GLASGrün - Regulation of climate, energy demand and comfort in GLASS buildings through structurally integrated vertical GREEN

Development of vertical vegetation systems for summergreen shading of glass facades of food retail and commercial areas. GLASGrün generates quantitative data on energy and microclimate balance and qualitative data on user perception. The results are guidelines for scalable and transferable constructive solutions with maintenance and management plans.

Short Description

Status

ongoing

Baseline and Motivation

The renovation of buildings will be a flagship of the "European Green Deals". The duplication of the building sanitation rate is core. The novel Austrian Climate and Energy Program defines buildings as top-ranked targeting a sanitation rate of 3 %. Current strategies for climate change adaptation require a significant increase in greening of the building stock and of facades.

Modern architecture rigorously applies glass for commercial and office buildings. Glass constructions are considered as highlights; however, they have considerable impact on indoor and outdoor microclimate and stress comfort and wellbeing.

Green retrofitting of glass facades and building fronts is currently a huge gap in greening of buildings and is challenging: climbing organs of plants cannot accordingly adhere, climbing aids or hanging equipment require static reliability and are not apt for subsequent installation. Currently, there are no standard applications for retrofitting plant shaders and isolation of buildings available.

Aims and Innovation

GLASGrün aims for the development of innovative vertical greenery systems to apply to glass facades for outdoor shading. Test standards shall be designed, applied and monitored for microclimate and energy-relevant benefits. First-time social-science studies on perception and acceptance of vertical greening measures shall be carried out.

Expected results

The focus is laid on amendments, sanitation of stock of food trading providers and of inner-city new buildings with groundfloor commercial situations. GLASGrün generates quantitative data referring to energy, temperature and microclimate balances before and after implementation. The project further generates qualitative data on perception and acceptance referring to comfort and greening measures.

GLASGrün elaborates a guideline on constructive greening solutions, implementation procedures and maintenance management for potential system solutions. They will be scalable and transferable and serve as an economic base for future adaptation and retrofitting of buildings.

Project Partners

Project management

University of Natural Life Sciences, Vienna - Institute of Soil-Bioengineering and Landscape Construction

Project or cooperation partners

  • GRÜNSTATTGRAU Forschungs- und Innovations GmbH
  • lichtblauwagner architekten generalplaner ztgmbh (liwa)
  • MPREIS Warenvertriebs GmbH (MPREIS)
  • Österreichisches Institut für Bauen und Ökologie GmbH (IBO)
  • RATAPLAN-ARCHITEKTUR ZT GMBH

Contact Address

University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Institute of Soil-Bioengineering and Landscape Construction
Peter-Jordan-Straße 82, Schwackhöfer-Haus, 3. Floor
A-1190 Vienna
Tel.: +43 (1) 47654-87400
E-mail: iblb@boku.ac.at
Web: www.baunat.boku.ac.at/iblb.html