Proposal
Posted by Jocelyn | Posted on 8:00 AM
Green Wall Benefits in a Commercial Building
Summary:
Throughout the semester and summer I will be conducting research to examine if green walls can promote healthy living. Not only do living walls serve an architectural decor, they are also known to provide cleaner air for people. I will also examine whether green walls will help reduce the energy costs of a building.
Purpose:
To explore the benefits of living walls.
• Do living walls provide health benefits?
• Do they provide energy savings?
• Are they cost effective?
• What type of plants should be used?
Goals and objectives:
My goal throughout the semester is to design a green wall to a commercial building. From this I will be examining green wall benefits and the associated issues.
I plan to take an existing building and incorporate an interior green wall. My case study will include Aberdeen Mall, a commercial building located in Kamloops, British Columbia. I will accumulate results that may affect the feeling of fatigue one gets when leaving the building.
Methodology and analytical approach:
I plan to base my research on whether or not green walls can reduce volatile organic compounds (VOC) and promote improved health.
First step is to calculate the area of the building and determine the size of green walls needed to produce air effects. Next step is to determine how much it would cost to add an interior living wall, and finally calculating the amount of energy savings over a period of five years. I will be observing the indoor air quality of the mall prior to and after the installation of the living wall, and determine which plants will produce the most oxygen and absorb the most carbon dioxide.
Plans for dissemination of work:
April – September, 2010:
- Calculate the area of Aberdeen Mall, Kamloops.
- Extensive research on green walls.
- Determine the size of wall needed for installation
- Determine the best plants to use in the wall.
- Calculate the cost of installation
September – October, 2010:
- Install a green wall in the case study building at Aberdeen mall.
- Calculate the amount of energy savings and expand it over five years
- Determine the procedures in maintaining the wall over one year.
October - November, 2010:
- Monitor the air quality in the building
- Determine whether it creates an effect on the people shopping and working in the mall.
- Create a detailed analytical report answering whether or not green walls promote healthy living.
Conclusion:
I plan to prove that green walls are beneficial to people’s health. With air quality and viral concerns throughout the province, more commercial buildings should consider adding a green component to help prevent the spread of pollutants.
Great idea for a topic Jocelyn. I was just curious what type of irrigation system would be used for an interior green wall? Obviously green walls are great for the environment, but it probably wouldn't be ideal to have to water the inside of your home would it? Maybe you could research how the irrigation works for these walls or possibly what types of plants ned little water for green walls. Just a thought though. Good luck with the research!
That's a good question Scotty. I'll have to look into that for sure. Having water running in a building like that could act as a humidifier. But for sure I will research information about that. Thanks for the comment.
I like your topic Jocelyn, and am interested in the benefits of green walls! Also how do green walls create energy savings?
Great topic Jocelyn. Are there any health benifits from having a green wall inside. We breathe pollution on our way too work, and we breathe in stale air when we are at work or school. I wonder how healthy a green wall or environment would be?