Green walls and vegetated roofs
Landscape and Garden Product DirectorySustainable cities , Sustainable gardens, Sustainable landscape architecture, Green building, Hundertwasser, Green roof planning, Solar panels, Landscaped Architecture, Walls and roofs,
Blank walls and roofs are wasted opportunities from a sustainability viewpoint. Wallspace and roofspace should be used for:
- Windows and rooflights: daylighting is the first priority
- Solar energy generation: south-facing walls and , inclined roofs are best for energy generation
- Pasive solar gain: glazed walls and sunrooms can be used to catch solar energy for heating, without the need for solar cells. Thermal energy storage can be in mass.
- Vegetation should be the default use for walls and roofs not used for the above functions
The diagrams show two alternatives: using the roofspace for vegetation and and as the location for a large south-facing inclined solar panel