Our urban and built environments are increasingly becoming more noisy and polluted. They are typically filled with more cars and people, but fewer trees and natural green elements. The great news is that we can take bold steps today to reduce our emissions and the adverse impact of our activities by using green walls and more plants to help clean up the air and create a healthier environment.

Green walls are commonly designed and constructed throughout Europe and Asia. In the Americas, they are still a relatively new feature of the built environment. Throughout the Caribbean, green walls are much rarer. If you are not at all familiar with green walls, they are vertically engineered structures to which plants and greenery are attached. They can be found affixed to the exterior walls of buildings or within their lobbies or other common areas.

Despite their growing popularity within recent times, green walls are not new. The idea to create a living green wall was first patented in 1938 by Stanley Hart White and later popularized by French botanist Patrick Blanc. Based on what scientific researchers have learnt about the performance of green roofs, green walls offer similar considerable cost savings for building owners and can contribute to the health and well-being of the wider public.

The introduction of these systems help to reduce urban heat island effects, noise and air pollution, and a building’s energy consumption. Apart from being visually stunning, green walls can have a positive effect on the mental health, wellness, and productivity of those persons who interact with them daily. In a similar concept known as biophilia, bringing more natural elements into places where we live and work have been shown to lift our moods, making us more alert and upbeat. They can similarly reduce aggression, stress, mental fatigue, and anxiety. The two downsides to green walls can be their initial costs and ongoing maintenance.

According to Building Design+Construction, there are two major categories of green walls: green façades and living walls.

• Green façades are wall systems where climbing plants or cascading groundcovers are trained to cover specially designed supporting structures. Plant materials can be rooted at the base of the structures, in intermediate planters, or on rooftops. Green façades can be attached to existing walls or built as freestanding structures.
• Living walls (also called biowalls, “mur” vegetal, or vertical gardens) are composed of pre-vegetated panels or integrated fabric systems that are affixed to a structural wall or frame. Modular panels can be comprised of polypropylene plastic containers, geotextiles, irrigation, and growing medium and vegetation. This system supports a great diversity of plant species, including a mixture of groundcovers, ferns, low shrubs, perennial flowers, and edible plants. Living walls perform well in full sun, shade, and interior applications, and can be used in both tropical and temperate locations. Due to the diversity and density of plant life, living walls require more intensive maintenance (regular water, nutrients, fertilizer) than green façades.

The design and construction of a living wall is not typically limited by its size, although larger systems are more costly and harder to maintain. Wider walls are easier to maintain than taller ones. The components which go into the construction of a living wall do not significantly vary between tall or wide systems either. Most indoor green walls are wall-mounted, although free-standing and double-sided models are not uncommon. In terms of commercial green walls, most are specially designed or custom-made.

Seeing a locally constructed living wall built at scale, is particularly noteworthy. The TTGBC team, recently sat down with Mr Reyaz Ahamad, Director of Southern Sales and Service Company Limited and his project team to discuss the design, construction, and recent commissioning of a living wall at the company’s facility in El Socorro, situated along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway. We discussed the firm’s motivations for constructing a living wall, some of the challenges faced, and key insights or takeaways for others who may be interested in undertaking a similar initiative.

Why design and construct a green or living wall?
In first discussing the motivations for the design and construction of a living wall, Mr Ahamad shared that the original vision for the company’s El Socorro facility was a multistorey parking structure powered by photovoltaics. The leadership team later recognized the importance of the company taking up a more active role in combating the effects of climate change, by transforming their operations to be more sustainable and shift the market away from internal combustion engines toward electrification. The living wall was meant to be an expression of Southern Sales’ commitment to sustainability and reflection of where the company and its practices needed to be pivoted toward in future. The living wall was also seen as an architectural feature which would give the building and site some style and personality and have a positive impact on the traveling public.

What were some of the challenges experienced during design and construction?
Essential to the project’s success was the assembling of the right team to design, construct, and deliver a fully functional and self-sustaining system. This included the Architect, Structural Engineer, Project Manager, and building team. The team also embraced a collaborative approach in designing and developing the finalized solution. In also doing so, the team visited and researched a number of existing installations throughout the Caribbean and Americas.

Given the novelty and scale of the build, the team was also presented with a steep learning curve. Their design had to be carefully adapted for local climatic conditions and as well comply with specific engineering codes, international building standards, and statutory requirements. Much thought was given to the choice and type of materials used in the final build. The team arrived at an automated closed loop system in which the irrigation was automated, the water was recycled, little maintenance was required, and there were no run-offs into existing drainage channels.

Sourcing the right plants also presented a unique challenge as well. A less is more approach was followed by the landscape architect. Careful consideration was taken in selecting the right species for their hardiness against our local weather conditions, proximity to the highway, exposure to direct sunlight, variable weather conditions, and in providing the desired finished aesthetic. Approximately 4,200 living plants were used across five to six different species. During installation, each plant was handled with care so as to safeguard their health and longevity. Plants were also selected based on the minimal amount of maintenance that would be required.

What were some of the key insights or learning from undertaking the living wall?
Mr Ahamad expressed gratitude to the company’s Board of Directors, which exercised confidence in the ability of the project team to successfully undertake and complete the living wall. He also spoke to his reliance on their expertise, experience, knowledge, and ability to work together. Mr Ahamad highlighted the need for other local companies to be more responsible and engage industry experts and stakeholders in making our built environment more sustainable. He noted that we have to find more ways to become more sustainable in our business practices, reduce our waste, and minimize our impact on the environment.

For anyone undertaking other forms of construction or renovations, Mr Ahamad pointed to the need for architects and designers to put more green spaces into the built environment, thereby softening spaces for staff and customers, making them less harsh and more welcoming. It was recognized that businesses should lean on the expertise and advice from local and international partners when undertaking sustainability focused projects. Praises were also heaped onto the project’s architect and building team who endeavored to make the living wall look like a natural integration into the rest of the building.

Green walls are an expression of life and can connect the indoors and outdoors through texture, colour, movement, and beauty. They offer transformation through regenerative design and integration with nature. Aligned to our ongoing mission is to transform the way our country’s buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated, the TTGBC is hopeful that other building owners, developers, and investors throughout the country continue to seek out and embrace the added value derived through sustainable design and construction practices. In this article, we trust that some of the experiences and key insights shared would also benefit client organizations and project teams seeking to undertake sustainability focused projects or initiatives.

If you are interested in learning more about sustainable design and construction, do reach out to the Trinidad and Tobago Green Building Council today. You are also welcomed to follow us via Facebook and Instagram to keep abreast of other developments locally, within the green building community and at times, around the world.