Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa September 2015 | Page 46

GREEN

Vertical
Gardens
Welcome to the green future
BY DREW HOOK

A

Vertical Garden or ‘Green Wall’ is a partially
or completely covered building face with
vegetation that includes a growing medium,
such as soil and an integrated water delivery system. It
is useful to distinguish green walls from green facades.
Green walls have growing media supported on the face
of the wall while green facades have soil only at the base
of the wall (in a container or in ground) and support
climbing plants on the face of the wall to create the
green, or vegetated, facade.
Green walls have seen a recent surge in popularity
in the last few years. Of the 61 large-scale outdoor
green walls listed in an online database provided by
greenroof.com, 80% were constructed in or after 2009
and 93% dated from no later than 2007. Many Iconic
green walls have been constructed by Institutions and
in public places such as Airports and are now becoming
common, to improve the aesthetics. They have become
synonymous with energy saving initiatives, while
promoting a cleaner, healthier living environment for
those living within. A number of iconic green walls
around the world have brought more attention to this
growing architectural trend.
Londons Largest Living Wall
Standing at 350 square meters with over 10,000 ferns,
herbaceous plants and 16 tons of soil is London’s
largest living wall, which has been designed to reduce
urban flooding.
The Rubens at the Palace Hotel living wall, on the
doorstep of Buckingham Palace, reaches over 21 metres
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SEPTEMBER 2015 SA Real Estate Investor

high. It has been packed with over 20 seasonal plant
species including buttercups, crocuses, strawberries,
spring bulbs and winter geraniums.
The flowers have been chosen to ensure the wall is
‘in-bloom’ all year round, attracting wildlife such as
birds, butterflies and bees, and the permanent feature
will provide a vibrant focal point for the local area.
The living wall will be one of London’s most visually
impactful and colourful vertical gardens, brightening
the popular tourist walk from Victoria station to the
Royal residence.
The wall’s unique design enables it to capture
rainwater from the roof of the building in dedicated
storage tanks. A k