Analysis and assessment of building envelope with integrated vegetation modular element for a sustainable future

Abstract

The vegetation walls, which are using in the architecture, have opened new design possibilities and created new challenges for designers, with the aim to increase energy efficiency of the structures. Main goal of the vegetation walls architecture is to enable the building a new type of urban recognition in the environment and to create conditions for more efficient protection of objects from thermal overheating in the summer period. The aim of this research is optimization of the façade by covering existing architectural structure with vegetative modular elements, using factorial design. The application of this technique provide the extensive use of vegetation walls in the architecture of existing and new objects. The analysis shows the impact of the side of the world or the outside temperature and the type of vegetative modular element to the thermal power between the vegetation layer and the wrapper of the building, as well as to the building internal temperature. This paper presents a plot contour and surface plot of considered parameters (external temperature, Leaf Area Index and coefficient of heat transfer) to the thermal power and internal building temperature. Investigation with Taguchi design represents a key element in solving the dependence between comfort conditions in the object, external visage and energy balance of the object. Design and use of vegetation walls is aimed at improving and super-integrating the basic human energy needs, viewing them as a metasystem transition to the completely new possibilities of architecture, society and technology.