The Vertical Garden Building is best suited to this rising urban density. It is also known as the green walls or living walls. It is a perfect blend of innovation, sustainability, and aesthetics. It converts building facades and walls into a healthy ecosystem.

What Is a Vertical Garden?

A Vertical Garden, or green wall, is a method of growing plants around or within a building wall with the use of suspended frames and panels. These panels and frames can be made from plastic, synthetic fabric, metal grids, and polystyrene. These panels are slightly detached from the building walls so that proper ventilation can be done, and they do not affect the waterproofing system of the building.

This idea was first coined by a French botanist, Patric Blanc, in 1990, and the concept was first used in the Quai Branly Museum. Today, vertical gardens are very popular worldwide, they are used in schools, residential apartments, commercial buildings, hotels, airports, etc.

What are the Benefits of a Vertical Garden

Vertical gardens not only offer a great aesthetic look, but they also help to control the inner and outer climate of the buildings. It helps to improve the air quality and offer high sound insulation.

1. Environmental Benefits

Vertical gardens act as natural air purifiers. They remove the dust particles and other polluted substances from the air and provide fresh air to residents. Plants reduce the CO2, increase oxygen, and thus improve the air quality.

2. Thermal and Acoustic Insulation

In summer, green walls absorb the heat coming into the building and maintain the building’s inner environment cool. While in winter it acts as a thermal buffer, maintaining the inner environment warm.

3. Improved Building Performance

As vertical gardens protect the building from sunlight, wind, rain, and noise thus it automatically reduces the building’s maintenance cost.

4. Social and Psychological Benefits

The corporate green walls create a calm and stress-free environment that helps to make the working environment pleasant for employees. In residential buildings and in apartments, it offers a great ambience to kids for study, it helps to enhance pride in the society.

5. Provide Food and Shelter for Wildlife

We can grow a variety of plants and species that attract birds, butterflies, and pollinators, and it makes fragmented ecosystems. As the system holds the rainwater, it provides food and shelter to wildlife.

The Process of Creating Green Walls

As the plants are going to stay inside the building, it is very important to select the best plant species that can adapt the living indoors.

To grow any plants, water and light are the two most important factors. We have to make sure that the combination of artificial light and natural light satisfies the plant’s light intake.

To provide sufficient water, we have built the proper irrigation system, as we cannot completely depend on the rainwater.

For the vertical building, we have two irrigation systems, open open-loop system and a closed-loop system

Open Loop system: It includes the water supply and the drainage system to make the vertical garden completely autonomous. The control unit manages the whole system.

Closed Loop System: It includes the external water tank, which provides water to the plants. In this case, we have to be a little careful. We need to refill the tank before the water in the tank runs out.

General Considerations and Challenges

Despite having many benefits of vertical gardens, it has some challenges and factors that we should consider:

• Timely Watering: For watering, whether we use an open-loop system or a closed-loop system, we need to be careful about on-time watering.
• Application of Fertilizers: Fertilizers provide a good amount of nutritional value that is not possible to obtain from natural resources. So timely application of fertilizers is needed.
• Removing the Dried Leaves: Too many dry leaves can affect the building’s aesthetic look. Increased dry leaves can negatively impact the cleanliness of the building’s inner space.
• Disposing the Water from Drainage: Stagnant water in the drainage system can attract several diseases. Disposing of the water from the drainage system is very important.
• Maintenance Accessibility: Timely pruning, replanting, and checking irrigation systems are required to keep the environment healthier. In large and multi-storey buildings, maintenance can be challenging and deadly as well.

Common Application of Vertical Garden

Vertical Garden buildings are exceptionally versatile, they can be attached to any vertical structure. Some of the common applications of vertical garden building are mentioned below.

·         Exterior and Interior walls of buildings

·         Corporate offices

·         Residential Buildings

·         Industrial Buildings

·         Stadiums

·         Hotels and restaurants

·         Schools, Colleges, and Hospitals

Famous Vertical Garden Design Across the Globe

Vertical gardens have taken root worldwide, each pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

• Acros, Japan:  This 1990s green architecture icon integrates 15 lush terraces, reducing energy use and connecting city dwellers to nature above street level.
• The Musée du Quai Branly in Paris: designed by Jean Nouvel and Patrick Blanc, displays a living wall that changes colors with the seasons, integrating nature into a formal museum setting.
• Bosco Vertical in Milan, Italy: Stefano Boeri’s Milan towers house people, trees, and birds—creating vertical forests that reduce sprawl, improve air quality, and restore urban biodiversity.

The Future of Vertical Gardens

As climate change intensifies and cities continue to grow, the role of vertical gardens will become even more vital. They are no longer novelties but integral tools in the urban sustainability toolkit. Innovations in modular systems, AI-driven irrigation, and plant biotechnology are making them more efficient, affordable, and resilient.

FAQ’s

The USA construction industry is facing labor shortages. As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 200,000 positions in the construction industry lie unfilled. This happened after the industry went through a cycle of shrinkage over the past decade. A report by Deloitte states that the labor shortages are reaching crisis proportions and are expected to continue through 2019 as well. Also, the productivity growth in the construction industry in the past two decades averaged just about 1%. This is 1/3^rd of the growth which the rest of the global economy averaged during the same period.

And that is not the only issue with the industry. A report from McKinsey & Co. finds that “While many U.S. sectors including agriculture and manufacturing have increased productivity ten to 15 times since the 1950s, the productivity of construction remains stuck at the same level as 80 years ago.”

In this scenario, construction firms run the risk of responding late to market needs, losing essential project bids, and being unable to innovate.

This is where BIM enters the stage. BIM offers a ready answer to make construction planning and execution more proactive and data-driven.

And yes, the use of BIM is on the rise in projects in the country. But given the lack of skilled resources companies in the USA are adopting an onsite + offshore model for successful BIM implementation. The BIM models are created offshore, and the onsite team consumes them as the project gets built. Feedback loops and regular communications ensure timely updates and always accurate models.

Here’s why it works:

1. Time-Saving – Going for an Onshore and Offshore Model for BIM projects helps provide quality work within the stipulated timeframe. This can be achieved by distributing the resources between the onshore and offshore teams and assigning them special subtasks in the project. Companies can save valuable time by assigning the work to offshore consultants instead of finding new resources and training them, which can take several weeks, months, or even years.

Moreover, the construction industry may take time to understand and adopt new technologies. Offshore teams would be well-versed with the latest technologies, accelerating startup time.

2. Cost Effective – This one is a no-brainer. By outsourcing BIM projects to an offshore expert, the design and development costs can be reduced significantly. Think of it this way, companies don’t have to hire additional resources comprising of trained experts or, hire fresh talent and spend time and money to train them for bringing them up to speed. Moreover, the outsourcing firm will provide services and dedicated resources at a transparent rate. This helps construction firms budget well by taking other costs into consideration. Of course, there is also the benefit of scalability. Offshore teams typically have the capacity to add resources, if a project needs to be accelerated or if more work needs to be done. This team can be ramped down after that phase if accomplished. That’s much harder to do if the resources are in-house.

Another reason for going for an offshore team is to save on the purchase of expensive special-purpose software licenses. By partnering with leading BIM consulting firms, firms may be able to avoid investing in certain software/tools/technologies that are required for model creation.

3. More Expertise and Reduced Errors – Increasing complexities of projects can make construction design harder and more involved. Offshore firms that possess the relevant BIM expertise can cut through this complexity and create a comprehensive, transparent, and actionable model. This model can then become the basis for collaboration between a variety of teams onsite. This will help make construction more efficient, hand-offs smoother, collaboration more seamless, and improve overall safety.
4. Focus on Core Business – Next up, the onshore + offshore business model can help firms focus more on their execution strength. A construction project demands extreme degrees of project management capabilities and evolved execution skills. This is where construction companies can get maximum bang for the buck. This is the area that has the greatest impact on project profitability and it makes sense for the construction company to focus on that.

With the global population predicted to hit 9 billion by 2050, two out of three people will be living in a city. It stands to reason that the demand for construction will always be high. Especially in evolved economies like the USA, the question is not whether there will be growth. The question for construction companies is, will that growth be manageable and profitable?

An onshore + offshore BIM model may be the way forward to achieve that. The model offers increased productivity, reduced costs, better collaboration, and access to expertise. This is the easiest way for construction companies in the USA to scale. And to thrive.

As we all know, the construction industry operates in a complex and ever-evolving landscape, requiring effective management of stakeholders, workflows, and vast amounts of data. To tackle these challenges and improve project outcomes, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) developed ISO 19650. This globally recognized standard provides comprehensive guidance on managing information throughout the entire lifecycle of a construction project, from inception to operation. This blog post will explore the five crucial reasons why ISO 19650 is paramount for the construction industry. We will explore how it drives collaboration, enhances efficiency, elevates quality, strengthens risk management, and fosters sustainability.

1. Collaboration: Collaboration lies at the heart of successful construction projects. ISO 19650 emphasizes establishing practical cooperation between all project participants, including architects, engineers, contractors, and owners. The standard facilitates improved communication, coordination, and teamwork by creating a standard information environment and defining clear roles and responsibilities. With consistent data structures, classification systems, and naming conventions, ISO 19650 enables seamless information exchange, reducing errors, conflicts, and delays. Enhanced collaboration leads to better decision-making, increased productivity, and the successful delivery of projects within budget and on time.

Successful Case of ISO 19650 to Drive Collaboration – The Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project, from New York City, NY, is one of the most significant private real estate developments in the United States; it utilized ISO 19650 to drive collaboration. The project fostered effective communication and coordination among architects, engineers, contractors, and developers by implementing a standard information environment and establishing clear roles and responsibilities. ISO 19650 enabled seamless information exchange, streamlined workflows, and facilitated effective decision-making, contributing to the successful delivery of this ambitious project.

2. Efficiency: ISO 19650 promotes efficiency by standardizing information management processes and technologies. It establishes data organization, storage, and retrieval principles, ensuring that information is readily available to stakeholders at the right time. By adopting a standard data environment and implementing robust document control procedures, construction projects can avoid duplication of efforts, streamline workflows, and eliminate unnecessary rework. This streamlined approach saves time and cost, enhancing overall project efficiency and profitability.

Successful Case of ISO 19650 to Enhance Efficiency – The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), India, has implemented ISO 19650 across various projects to maximize efficiency. DMRC, responsible for the construction and operation of the Delhi Metro, adopted ISO 19650’s data organization, storage, and retrieval principles. By implementing a standard data environment and robust document control procedures, DMRC streamlined information management processes minimized duplication of efforts, and improved project efficiency. ISO 19650 played a crucial role in ensuring the timely completion of metro lines and enhancing transportation infrastructure in the city.

3. Quality: Maintaining high-quality standards is crucial for the construction industry. ISO 19650 focuses on quality by emphasizing the importance of accurate and reliable information throughout the project lifecycle. The standard provides guidelines for information validation, verification, and approval processes, ensuring that data is complete, consistent, and up to date. By implementing quality control measures such as regular audits and reviews, construction projects can identify and rectify information-related issues early on, mitigating the risk of errors, conflicts, and costly rework. ISO 19650 empowers construction professionals to deliver projects of superior quality, meeting or exceeding client expectations.

The success story of Elevating Quality using ISO 19650 – The construction of The Shard, an iconic skyscraper in London, implemented ISO 19650 to elevate construction quality. The standard guidelines for information validation, verification, and approval processes ensured that accurate and reliable information was used throughout the project. By conducting regular audits and reviews, the project team promptly identified and rectified information-related issues, reducing errors and conflicts. Implementing ISO 19650 contributed to successfully delivering a high-quality building that met or exceeded client expectations.

4. Risk Management: Due to numerous uncertainties and potential challenges, effective risk management is critical in construction projects. ISO 19650 supports robust risk management by providing a structured framework for information management. The standard encourages identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks associated with information exchange, data security, and intellectual property rights. By implementing stringent information security measures such as access controls and encryption, construction projects can safeguard sensitive data and protect against cyber threats. ISO 19650 enables project teams to proactively manage risks, ensuring project success and minimizing potential liabilities.

Successful Case of Strengthening Risk Management with ISO 19650 – The Dubai Expo 2020, a world-class event in the United Arab Emirates, utilized ISO 19650 to enhance risk management practices. The standard structured framework for information management helped identify, assess, and mitigate risks associated with data security and intellectual property rights. The project safeguarded sensitive information from potential cyber threats by implementing stringent information security measures, such as access controls and encryption. The successful implementation of ISO 19650 ensured a secure and risk-aware environment throughout the project, mitigating potential liabilities.

5. Sustainability: In today’s environmentally conscious world, sustainability has become a top priority for the construction industry. ISO 19650 contributes to sustainable construction practices by promoting the efficient use of resources and reducing waste. By adopting digital information management systems, construction projects can significantly reduce paper consumption, leading to less deforestation and a smaller carbon footprint. The standard also encourages the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM), enabling more accurate design, simulation, and analysis, leading to optimized energy consumption and improved building performance. ISO 19650 helps construction professionals incorporate sustainability principles into their projects, contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.

The success story of Fostering Sustainability using ISO 19650 – The Edge Building in Amsterdam, Netherlands, widely regarded as one of the most sustainable office buildings globally, incorporated ISO 19650 to advance sustainable construction practices. By adopting digital information management systems and utilizing BIM technology, the project minimized paper consumption and reduced the environmental impact associated with deforestation. The accurate design, simulation, and analysis facilitated by ISO 19650 and BIM resulted in optimized energy consumption and improved building performance, contributing to the building’s exceptional sustainability credentials.

We believe ISO 19650 is a game-changer for the construction industry, providing a comprehensive framework for managing information throughout the project lifecycle. By embracing this international standard, the construction industry can deliver successful projects within budget, on time, and with exceptional quality. The framework helps mitigate risks, minimizes errors, and improves overall project outcomes. Moreover, ISO 19650 aligns the industry with sustainable practices, ensuring a more environmentally friendly approach to construction.

As the construction industry evolves, staying up to date with international standards like ISO 19650 becomes increasingly vital. ISO 19650 serves as a compass, guiding the industry toward successful project delivery, improved productivity, and positively impacting the environment and society. We urge the construction industry to embrace ISO 19650 and unlock the true potential of our complex yet captivating sector.