At first glance, The Green Wall seems like a raised bed. But there is more to it than meets the eye. The Green Wall has been developed by Adam Kalinowski and aims to establish a sustainable coexistence of humans, architecture and the environment. It ends the strict separation between buildings and environment. The idea is not actually new. But in this case, the approach is well thought out, exceptional and interesting. The structure is highly versatile with many degrees of freedom. Curious?
The idea is to build a structure that interacts with the environment. Plants are incorporated into the overall shape of the structure referring to organic forms of life. They are growing on stacked floors in accordance with the principle of The Green Wall. Between the floors is sufficient space for ventilation, sunlight and, of course, different types of plants. The shape, size, and number of floors can be chosen freely.
„Plants seem to be most part of our human world and other living organisms. Ecosystems cannot function properly without sustainable balance between inanimate matter and world of living organisms. The role of a man is not to spoil that balance as long as possible on this planet. So partly that’s the reason I’d like to incorporate plants into building structures because our coexistence is extremely important for both parties and for our survival in general.“
Adam Kalinowski
The inner area has a special microclimate. The air temperature is lower during the day and higher in the night, compared with the air temperature out of The Green Wall. The air humidity is always a bit lower.
The maintenance of a structure mainly comprises planting and pruning plants, weeding and the irrigation system. If used, upkeep measures for ventilation systems and LED lighting systems as well.
Multiple benefits
The following are only a few examples of The Green Wall. With a small portion of creative imagination, there are even more opportunities.
The cooling effect, in particular in large cities, is a pleasant advantage. The high number of plants provide a large evaporation surface. This improves the reduction of the urban heat island effect. An entering visitor feels like being in a cool jungle whilst standing in a city. The huge green wall of The Green Wall absorbs noises and air pollutants. In the center of big cities, it is a place of calm as well as a tourist attraction with a big contribution to our quality of life.
The high space efficiency is an interesting point for urban farming. It is possible to cultivate much more crops or plants with the same base area. Especially in cities, where space is very rare. Light sensitive crops can grow on the lower and inner floors. Sun-seeking plants, like tomatoes, are placed on the top or outside. It is possible to multiply the yield per square meter.
It is very likely, that the difference between temperature and humidity outside and inside of a structure will be higher in more extreme weather conditions especially in a hot and dry climate. The Green Wall could be a cool opportunity for recreation without air conditioning.
The Infinite Green
The Infinite Green is an example of The Green Wall placed in Wroclaw. The construction is made of steel and wood with an integrated irrigation system. It has a size of 1000x350x500 cm and may remind of a graphic symbol of infinity, especially from a bird’s eye view. Many different species are planted on 110 m². Around 3000 plants are housed on the floors. The project is part of a visual art program of EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE WROCLAW 2016 and will be continued at least till fall 2017.
