When designing and implementing living walls, it's crucial to consider key factors like fire safety, durability, and cost-effectiveness.
At Viritopia, we prioritise these aspects to ensure our living wall systems are not only beautiful but also safe, long-lasting, and economically viable.
Living walls fire safety
Fire safety is paramount in any architectural design, and living walls are no exception.
To mitigate fire risks in living wall design:
- Choose fire-resistant plant species
- Implement proper irrigation systems to maintain plant moisture
- Use fire-retardant materials for the wall structure and growing medium
- Ensure regular maintenance to remove dry or dead plant material
- Install fire breaks and compartmentalisation within the living wall structure
- Collaborate with local fire safety experts to ensure compliance with regulations
LIVING WALLS DURABILITY
Creating durable living walls is essential for long-term success and sustainability.
Viritopia’s focus
- Selecting resilient plant species that can withstand local climate conditions
- Growing plants close to the final installation location for better acclimatisation
- Designing robust support structures and waterproofing systems
- Implementing efficient irrigation and drainage systems
Our experience with over 5,880 completed projects has taught us the importance of durability in green infrastructure systems.
Living walls cost-effectiveness
While living walls offer numerous benefits, it's important to consider their cost-effectiveness. To maximise it:
- Conduct thorough initial planning and design to minimise future modifications
- Choose low-maintenance plant species • Implement efficient irrigation and nutrient delivery systems
- Regular maintenance to prevent costly repairs
- Consider energy savings through improved insulation
- Evaluate potential increase in property value
- Explore government incentives or green building certifications
- Optimise plant density for maximum coverage and minimal resource use
Viritopia recommends
To maximise cost-effectiveness, we recommend:
- Proper planning and design to minimise future modifications
- Choosing low-maintenance plant species
- Implementing efficient irrigation and nutrient delivery systems
- Regular maintenance to prevent costly repairs
At Viritopia, we conduct thorough lifecycle assessments to ensure the long-term environmental and economic benefits of our living wall projects.
Case study: Eden at New Bailey
Eden at New Bailey, also known as A3 Salford, showcases our commitment to creating large-scale, sustainable living walls:
- Scale: At 3,900m², it is Europe's largest living wall, demonstrating the feasibility of extensive green façades.
- Fire Safety: The design incorporates a carefully selected mix of hardy ivy and other plant species, which helps maintain moisture and reduces fire risk.
- Durability: The living wall features 33 different plant species and 350,000 plants in total, chosen for their hardiness and ability to thrive in the local climate
- Cost-Effectiveness: A 20,000-liter self-sufficient rainwater harvesting tank reduces water consumption and ongoing maintenance costs. The wall helps control the urban heat island effect, potentially reducing building cooling costs.
- Environmental Impact: The project increases Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) by 174%, absorbs and filters pollution, attenuates rainwater, and reduces noise.
Book a consultation with Viritopia
With over 20 years of experience of designing and maintaining biophilic infrastructure, Viritopia can create a detailed plan of how a scheme will meet regulatory requirements.
Book a consultation with Viritopia
By carefully considering fire safety, durability, and cost-effectiveness in living wall design, we can create sustainable, beautiful, and functional green infrastructure that enhances urban spaces while providing long-term value to building owners and occupants.
Book a living wall consultation with our expert team today to find out more about how we can help you with your living wall project and maintenance.
