Indoor living wall is a newly developed greening technology that make use of facade to green the interior side of building. Owing to the limited land space in Hong Kong, indoor living wall becomes a new greening alternative in the urban area. Currently, there are three common types of systems: Felt, modular and trellis. Although outdoor living wall is more popular, indoor type is gaining more popularity as it can bring certain environmental benefits to building occupants. However, the construction and operations of indoor living wall will also cause damage to the environment. Under this circumstances, it is important to evaluate the environmental benefits and drawbacks of different indoor living wall systems and thus to find out the most beneficial one. The methodologies used in this study includes literature review, life cycle assessment (LCA), questionnaire and a technical visit. Through studying the literature, the current development and the knowledge gap is identified. This method is also used for summarizing the air purification ability of indoor plants and the living wall. After gaining the fundamental knowledge of the topics, LCA will be conducted to assess the environmental damage of resources, human health and ecosystem. The modular and felt systems under different disposal scenarios will be compared. The LCA results show that modular system has more benefits than the felt system. Also, using recycled material and disposal method is more environmentally friendly than landfills. Afterwards, technical visits to Exchange Tower and IFC 1 is carried out to find out the difficulties encountered during the operation of the living wall. Finally, an online survey is launched which aims at collecting public attitude towards implementation of the indoor living wall as well as how the system affects their psycho. The public shows a supportive attitude for the implementation of system, and they do think the system can help them to reduce stress and pressure. Recommendations are made for the design considerations and the way to enhance benefits. The suggestions on planning and environmental performance of indoor living wall are summarized in the form of checklists. / published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

This practicum is a reference for vertical gardeners in cold climates. Winnipeg, Manitoba is explored, however findings may be applied to other cities in similar climates. First, the history of vertical gardening is discussed, then the types of vertical gardens currently on the market are described. These can be classified into two categories: soil bearing or non-soil bearing. Most designs are modular pre-planted systems that can be attached to any wall, as long as it satisfies the structural requirements recommended by the manufacturer. The benefits of vertical gardening have been shown to be rather extensive, covering a wide range of areas. Aesthetic improvement, reduction of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, improvement of air quality, stormwater absorption, noise reduction, native habitat integration, reduction of heating and cooling costs for buildings, food production, marketing, and biophilia are all benefits explored in detail. Difficulties associated with vertical gardening are discussed, specifically the lack of knowledge and awareness of vertical gardens, lack of empirical evidence (or missing details in existing research), overall cost and lack of financial incentives, lack of industry codes, and various associated risks. Design framework exists within microclimate conditions unique to vertical gardens, as well as neighbourhood and regional (micro)climates. Theories relating to the study of green walls covered include the human ecosystem model, urban reconciliation ecology, habitat templating, the urban cliff hypothesis, and wall ecology. Suitable habitat templates identified for vertical gardens in Winnipeg are cliffs, sand dunes, alvars, mixed grass prairie and prairie potholes. Design parameters to be followed for vertical garden design in Winnipeg are to ensure that lightweight materials are used, to provide insulation to protect plants from sudden temperature changes, to choose plants that grow in the region and are adapted to grow in areas with limited soil, increased wind, varying degrees of sunlight (depending on orientation), and increased pollution and salt spray depending on location. / October 2015

The Apollo Project investigates the recent establishment of numerous private educational institutions in the inner city of Pretoria. It identifies the need for adequate urban educational facilities and explores the use of existing buildings as schools. An existing educational cluster is identified at the eastern edge of the inner city, defined by Church, Du Toit and Pretorius Streets, and Nelson Mandela Drive. This city block and the ones surrounding it contain numerous primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions in a predominant industrial/automotive precinct. An urban design framework is proposed for the precinct. It is envisioned that the precinct may be developed as a mixed-use urban educational campus. Within the existing city block and the urban framework proposal, the Apollo Centre, located on the corner of Church-and Du Toit Street, is selected for an adaptive re-use intervention. The proposed use is an urban primary school. The Apollo project investigates current pedagogical trends, which informed a concept that is largely defined by the idea of contextual learning within a vertical structure. Transparency and integration of education with the urban environment is at the core of the proposal. The traditional notion of horizontal education is explored in a vertical manner. The existing structure is analyzed and a position taken regarding the adaptive re-use process that informs the design. Precedent Studies include existing schools within the inner city of Pretoria as well as local and international schools. The process of converting the Apollo Centre into a primary educational facility, that shares its resources on a cross-programming basis, is explored in a series of proposals. The numerous explorations are considered in their various aspects, as well as their relationship to the whole, which then leads to a final design proposal. Key areas of the proposed Apollo Primary School will finally be resolved technically. A conclusion summarizes the author’s thoughts on the result of the project. / Mini Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Architecture / unrestricted