Tree-façades. Integrating trees in the building envelope as a new form of façade greening

Title

Tree- façades. Integrating trees in the building envelope as a new form of Façade Greening

DOWNLOAD PDF

DOI

doi.org/ 10.19229/978-88-5509-446-7/7112022

Keywords

tree façade, building greening, living architecture, sustainable design, urban heat island

Abstract

Temperatures are spiking up every year all over the globe. Urban areas generate more heatwaves as a result of the Urban heat island effect in combination with global warming, resulting in heat stress for the people. In central and northern European climates like e.g. in Germany, building envelopes are primarily designed for the harsh and long winters, and indoor spaces tend to become not comfortable in the summer with rising temperatures. What are sustainable alternatives to make the homes and building spaces we live in to beat the heat and at the same time provide interesting architectural experiences? Vegetation generally reduces the heat island effect, however, open green spaces in urban areas are not within the reach of every building complex. This research aims to look at the possibility of making trees a part of the building, especially façades, to improve the thermal comfort in and around the building. Furthermore, integrating trees in building envelopes could generate new aesthetic and spatial possibilities for the design. By building on the methods of research by designing and research through drawing, tree façades are investigated in different scenarios concerning the building-tree interaction. The outcome of the study is that tree façades could become a new approach for designers of a so far unexplored, aesthetical, and microclimatic aspect of architecture. When implemented in an urban planning scale, tree façades could create networks of habitats that are otherwise typically fractured in the urban fabric. The idea of tree façades is somewhat new and revolutionary not only for future architecture in Germany but for other countries in the world. This basic research could open more doors in architecture and infrastructure. It could contribute to reformulating the way we merge our built environment with natural systems.

Section

Architecture | Research & Experimentation

pp. 192-213

Author(s)

Lisa Höpfl, Divya Pilla, Florian Köhl, Christian Burkhard, Julian Lienhard, Ferdinand Ludwig

Author(s) Biography

Lisa Höpfl,Landscape Architect, is a Research Associate at the Professorship for Green Technologies in Landscape Architecture at the Technical University of Munich (Germany) and a Founder of the landscape architecture practice Studio Grünberg in Munich. Her focus is on living architecture, tree façades and the symbiosis between architectural and landscape systems. Email: lisa.hoepfl@mytum.de

Divya Pilla, Architect and Landscape Architect, is a Master’s Student at the Department of Landscape Architecture, TUM (Germany). She is working for the Professorship of Green Technologies in Landscape Architecture at TUM. In her five years of experience as a Landscape Architect, she has been involved in designing and executing several landscape projects in India. Email: divya.pilla91@gmail.com

Florian Köhl is a Deputy Professor for Building Economics and Project Development at the Department of Architecture, Urban Planning and Landscape Planning at the University of Kassel (Germany) where he investigates and works on models of architectural production for affordable and sustainable urban development in the context of urban ecosystems. He is the Founder of fatkoehl architects and Co-founder of Quest in Berlin. Email: koehl@asl.uni-kassel.de

Christian Burkhard is a Research Associate at the Professorship for Building Economics and Project Development at the Department of Architecture, Urban Planning and Landscape Planning, University of Kassel (Germany) and a Partner of Quest (Berlin, Germany) where he develops applicable strategies for a spatial, use-oriented and living exchange of architecture with the city. Architecture is considered a building block of urban ecosystems, in terms of its form, construction, use, economic model of affordability, and ecological impact on its inhabitants and its surroundings. Email: cb@qst.eco

Julian Lienhard is a Structural Engineer and since 2019 the Head of the Institute for Structural Design (TWE) at the University of Kassel (Germany). His interest is in innovative and resource-efficient structures created at the intersection of research, development, and practice. In 2008, Lienhard co-founded the engineering and design practice studioLD now str.ucture GmbH. Email: lienhard@uni-kassel.de

Ferdinand Ludwig is a Professor of Green Technologies in Landscape Architecture at the Technical University of Munich (Germany) since 2017. At the cutting edge of design, natural sciences and engineering his work centres on architectural concepts in which plants play a central role, thereby broadening architectural knowledge by confronting aspects of growth and decay, probability and chance in architectural and landscape design. Email: Ferdinand.ludwig@tum.de

References

Abdel-Aziz, D. M., Al Shboul, A. and Al-Kurdi, N. (2015), “Effects of Tree Shading on Building’s Energy Consumption – The case of Residential Buildings in a Mediterranean Climate”, in American Journal of Environmental Engineering, vol. 5, issue 5, pp. 131-140. [Online] Available at: esearchgate.net/publication/314388937_Effects_of_Tree_Shading_on_Building%27s_Energy_Consumption_-The_Case_of_Residential_Buildings_in_a_Mediterranean_Climate [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Akbari, H. (2002), “Shade trees reduce building energy use and CO₂ emissions from powerplants”, in Environmental Pollution, vol. 116, Supplement 1, pp. 119-126. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(01)00264-0 [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Berry, R., Livesley, S. and Aye, L. (2013), “Tree canopy shade impacts on solar irradiance received by building walls and their surface temperature”, in Building and Environment, vol. 69, pp. 91-100. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2013.07.009 [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Besir, A. and Cuce, E. (2018), “Green roofs and facades – A comprehensive review”, in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 82, part 1, pp. 915-939. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.09.106 [Accessed 19 September 2022].

Bobbink, I. and Loen, S. (2020), “Visual Water Biography – Translating Stories in Space and Time”, in SPOOL, vol. 7, issue 2, pp. 5-22. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.7480/spool.2020.2.4859 [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Canepa, M., Mosca, F., Barath, S., Changenet, A., Hauck, T., Ludwig, F., Roccotiello, E., Pianta, M., Selvan S. and Vogler, V. (2022), “Ecolopes, oltre l’inverdimento – Un approccio multi-specie per lo spazio urbano | Ecolopes, beyond greening – A multi-species approach for urban design”, in Agathón | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design, vol. 11, pp. 238-245. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.19229/2464-9309/11212022 [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Cohen-Shacham, E., Walters, G., Janzen, C. and Maginnis, S. (2016), Nature-based Solutions to address global societal challenges, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. [Online] Available at: portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2016-036.pdf [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Detter, A. (2019), “Grundlagen der Kronensicherung und Einsatzmöglichkeiten nach der neuen ZTV-Baumpflege | Basics of crown cabling and application options according to the new German standard, ZTV-Baumpflege”, in Jahrbuch der Baumpflege, vol. 23, pp. 90-108. [Online] available at: tree-consult.org/upload/mediapool/pdf/baumpflege_und_kronensicherungen/jdb_2019_detter_kronensicherung.pdf [Accessed 09 September 2022]

EEA – European Environment Agency (2010), “From urban spaces to urban ecosystems”, in EEA SIGNALS 2010 – Biodiversity, climate change and you, pp. 50- 57. [Online] Available at: eea.europa.eu/publications/signals-2010 [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Eurostat (2016), Urban Europe – Statics on cities, towns and suburbs – 2016 edition. [Online] Available at ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-statistical-books/-/ks-01-16-691 [Accessed 09 September 2022]

Fernandes, C. O., Martinho da Silva, I., Patoilo Teixeira, C. and Costa, L. (2019), “Between tree lovers and tree haters – Drivers of public perception regarding street trees and its implications on the urban green infrastructure planning”, in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, vol. 37, pp. 97-108, [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2018.03.014 [Accessed 09 September 2022].

Franceschi, E., Moser-Reischl, A., Rahman, M. A., Pauleit, S., Pretzsch, H. and Rötzer, T. (2022), “Crown Shapes of Urban Trees-Their Dependences on Tree Species, Tree Age and Local Environment, and Effects on Ecosystem Services”, in Forests, vol. 13, 748. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.3390/f13050748, [Accessed 09 September 2022]

Gamble, J. L., Ebi, K. L., Grambsh, A. E., Sussman, F. G. and Wilbanks, T. J. et alii (2008), Analyses of the effects of global change on human health and welfare and human systems – Final Report, Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.6, Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. [Online] Available at: cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/risk/recordisplay.cfm?deid=197244 [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Gamble, J., Hurley, B., Schultz, P., Jaglom, W., Krishnan, N. and Harris, M. (2013), “Climate Change and Older Americans – State of the Science”, in Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 121, issue 1, pp. 15-22. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1205223 [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Heisler, G. M. (1986), “Effects of individual trees on the solar radiation climate of small buildings”, in Urban Ecology, vol. 9, issue 3-4, pp. 337-359. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1016/0304-4009(86)90008-2 [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Hoelscher, M.-T., Nehls, T., Jänicke, B. and Wessolek, G. (2016), “Quantifying cooling effects of facade greening – Shading, transpiration and insulation”, in Energy and Buildings, vol. 114, pp. 283-290. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2015.06.047 [Accessed 13 September 2022].

Huang, Q., Yang, M., Jane, H., Li, S. and Bauer, N. (2020), “Trees, grass, or concrete? The effects of different types of environments on stress reduction”, in Landscape and Urban Planning, vol. 193, 103654. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.103654 [Accessed 13 September 2022].

IEA (2018), The Future of Cooling – Opportunities for energy-efficient air conditioning. [Online] Available at: iea.org/reports/the-future-of-cooling [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Kuo F. E. and Sullivan, W. C. (2001), “Environment and Crime in the Inner City – Does Vegetation Reduce Crime?”, in Environment and Behavior, vol. 33, issue 3, pp. 343-367. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1177/0013916501333002 [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Ludwig, F. (2021), “Joining Living Wood | Lebendes Holz Verbinden”, in Allner, L., Kaltenbrunner, C., Kröhnert, D. and Reinsberg, P. (eds), Conceptual Joining – Wood Structures from Detail to Utopia | Holzstrukturen im Experiment, Birkhäuser, Basel, pp. 228-235. [Online] Available at: library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/52257 [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Ludwig, F. (2008), “Baubotanik – Möglichkeiten und Grenzen des Konstruierens lebender Tragwerke”, in Konstruktion und Gestalt – leichte Konstruktionen, Universität Duisburg-Essen, pp. 59-85. [Online] Available at: researchgate.net/publication/325344317_Baubotanik_-_Moglichkeiten_und_Grenzen_des_Konstruierens_lebender_Tragwerke

Ludwig, F., Schönle, D. and Vees, U. (2016), “Baubotanik – Building Architecture with Nature”, in Biotope City Journal, online.[Online] Available at: biotope-city.net/baubotanik-der-entwurf-einer-lebenden-architektur-2/ [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Ludwig, F. and Storz, O. (2005), “Baubotanik – Mit lebenden Pflanzen konstruieren”, in Baumeister – Zeitschrift für Architektur, vol. 11, pp. 72-75.

Mäkelä, M., Nimkulrat, N. and Heikkinen, T. (2014), “Drawing as a Research Tool – Making and understanding in art and design practice”, in Studies in Material Thinking, vol. 10, pp. 1-12. [Online] Available at: materialthinking.aut.ac.nz/papers/147.html [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Morakinyo, T. E., Kong, L., Ka-Lun Lau K., Yuan, C. and Ng., E. (2017), “A study on the impact of shadow-cast and tree species on in-canyon and neighborhood’s thermal comfort”, in Building and Environment, vol. 115, pp. 1-17. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2017.01.005 [Accessed 13 September 2022].

Overbeke, C. (2008), “Do trees really cause so much damage to property?”, in Journal of Building Appraisal, vol. 3, pp. 247-258. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1057/jba.2008.6 [Accessed 13 September 2022].

Perini, K. and Pérez, G. (2021), “Ventilative cooling and urban vegetation”, in Chiesa, G., Kolokotroni, M. and Heiselberg, P. (eds), Innovations in Ventilative Coolin, Springer, Cham, pp. 213-234. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72385-9_10 [Accessed 13 September 2022].

Perini, K. and Rosasco, P. (2013), “Cost-benefit analysis for green façades and living wall systems”, in Building and Environment, vol. 70, pp. 110-121. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2013.08.012 [Accessed 13 September 2022].

Pfoser, N., Henrich, J., Jenner, N., Schreiner, J., Unten Kanashiro, C., Weber, S. and Heusinger, J. (2013), Gebäude Begrünung Energie – Potenziale und Wechselwirkungen, Bundesministeriums für Verkehr, Bau und Stadtentwicklung, Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung, Technische Universität Darmstadt,Technische Universität Braunschweig.

Pitha, U., Scharf, B., Zluwa, I., Pelko C., Korjenic, A., Salonen, T. and Mitterböck, M. (2018), Vegetationstechnisches und bauphysikalisches. Monitoring des, Vertikalen Gartens der MA31 in der Grabnergasse 4-6, 1060 Wien, Forschungsbericht. TU Wien und BOKU Wien.

Rahman, M. A., Moser, A., Rötzer, T. and Pauleit, S. (2019), “Comparing the transpirational and shading effects of two contrasting urban tree species”, in Urban Ecosystems, vol. 22, pp. 683-697. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1007/s11252-019-00853-x [Accessed 13 September 2022].

Ritchie, H. and Roser, M. (2018), Urbanization. [Online] Available at: ourworldindata.org/urbanization [Accessed 09 September 2022].

Roggema, R. (2017), “Research by Design – Proposition for a Methodological Approach”, in Urban Science, vol. 1, issue 1, pp. 1-19. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.3390/urbansci1010002 [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Well, F. and Ludwig, F. (2020), “Blue-green architecture – A case study analysis considering the synergetic effects of water and vegetation”, in Frontiers of Architectural Research, vol. 9, issue 1, pp. 191-202. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2019.11.001 [Accessed 28 July 2022].

Well, F. and Ludwig, F. (2021), “Development of an Integrated Design Strategy for Blue-Green Architecture”, in Sustainability, vol. 13, issue 14, 7944, pp. 1-25. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.3390/su13147944 [Accessed 28 July 2022].