The use of Bio-Facades in High Rise Buildings:

Towards a Sustainable Vertical Urbanism

Lecturer: Dr. Fodil FADLI

Room 285

May 4th, 2016, 14.15 

The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the bio-façade and living walls concept and its benefits as an environmental solution for creating a sustainable architecture and urbanism in hot climate areas such as the Gulf region with its multitude of high-rise buildings and super-tall structures. Bio-facades can be considered to new or existing building construction of commercial, residential, and public buildings with great imagination by using such architectural features as green walls, hanging gardens, green roofs, or pergolas.  In addition to their striking visual effect, vertical vegetation increases building energy efficiency, creates a positive effect on the psychological  and physiological health of individuals, helps mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduces greenhouse gases, improves air quality by acting as a bio-filter, protects wall construction materials from ultraviolet radiation, reduces noise pollution, and creates natural habitat areas in cities.  These benefits create a path towards making cities more environmentally sustainable, and develop the new approach and movement of SVU: Sustainable Vertical Urbanism. Bio-facades can be incorporated either into the traditional courtyard architecture or contemporary and high-rise buildings to create a better microclimate, to provide shade, and to reduce energy consumption, enhancing the energy performance of building envelopes, the buildings themselves, and their surrounding environment.

“This research/publication was made possible by a National Priority Research Program NPRP award [NPRP-07-1406-2-507] from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of the Qatar Foundation). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the author(s).”