Plants and Buildings: improving the human environment

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Plants and Buildings: improving the human

environment

Professor John Dover The Green Wall Centre, Staffordshire University

j.w.dover@staffs.ac.uk

•  Overarching Creative Vision for the Whole Centre

•  Detailed Design of a specific space as a pilot

Des

ign

Brie

f

Considerations •  The building needs to address current

issues but also be future-proofed in terms of environmental challenges

•  We are in the world of the retrofit

•  Best not to overcomplicate

•  Engagement is important

•  There are always caveats/exceptions

Brie

f Iss

ues

Ecosystem services are generally considered to be of four types: •  Supporting services e.g. nutrient and water cycling, soil

formation, primary production •  Regulating services e.g. climate control, pollution removal,

water regulation & purification, pollination, pest & disease suppression, erosion control

•  Provisioning services e.g. food, medicines, building materials •  Cultural services e.g. societal appreciation of nature and

environment, aesthetics, recreation (EASAC, 2009)

Eco

syst

em S

ervi

ces

•  Regulating services –  climate control, –  pollution ‘removal’, –  water regulation & purification, –  disease suppression

•  Cultural services –  aesthetics, –  appreciation of nature and environment, –  recreation

For B

uild

ing

Des

ign

Most Relevant

Essential Infrastructure

Ecosystem Services can help with many current and future

challenges Climate Change

Societal Value

Amenity Value

Health & Wellbeing

Energy Management

Water Management

Urban Climate

Ecosystem Services

Inside buildings and outside

Cha

lleng

es

Evapotranspiration

7-10°C difference

Air cooling, humidification, UV control, shade

Clim

ate

Con

trol

Can be used with Air Cons A

ir C

ondi

tioni

ng

Cool in summer warm in winter

Deciduous species: leaves shade in summer, fall-off in winter and sun warms room

Win

dow

Sha

de

Shaded walkways, Contemplative spaces, Stress reduction, Evapo-transpiration Sustainable Urban Drainage

Future proofing for climate change

Out

door

sha

de

Sustainable Urban Drainage

Slo

win

g it

dow

n

Cap

ture

© City of Portland, Oregon

Rain Gardens

Storm-water planters

Per

mea

ble

pavi

ng

Pavements, Car parks, Driveways, Patios

Infiltration

Building Insulation

Warmer in Winter

Ene

rgy

Man

agem

ent

Cooler in Summer

Can also provide summer shade with trees or climbers on awnings

Energy consumption

One study suggests that shading air conditioner heat exchangers

could save up to 10% in energy costs!

Air

Con

ditio

ning

U

nits

‘Nature’ helps in: • Stress recovery • Attention restoration • Reduced prevalence of mental disorder • Trust, tolerance, participation, feelings of safety • Recovery from surgery

State-of-Mind M

enta

l Hea

lth

Looking good, hiding the ugly, enhancing the mediocre

Aes

thet

ics

©Biotecture Ltd

©Mobilane

Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs) In

door

Air

Pol

lutio

n

Plants – especially microbes in the root-zone can detoxify VOCs

•  Higher concentrations indoors •  Hundreds of compounds •  Some carcinogens •  Given off by building products,

furnishing, electrical, etc. •  Sick-building syndrome

Nursery x250 mag A38 Bristol St x250 mag

66 days

Pol

lutio

n O

utdo

ors

Plants Capture PM and Gasses NO2 SO2 O3 CO2 CO

PM10-1.0

Reducing hubbub

Sound absorption, diffraction, reflection Will vary with plant species & architecture, growing units/media Valuable where many hard surfaces

Noi

se P

ollu

tion ©Biotecture Ltd

The immediate work environment P

rodu

ctiv

ity

•  Increased job satisfaction •  Higher quality of life scores •  Reduced work pressure •  Reduced absences •  Better productivity •  Improves climate (humidity) •  May reduce microbes in the air

Room dividers

Indoor vegetation can be a fixed or a mobile facility creating and recreating spaces as required. Green walls take up little space.

Spa

ce u

tilis

atio

n

©Biotecture Ltd

1.  What is Green Infrastructure? 2. Benefits of Green Infrastructure 3. Indoors 4. Permeable Pavements 5. Green Walls 6. Green Roofs 7. Street Trees 8. Policy, Regulation and Incentives

CONTENTS:

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