What is wall greening?

The effects of wall greening

As you know, environmental degradation, including global warming and the heat island effect, has become a major problem in recent years, and attention has been drawn to wall greening, which is said to be effective in combating the heat island effect. In this section, we will introduce the "6 effects" that can be expected from adopting wall greening.

Effect 1: Mitigation of the heat island effect

Most urban buildings are made of inorganic concrete, which causes heat storage due to the heat of the sun, making them susceptible to the heat island effect. By installing green walls, solar energy is absorbed by the leaves, promoting latent heat and suppressing the rise in atmospheric temperature, thereby contributing to mitigating the heat island effect.

Effect 2: Energy saving effect

By installing green walls, sensible heat can be prevented and the temperature inside the building can be kept from rising.
This will reduce the amount of air conditioning consumed, which is expected to have an energy-saving effect.

Effect 3: Improved scenery

Buildings and commercial facilities with green walls contribute to improving the beauty of cities.
Recently, various wall greening systems have been developed, and there has been an increase in unique and highly designed wall greening systems.

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  Construction examples

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  Construction examples

Effect 4: Ensuring biodiversity

Green walls also contribute to creating habitats for living creatures. The flowers and fruits of plants are important sources of nutrition for insects and birds living in cities. They also function as resting spaces for living creatures, making green walls a major contribution to ensuring biodiversity.

Effect 5: Promotion, customer attraction, and improved corporate image

Unlike rooftop greenery, which is only visible from limited locations, wall greenery often becomes a major visual element in cities. Beautifully designed and maintained wall greenery not only creates an attractive building, but also contributes to the creation of an attractive streetscape, which can be expected to have an effect on advertising, attract customers, and improve the company's image.

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  Examples of advertising and customer attraction effects

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  Cases aimed at improving corporate image

Effect ⑥: Noise reduction

Depending on the type of greening base material, some have sound absorption performance that is almost equivalent to that of 50mm thick glass wool used in road soundproofing walls, excluding the low frequency range.

Wall greening planning/design checkpoints

When planning a green wall, just like a green roof, you need to understand the prerequisites, purpose of the greening, installation location, and management conditions before creating a greening plan.

[Checkpoint 1] Understanding legal regulations

When planning a green wall, you must double-check the Building Standards Act, Fire Service Act, etc., and give sufficient consideration to safety, evacuation, disaster prevention, neighbors, etc.

Compliance with required lighting standards for rooms

Some buildings have minimum lighting requirements for each room's use, and wall greening must ensure that these requirements are not exceeded.

Securing evacuation and fire escape routes

Examples of items subject to legal regulations include:

• In the case of openings designated for firefighting activities in the event of a fire, wall greenery that may interfere with firefighting activities
• Wall greening that does not allow for an evacuation route width of 35m or more (1.5cm if relaxed conditions are met) for buildings subject to Article 90 of the Building Standards Act (such as schools, apartment buildings, department stores, etc.)

Response to areas at risk of fire spreading

In fire prevention areas, quasi-fire prevention areas, and densely built-up urban areas, if the building is less than 5m from the boundary line of the neighboring property or the center line of the road, the standard components must have fire resistance.

Understanding the method for calculating green area in target municipalities

In some municipalities that have made rooftop greening mandatory, the area of ​​wall greening can be included in the mandatory area. However, the standards and calculation methods vary depending on the municipality. Some municipalities also have subsidy programs, so it is a good idea to obtain the latest information when planning.

[Checkpoint 2] Selecting a wall greening method

When selecting a wall greening method, it is necessary to comprehensively consider factors such as the purpose of the greening, installation location, design, cost, and maintenance system.

[Checkpoint 3] What construction method will be used?

• Noboru to Midori Panel Type
• Noboru to Midori Wire Type
• Paravienna unit type

Wall greening planning/design checkpoints - Indoor greening

There are a few points to consider when planning indoor greenery.

[Checkpoint 1] Check the environmental conditions

light environment

Regarding illuminance, it is a good idea to plan for ornamental plants with a minimum of 800 to 1000 lux for the entire greening area. When doing so, it is a good idea to take into account the characteristics of the light source, such as the lamp wavelength characteristics and light diffusion. The duration of light exposure is also important, and while some plants can grow well with long periods of weak light, some species will not grow well if exposed to more than 16 hours of light, so careful plant selection is required.

Water Environment

Even indoor wall greenery requires consideration of watering methods. Also, because it is an indoor location, sufficient care must be taken to prevent floor stains and water leakage due to watering and drainage.

wind environment

Planting plants near an air conditioning vent can dry out the leaves and cause poor growth due to strong winds. However, even in windless conditions, humidity can make the plants more susceptible to diseases and pests, which can also cause poor growth.

Infrastructure

It is advisable to use a substrate that has good water retention and drainage properties.

[Checkpoint 2] Plant selection

Indoor environments with low light and stable temperatures generally tend to have many houseplants.
However, a recent trend is an increase in plans to install plants indoors in areas exposed to the outside air, such as windbreaks, so it is necessary to consider the environmental conditions of the location where you plan to install them before deciding what types of plants are suitable.

Maintenance of green walls

Once a green wall is installed, maintenance is also important. To maintain a beautiful landscape, proper care and the promotion of plant growth are necessary.

The maintenance of wall greenery is basically the same as that for planting on a regular flat surface. However, because planting on a wall is more likely to cause stress to the plants than on a flat surface, it is important to carry out regular inspections and maintenance at the appropriate time.

Automatic irrigation is the basic method, but it is essential to check and manage irrigation, including managing the water source.

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  Pruning using a ladder

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  Pruning with a high-altitude work vehicle

Unit-type management schedule example

irrigation

Irrigation control by automatic irrigation device
Recommended times: Automatic
Note: Irrigation management system introduced

The wolf pack

Checking plant growth status, irrigation equipment, etc.
Recommended frequency: 4 times a year
Note: Visually check the moisture condition of the substrate and the health of the plants.

irrigation

Inspection of irrigation equipment
Recommended frequency: 2 times a year

pruning

Pruning overgrown plants
Recommended frequency: 2 times a year
Note: The number of times will be determined depending on the desired level of beauty.

Weeding

Removal of weeds and dead leaves
Recommended frequency: 2 times a year
Note: The number of inspections will be determined depending on the situation at the time of inspection.

Fertilization

Fertilizing plants will help them grow more steadily
*Some irrigation controllers dilute liquid fertilizer before irrigating.
Recommended frequency: 2 times a year
Liquid fertilizer 3000 times
Notes...Fertilizer undiluted solution replenishment

disinfection

Spraying pesticides to prevent diseases and pests
Recommended frequency: 2 times a year
Note: Carry out as needed when pests or diseases occur.

Replanting

Replanting dead plants
Recommended number of times: as needed
Note: Replacement is available for a fee.

Example of a maintenance schedule for wire-type plants (when planted on artificial ground, such as in a planter)

●: Work to be carried out ▲: Work only if necessary

*1: Depending on the height and conditions of the wall, a high-altitude work platform may be required.
*2: Clean the strainer once or twice a year, and replace the batteries if the controller is battery-powered. Even if the controller is a year-round timer type, adjust the amount of watering according to the plant coverage. In cold regions, the water in the pipes must be drained in winter.
*3: Estimated watering amount per 1m2 of green wall area: South and west sides: 1-2 liters, east and north sides: 3-1 liters
*4: Fertilize when the leaves turn pale and growth slows down.
*5: In areas where sprinkler equipment is not available, sprinkler trucks or tanks are required.
(Note): For long-term management, root cutting and soil replacement within the planting base, as well as irrigation tube replacement, are carried out once every few years.

Example of a maintenance schedule for wire-type (planted in the ground on natural ground)　

●: Work to be carried out ▲: Work only if necessary

*1: Depending on the height and conditions of the wall, a high-altitude work platform may be required.
*2: Clean the strainer once or twice a year, and replace the batteries if the controller is battery-powered. Even if the controller is a year-round timer type, adjust the amount of watering according to the plant coverage. In cold regions, the water in the pipes must be drained in winter.
*3: Estimated watering amount per 1m2 of green wall area: South and west sides: 1-2 liters, east and north sides: 3-1 liters
*4: Fertilize when the leaves turn pale and growth slows down.
*5: In areas where sprinkler equipment is not available, sprinkler trucks or tanks are required.
(Note): If there is no rainfall, please refer to the table above, "When planting on artificial ground such as a planter."

KYODO KY-TEC's strengths and product lineup

KYODO KY-TEC's Strengths

In addition to selling products, our expert staff has a wealth of experience and provides one-stop services from proposal to installation. Here are the benefits of adopting KYODO KY-TEC's wall greening.

Product Lineup

KYODO KY-TEC offers a wide range of wall greening products, including unit types, planter types, and climbing types. Please see the product details page for details.
We will introduce you to products that meet your needs, such as design, cost, and maintenance, so if you are considering introducing them, please feel free to contact us.

Unit type (Paravienta)

Climbing type (Noboru to Midori)

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