Living Wall Systems: A Technical Standard Proposal
Abstract Greenery is recognized as strategic element for the design and the regeneration of sustainable cities and buildings. Building integrated vegetation (BIV) offers many ecological benefits and an increasing number of local authorities, urban planners and architects are aware of these. Living Wall Systems (LWSs) can be classified as a BIV. LWSs can be assumed as self-sufficient vertical gardens that are attached to the exterior or interior of a building. Their environmental properties are remarkable, for these cities encouraging architects to use them. Nevertheless technical standards dealing with design, construction and maintenance of LWSs are rarely available. The objective of the research is to stimulate the LWSs development providing a technical standard proposal with information, and specifications. It tackles some aspects that should be considered significant in a standard such as: design guidelines; maintenance procedures; requirements and indicators for assessing the expected performances. The outcome of the paper can be used a first framework to make available harmonized information to stakeholders engaged in design, off-site and on-site production, as well as in operation and repair. The standard proposal encourages innovative and responsible LWS development, with a focus on ecological requirements. The proposal standard was implemented in consistency to an Italian standard (UNI 11235:2015). The UNI 11235 contains the instructions for designing, building up, monitoring and maintaining the green roofs. Although UNI 11235 is not an international standard it is based on a robust framework that can be applied at global scale and most importantly to LWS.