Abstract:
The number of people who are affected by urbanization has radically increased.
However, the economic boom over the past decades has escalated potential
environmental problems among other solutions, environmentalists have proposed
vertical greening. Vertical greening refers to a structure that allows vegetation to
grow on the vertical surface of a building. With other sustainability-oriented
strategies, vertical greening is thought to help fight current environmental issues,
as well as current health issues. It may prevent the cities from being unbearable
during locked downs which impacts human’s mental health due to social distancing
measures. Green walls are an option for cities for people to engage with Nature.
Known for their pleasantness to the senses and earthy qualities, they boost human
health and improve air quality. Plants can thrive on walls, making it a popular
trend globally and also welcomes antidotes to stress and isolation. Plants which contain
day-to-day supply of nutrition and anti-germ characters, could be incorporated with
green walls. However, more knowledge is needed to reap the potential benefits from it.
With the demand for sustainability, green walls are increasingly appearing on clients’
requirement lists but mostly as a visual and aesthetic representation of sustainability.
This sensibility of clients, what architects provide, and what is eventually built,
questions whether the true representation of vertical garden delivers the intended
benefits. Are these walls environmentally-friendly or are they just a trend that takes
advantage of the concern for the environment and human fondness to Nature?
However, there is a gap between what is actually proposed and what is practiced in
Colombo in green walls. Certain measurements have been used to assess the above gap.
During observation periods, for an example, number of utility bills were gone through and
thermometer had been used frequently. Moreover, structured interviews were taken place
with list of prewritten questions to learn about these gaps. The study identified The gaps,
such as no adaptation to local environment, and what each individual needs to improve
to curtail the shortcomings.
