health impac
14. Aesthetic Visual appeal:
Vertical gardens are ivy on the wall. You can incredibly transform the wall or any empty
space into something aesthetically pleasing and creatively stimulating by vertical gardening.
It can be used in making green wall, or gate decoration, or hangings basket or window
boxers, whatever it may be it gives a soothing natural beauty and makes a great impact on
the visualize. These helps you to turn your apartment into a luxury villas which you always
desire for.

THE DRAWBACKS

Limited Growing Space

Vertical planters generally don’t provide a whole lot of space for roots to grow. Unless the
planter is a heavy-duty structure, larger plants will not be able to be supported. This means
that gardeners are more limited to smaller varieties or that grow more slowly.

Dries Out Quickly

Some planters that receive a lot of sun can dry out easily, weakening or killing plants. For
this reason, it is important to look at the materials used when building your planter. For
instance, if you want to make a gutter garden to grow herbs and lettuces in a sunny space,
use a white plastic gutter that will help reflect light and heat – instead of a dark grey metal
gutter that will heat up faster.
Can Be Expensive
Many pre-made vertical planting systems cost more than traditional pots. They are specially-
designed for easy set-up, easy maintenance and easy watering, which are all great benefits.
However, with a little elbow grease, you may be able to create your own structure for much
less money with materials at your local home improvement store.

Potential to Be Messy
Containers where the plants grow out to the side rather than up present the problem of dirt
falling out. A few ways to get around this issue are to
 Use a chicken wire or other wire mesh material through which to insert the plants.
 Place your plants close together to almost form a “seal” where the dirt cannot escape.
Succulents are good for this.
 Keep your planter in a horizontal position for several months before standing vertical.
This gives roots time to grow and take hold, which also helps keep the soil in place.

Watering and Drainage Can Be a Problem

This is an important issue to think through, especially if your plants will be indoors. A
simple solution that many growers use is choosing succulents or other drought-tolerant
varieties.
Smaller containers can also be more easily moved for occasional watering. Some larger
structures include a catch basin at the bottom.

Vertical gardens has further two categories:

  GREEN FACADES
Green facades are a type of green wall system in which climbing plants or cascading
vegetation. Green facades can be anchored to existing walls or built as freestanding
structures, such as fences or columns
Three green facade systems that are frequently used are Modular Trellis Panel, Grid System
and Wire Rope Net System.

Modular trellis panel system

The building block of this modular system is a rigid, light weight, three-dimensional panel
made from a powder coated galvanized and welded steel wire that supports plants with both
a face grid and a panel depth. This system is designed to hold a green facade off the wall
surface so that plant materials do not attach to the building, provides a “captive” growing
environment for the plant with multiple supports for the tendrils, and helps to maintain the
integrity of a building membrane. Panels can be stacked and joined to cover large areas, or
formed to create shapes and curves, are made from recycled content steel and are recyclable
Because the panels are rigid, they can span between structures and can also be used for
freestanding green walls.
 Freestanding trellis fence (left), column trellis (bottom), custom trellis shapes (right)

Modular wall hung trellis (left), curved trellis (right)

Grid and wire-rope net systems

Planning the Grid and wire-rope net systems used cables and wires. Grids are employed on
green facades that are designed to support faster growing climbing plants with denser
foliage. Wire-nets are often used to support slower growing plants that need the added
support these systems provide at closer intervals. Both systems use high tensile steel cables,
anchors and supplementary equipment. Various sizes and patterns can be accommodated as
flexible vertical and horizontal wire-ropes are connected through cross clamps.
 Grid System

Grid and Wire-Rope Net Systems

 LIVING WALLS
Living wall systems are composed of pre vegetated panels, vertical modules or planted
blankets These panels can be made of plastic, expanded polystyrene, synthetic fabric, clay,
metal, and concrete, and support a great diversity and density of plant species. Living walls
need more protection than green facades because of its diversity and density of vegetation.
Living Walls are made with three parts: a metal frame, a PVC layer and an air layer (do not
need soil). This system supports a variety of plant species, such as a mixture of vegetation,
perennial flowers, low shrubs, and ferns etc. It performs well in various climate
environments. However, the selection of better species may adapt to the prevailing climatic
condition, so that the maintenance of the system be made easy. Generally is used self-
automated watering and nutrition system, to make maintenance of the living walls easy.

Living wall, Semiahmoo Library in South Surrey.

LANDSCAPE WALLS
These walls are an evolution of landscape 'berms' and a strategic tool in an approach to
'living' architecture. Landscape walls are typically sloped as opposed to vertical and have the
primary function of noise reduction and slope stabilization. They usually are structured from
some form of stacking material made of plastic or concrete with room for growing media and
plants.

VEGETATED MAT WALLS

The ‘Mur Vegetal’ is a unique form of green wall pioneered by Patrick Blanc. It is composed
of two layers of synthetic fabric with pockets that physically support plants and growing
media. The fabric walls are supported by a frame and backed by a waterproof membrane
against the building wall because of its high moisture content. Nutrients are primarily
distributed through an irrigation system that cycles water from the top of the system down.
MODULAR LIVING WALL
A modular living wall system emerged in part from the use of modules for green roof
applications, with a number of technological innovations. Modular systems consist of square
or rectangular panels that hold growing media to support plant material.

Plants Suitable for Vertical Garden

Plant selection should be based on local climatic conditions. Plants should have compact
growth habit which is likely to provide thick and dense cover. Plants with short growth
habit should have shallow fibrous root system, long life cycle. Plants should be capable
to cope with full sun or full shade according to the location.
Most commonly used plants in vertical garden are:
Green Façades:
Hedera helix, Parthenocissus spp, Hydrangea petiolaris,
Polygonum bauldschianicum, Lonicera spp. Clematis spp. Aristolochia spp.
Jasminum officinale, Passiflora caerulea, etc.

Living Wall:
Dracaena, Phalaenopsis spp, Asparagus sprengeri, Kalanchoe,
Cordyline spp. Chlorophytum spp., Haworthia spp., Tradescantia sp, Fittonia spp,
Nephrolepsis, Clematis, Gardenia spp., Asplenium nidus, Maranta spp., Cotoneaster,
Euonymus fortune, Hedera, Hydrangea, Lonicera, Parthenocissus, Polygonum,
Pyracantha, Selaginella, Wisteria, Rose, Petunia, Nasturtiums, Daisies, Bromeliads
and even some vegetables like tomato, chillies, cucumber, pea’s lettuce, etc.

Exterior Wall:
Lavendula, Thymus, Rosmarinus or Salvia for full sunlight while
Begonia, Arum, Davallia, Asplenium, and Fuchsia for shady locations.

Interior Wall: Philodendron, Epipremnum, Aeschynanthus, Columnea, Saintpaulia,

Begonia or different ferns like Nephrolepis, Pterisandmany species of Peperomia.

Steps Involved in the Preparation of Vertical Garden

•The Vertical Garden is composed of three parts: a metal frame, a PVC layer and
a layer of felt.
•The metal frame is hung on a wall or can be self-standing.
•PVC sheet of 1.00 cm thickness is riveted to the metal frame. This layer brings
rigidity to the whole structure and makes it waterproof.
•A felt layer, made of polyamide, is stapled on the PVC. This felt is rot proof and
its high capillarity allow homogeneous water distribution and the plant roots grow
well on felt.
•Slits are cut in the outer felt layer to create pockets into which the plants are
placed.
•Plants are installed on this felt layer as seeds, cuttings or already grown plants.
The density is about thirty plants per square meter.
•The watering is provided from the top supplemented with nutrients. Watering and
Fertilization are automated.
536 Commercial Horticulture
•A pump and drip irrigation system supply nutrient-laden water, which slowly
Cascades down the wall through the felt material layers until reaching the bottom
where a collector recovers the excess for reuse .
•The whole weight of the vertical garden including plants and metal frame is lower
than 25 kg per square meter.
Thus, the vertical garden can be implemented on any wall, without any size or height

CASESTUDIES

BOSCO VERTICALE
LOCATION: MILANO, ITALY
YEAR: 2007
CLIENT: HINES ITALIA
BUILT AREA: 40.000 SQM
ARCHITECT: BOERISTUDIO
CONSULTANT FORTHE VEGETATION PROJECT:
EMANUELA BORIO, LAURA GATTI.

It is a project for metropolitan reforestation that contributes to the regeneration of the

Environment and urban biodiversity without the implications of expanding the city upon the
territory. It is a model of vertical densification of nature within the city. The Bosco Verticale
is a system that optimizes, recuperates, and produces energy. It aids in the creation of a
microclimate and in filtering the dust particles contained in the urban environment. The
diversity of the plants and their characteristics produce humidity, absorb co2 and dust
particles, producing oxygen and protect from radiation and acoustic pollution, improving the
quality of living spaces and saving energy.

SECTIONS
The towers, measuring 110 and 76 meters will become home to over 900 trees and that’s
excluding wide range of shrubs and floral plants.

LIVING TOWER
PROJECT DETAILS
Partners: Lafarge Cimbeton
Year: 2006
Architects: SOA Architects, Pierra Sartoux and Augus tin
Level: 30
Total Area: 50470 sqm
Height 112 m without wind mill (140m with wind mill)
Mixed program: offices, housing, shopping and
horticultural hydroponic production.

PLANS
SECTIONS

INTERIORS
The concept of the Living Tower’s aim is to associate the agricultural production, dwelling
and activities in a single and vertical system. This system would allow to make the city
denser meanwhile a greater autonomy could be gained reliance in agricultural plains,
reducing the need of transportation between urban and extra-urban territories. The yet
unusual superimposition of these programs finally makes it possible to consider new
practical and energetic relations between agricultural culture, tertiary spaces, housing and
trade inducing a very strong energy saving. With a topographic game of opposition between
full and unfilled spaces, the system of the Living Tower is designed as an autonomous
ecological machine which associates places of production, places of consumption and spaces
of life. The full spaces systematically fulfill the requirements of housing and the offices, in
term of comfort, heat insulation, acoustic and sunning, while the unfilled spaces can adapt to
various functions of production
Apart from integrating agriculture (greenhouses) into the building, the 'La Tour Vivante: an
eco-tower' also integrates other resources that support the ecological system of the tower.
Windmills: The two windmills are located on the roof facing the predominant winds. The
electric Power produced is about 200 to 600 kWh per annum. These wind machines are also
used to pump recycled rainwater and grey water from the treatment solution in the basement
for the irrigation of plants.
Photovoltaic panels: Photovoltaic panels measuring 4,500 m2 have been included into the
facades to generate electricity from solar energy. The windmills and the solar panels ensure
that the TV is a self-sufficient building.

Rainwater: After the rainwater has been filtered, it is used for the facilities of offices and
residences and for the watering of the hydroponics. Excess rainwater is collected, pumped by
the wind machines, and then stored in tanks at the top of the tower
Black water: The black water produced by the tower is recycled and purified in a treatment
solution in order to feed and to fertilize the agricultural production of the greenhouses

REFRENCES
https://gardentabs.com/pros-cons/

https://easyverticalgardening.com/types-of-vertical-gardens/pros-and-cons-of-vertical-gardens/

https://www.slideshare.net/ArchDuty/vertical-gardens-dissertation

https://www.alliancein.com/14-advantages-vertical-garden/

https://land8.com/a-history-of-vertical-gardens-from-simple-vines-to-hydroponic-systems/

https://www.intechopen.com/books/advances-in-landscape-architecture/vertical-gardens