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Embracing Local Biodiversity in Sustainable High-Rise Facades in Subtropical China
Abstract
This paper extends the current focus in sustainable building design on aspects of building technology such as assessment of carbon emissions, embodied carbon or energy expendi-ture by including concerns of human inhabitants as well as ecological aspects. Sustainable design schemes increasingly feature green elements on and around buildings, including green roofs and green facades. While their benefits are recognized from a technical per-spective, such as the regulation of air quality and reduction of noise as well as the reduc-tion of building energy expenditure, the ecological aspects of such facades have not re-ceived much attention yet beyond a few case study buildings. In contrast, the potential contributions green building features can make to local biodiversity, urban ecological con-texts and human well-being are not yet widely embraced. This paper discusses façade sys-tems integrating green features for ecological as well as energy and carbon emission bene-fits alongside other sustainable design technologies, with a focus on the subtropical climate regions of China. We argue that successful façade design needs to address three aspects that remain understudied in recent literature: the capability of architectural facades to adapt to the human need to connect to exterior environments, to perform a host role for locally specific ecology and biodiversity and the role of local climate and urban context in com-prehensive future façade design. To this end, the paper presents a cross-disciplinary, eco-systemic analysis of a building case study located in Shenzhen, China which was complet-ed in early 2022. A discussion of design principles employed in the case study is comple-mented with a biodiversity analysis and proposals for alternative design approaches for ecological façade features.
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Research is revealing an increasing number of positive effects of nature for humans. At the same time, biodiversity in cities, where most humans live, is often low or in decline. Tangible solutions are needed to increase urban biodiversity.
Architecture is a key discipline that has considerable influence on the built‐up area of cities, thereby influencing urban biodiversity. In general, architects do not design for biodiversity. Conversely, urban conservation planning generally focuses on the limited space free of buildings and does not embrace architecture as an important discipline for the creation of urban green infrastructure.
In this paper, we argue that the promotion of biodiversity needs to become a key driving force of architectural design. This requires a new multi‐species design paradigm that considers both human and non‐human needs. Such a design approach needs to maintain the standards of the architectural profession, including the aim to increase the well‐being of humans in buildings. Yet, it also needs to add other stakeholders, organisms such as animals, plants and even microbiota. New buildings designed for humans and other inhabitants can then increase biodiversity in cities and also increase the benefits that humans can derive from close proximity to nature.
We review the challenges that this new design approach poses for both architecture and ecology and show that multi‐species‐design goes beyond existing approaches in architecture and ecology. The new design approach needs to make ecological knowledge available to the architectural design process, enabling practitioners to find architectural solutions that can facilitate synergies from a multi‐species perspective.
We propose that a first step in creating such a multi‐species habitat is the design of buildings with an ecolope, a multi criteria‐designed building envelope that takes into account the needs of diverse organisms. Because there is no framework to design such an ecolope, we illustrate how multi‐species design needs to draw on knowledge from ecology, as well as architecture, and design computation.
We discuss how architectures designed via a multi‐species approach can be an important step in establishing beneficial human–nature relationships in cities, and contribute to human well‐being and biodiversity conservation.
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Urban environments consist of a mosaic of natural fragments, planned and unintentional habitats hosting both introduced and spontaneous species. The latter group exploits abandoned and degraded urban niches which, in the case of plants, form what is called the third landscape. In the Anthropocene, cities, open spaces and buildings must be planned and designed considering not only human needs but also those of other living organisms. The scientific approach of habitat sharing is defined as reconciliation ecology, whilst the action of implementing the ecosystem services and functioning of such anthropogenic habitats is called Urban Rehabilitation. However, urban development still represents the main cause of biodiversity loss worldwide. Yet, the approach of planners and landscape architects highly diverges from that of ecologists and scientists on how to perceive, define and design urban green and blue infrastructure. For instance, designers focus on the positive impact that nature (generally associated with indoor and outdoor greeneries) has on human well-being, often neglecting ecosystems' health. Instead, considering the negative impact of any form of development and to achieve the no net loss Aichi's objectives, conservationists apply mitigation hierarchy policies to avoid or reduce the impact and to offset biodiversity. The rationale of this review paper is to set the fundamentals for a multidisciplinary design framework tackling the issue of biodiversity loss in the urban environment by design for nature. The method focuses on the building/ city/landscape scales and is enabled by emerging digital technologies, i.e., geographic information systems, building information modelling, ecological simulation and computational design.
Urbanization is a major driver of environmental change and is closely linked to the future of biodiversity. Cities can host a high richness of plants and animals, and this urban biodiversity supports multiple regulating, provisioning and cultural ecosystem services. Developing biodiversity-friendly cities is thus inextricably linked to sustainable urban development and human wellbeing. The contributions to this Special Issue on “Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Urban Development” in the journal Sustainability illustrate the role of urban environments as pressures on biodiversity, and envision pathways towards developing more biodiverse urban environments that are accepted and supported by people. Contributions reveal promising opportunities for conserving biodiversity within many urban landscapes. The insights from this Special Issue can support urban conservation policies and their implementation in the development of sustainable cities.
This study provides insight into using ecological design principles in designing high-rise buildings to enhance the ecological capacity of a region. It is a descriptive-analytical survey, which starts with the literature review, and proceeds by analyzing successful ecologically designed case studies around the world and thus notes that by using ecological design principles in designing high-rise buildings, there will be an enhancement in the ecological capacity of a region in order to meet its occupant needs. It indicates that given a dramatic increase in industrialization, population growth, land shortages and rises in the land value, designing high-rise buildings would be the best solution to solve all these problems. Moreover, the importance of designing high-rise buildings based on ecological principles has been highlighted due to the environmental pollution, natural hazards and endangered ecosystems. The ecological design of high-rise buildings is becoming more and more important considering all these environmental issues. This approach is rooted in remaking the natural relationships in ecosystems. The most important feature of nature which can be used in the ecological design is its power to reconstruct and rehabilitate itself. Therefore, an ecosystem in the scale of a high-rise building that implements nature-based design solutions can be achieved through designing ecological high-rise buildings.
The rapid increase rate of urban population in developing cities causes the increasing of high buildings with dense constructions, and decreases the green areas which lead to a lot of environmental problems. Therefore, the urban landscape designs directed different searching produce important approaches based on ecological and environmental aspects, such as Vertical Garden. This paper will display the meaning, the advantages and the techniques of the green facades as a part of the sustainability strategy for the urban environment. The results confirm that the experience of using the Green facades in building environment is the source of positive ecological benefits.
This paper reports a literature review of the large-scale ecosystem services (ESS) which green roofs and walls can provide for cities. A short overview of 17 ESS’s is given. Much research has been done on ESS’s meeting immediate physical human needs and providing long-term physical and socioeconomic security. Services meeting social and psychological needs have been less studied. In general, ground-level urban vegetation like parks can provide a higher level of ESS’s than green roofs and walls, but the latter are a valuable addition where ground-level room is scarce. Of roof and wall types, intensive green roofs provide the highest level of ESS’s. Extensive green roofs mainly satisfy physical needs, and green walls mainly satisfy social and psychological needs. Green roofs and walls can probably contribute the most to the reduction of the Urban Heat Island effect, and to the processing of annual rainfall. It is not possible yet to translate all ESS’s into a financial value, for easy comparison of their impact. Recent research points to health benefits and savings on energy and emissions as candidates for the largest effects of green roofs and walls in financial terms
China is constructing new commercial buildings at an enormous rate—roughly 2 billion square meters per year, with considerable interest and activity in green design and construction. We review the context of commercial building design and construction in China, and look at a specific project as an example of a high performance, sustainable design, the Shenzhen Institute of Building Research (IBR). The IBR building incorporates over 40 sustainable technologies and strategies, including daylighting, natural ventilation, gray-water recycling, solar-energy generation, and highly efficient Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. We present measured data on the performance of the building, including detailed analysis by energy end use, water use, and occupant comfort and satisfaction. Total building energy consumption in 2011 was 1151 MWh, with an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 63 kWh/m2 (20 kBtu/ft2), which is 61% of the mean EUI value of 103 kWh/m2 (33 kBtu/ft2) for similar buildings in the region. We also comment on the unique design process, which incorporated passive strategies throughout the building, and has led to high occupant satisfaction with the natural ventilation, daylighting, and green patio work areas. Lastly we present thoughts on how the design philosophy of the IBR building can be a guide for low-energy design in different climate regions throughout China and elsewhere.
a b s t r a c t Current systems for greening the buildings envelope are not just surfaces covered with vegetation. Greening systems, as green roofs and green walls, are frequently used as an aesthetical feature in buildings. However, the current technology involved in these systems can maximize the functional benefits of plants to buildings performance and make part of a sustainable strategy of urban rehabilitation and buildings retrofitting. During the last decades several researches were conducted proving that green walls can contribute to enhance and restore the urban environment and improve buildings performance. The aim of this paper is to review all types of green wall systems in order to identify and systematize their main characteristics and technologies involved. So, it is important to understand the main differences between systems in terms of composition and construction methods. Most recent developments in green walls are mainly focused in systems design in order to achieve more efficient technical solutions and a better performance in all building phases. Yet, green wall systems must evolve to become more sustainable solutions. In fact, continuing to evaluate the contribution of recent green wall systems to improve buildings performance and comparing the environmental impact of these systems with other construction solutions can lead to an increase of their application in buildings and therefore result in a reduction on these systems cost. The decision of which green wall system is more appropriate to a certain project must depend not only on the construction and climatic restrictions but also on the environmental impact of its components and associated costs during its entire lifecycle.
Green roofs (roofs with a vegetated surface and substrate) provide ecosystem services in urban areas, including improved storm-water management, better regulation of building temperatures, reduced urban heat-island effects, and increased urban wildlife habitat. This article reviews the evidence for these benefits and examines the biotic and abiotic components that contribute to overall ecosystem services. We emphasize the potential for improving green-roof function by understanding the interactions between its ecosystem elements, especially the relationships among growing media, soil biota, and vegetation, and the interactions between community structure and ecosystem functioning. Further research into green-roof technology should assess the efficacy of green roofs compared to other technologies with similar ends, and ultimately focus on estimates of aggregate benefits at landscape scales and on more holistic cost-benefit analyses.
Building facades are under permanent environmental influences, such as sun and acid rain, which age and can ultimately destroy
them. Living wall systems can protect facades and offer similar benefits to those gained from installing a green roof. A view
back in history shows that vegetated facades are not new technology but can offer multiple benefits as a component of current
urban design. In the 19th century, in many European and some North American cities, woody climbers were frequently used as
a cover for simple facades. In Central Europe in the 1980s a growing interest in environmental issues resulted in the vision
to bring nature into cities. In many German cities incentive programmes were developed, including some that supported tenant
initiatives for planting and maintaining climbers in their backyards and facades. Since the 1980s, research has been conducted
on issues such as the insulating effects of plants on facades, the ability of plants to mitigate dust, plants’ evaporative
cooling effects, and habitat creation for urban wildlife, including birds, spiders and beetles. The aim of this paper is to
review research activities on the green wall and facade technology with a focus on Germany. The potential of green facades
to improve urban microclimate and buildings’ ecological footprint is high, but they have not developed a widespread presence
outside of Germany because they are not as well known as green roofs and there is a lack of implementation guidelines and
incentive programs in other countries.
Evidence is mounting that extinctions are altering key processes important to the productivity and sustainability of Earth's ecosystems. Further species loss will accelerate change in ecosystem processes, but it is unclear how these effects compare to the direct effects of other forms of environmental change that are both driving diversity loss and altering ecosystem function. Here we use a suite of meta-analyses of published data to show that the effects of species loss on productivity and decomposition--two processes important in all ecosystems--are of comparable magnitude to the effects of many other global environmental changes. In experiments, intermediate levels of species loss (21-40%) reduced plant production by 5-10%, comparable to previously documented effects of ultraviolet radiation and climate warming. Higher levels of extinction (41-60%) had effects rivalling those of ozone, acidification, elevated CO(2) and nutrient pollution. At intermediate levels, species loss generally had equal or greater effects on decomposition than did elevated CO(2) and nitrogen addition. The identity of species lost also had a large effect on changes in productivity and decomposition, generating a wide range of plausible outcomes for extinction. Despite the need for more studies on interactive effects of diversity loss and environmental changes, our analyses clearly show that the ecosystem consequences of local species loss are as quantitatively significant as the direct effects of several global change stressors that have mobilized major international concern and remediation efforts.
Anthropogenic pressures on the Earth System have reached a scale where abrupt global environmental change can no longer be excluded. We propose a new approach to global sustainability in which we define planetary boundaries within which we expect that humanity can operate safely. Transgressing one or more planetary boundaries may be deleterious or even catastrophic due to the risk of crossing thresholds that will trigger non-linear, abrupt environmental change within continental- to planetary-scale systems. We have identified nine planetary boundaries and, drawing upon current scientific understanding, we propose quantifications for seven of them. These seven are climate change (CO2 concentration in the atmosphere
Increasing urbanization of many regions of the world has resulted in the decline of suitable habitat for wild flora and fauna. Green roofs have been suggested as a potential avenue to provide patches of good-quality habitat in highly developed regions. In this study, we surveyed green roofs in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for bee diversity and abundance to determine their potential as quality habitats in an urban area for these important pollinators. By comparing various biodiversity measures between green roofs and ground-level sites, we show that green roofs provide habitat to many bee species. Implications for pollinator conservation and urban agricultural production are discussed.
Nowadays, the world faces many challenges and problems from climate change and global warming. Many scientific studies reported that different industries have huge roles to generate this condition. Specially, the construction industry has the most responsibility about these challenges on the earth. Doubtlessly, the utilization of inappropriate technologies, appliances, and materials in buildings have threatened the environment and human health today. So, there is a significant question, what is the appropriate way to solve these problems in construction industry? The engineers and technologists have realized the environmental problems are from using some technologies and materials in construction industry since over the past few decades. Scientists suggested the best way to overcome the aforementioned threats is to consider “sustainable” or “green” design for buildings. So, the main intention of sustainable building is to shift from harm to harmless technologies and materials in buildings. Thus, one of the main purposes of this study is to explore generally regarding sustainable technologies, standards, and materials, which help the buildings reduce consuming energy and resources, in order to generate the positive influences on people, nature, and society. Accordingly, “sustainable” buildings can be more friendly with environment and human, and use key resources, such as, energy, water, and materials more optimal than the conventional buildings. Furthermore, the study was to address the benefits of developing sustainability in buildings on different perspectives, based on the review and points out future directions of study.
As forests, agricultural fields, and suburban and urban lands are replaced with
impervious surfaces resulting from development, the necessity to recover green space is
becoming increasingly critical to maintain environmental quality. Vegetated or green
roofs are one potential remedy for this problem. Establishing plant material on rooftops
provides numerous ecological and economic benefits, including stormwater management,
energy conservation, mitigation of the urban heat island effect, and increased
longevity of roofing membranes, as well as providing a more aesthetically pleasing
environment in which to work and live. Furthermore, the construction and maintenance
of green roofs provide business opportunities for nurseries, landscape contractors,
irrigation specialists, and other green industry members while addressing the issues of
environmental stewardship. This paper is a review of current knowledge regarding the
benefits of green roofs, plant selection and culture, and barriers to their acceptance in the
United States. Because of building weight restrictions and costs, shallow-substrate
extensive roofs are much more common than deeper intensive roofs. Therefore, the
focus of this review is primarily on extensive green roofs.
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