Tree wall - a modern urban green solution

As the life of the green planet is increasingly threatened by the sky-high industrial smoke columns, the cities are engulfed in smog and dust, the 'green' solutions such as building tree houses are Solution to pollution problems in Vietnam as well as worldwide.

Wall of trees in the world

The concept of 'tree wall' is no stranger when in the world these green buildings are very popular.

In Jiangsu Province (China), a green-covered university creates a fresh and cool setting during these hot summer days. Nanjing University with walls covered with lush creepers has become a source of learning inspiration for not only students but also teachers here.

Pasona Building.

More specifically, right in Tokyo (Japan), pedestrians will be surprised by the view of a 9-storey building named Pasona covered with green trees and brilliant flowers. The modern town is crowded, we come across a painting from the poetic trees, so fresh.

Currently Pasona has 200 different types of crops cultivated on an area of ​​4,000m ² , in a total area of ​​20,000m ² of this building. Crops include rice, tomatoes, cucurbits, broccoli, various vegetable varieties and some types of flowers. The special thing is that all vegetables harvested will be processed into food for employees in the building.

In Vietnam, we also encounter many similar tree wall works.

Located in the heart of peaceful Hoi An town, Atlas Hotel grows with a unique, strange and airy architecture surrounded by green trees throughout the façade, along the corridor and on the roof of the hotel.

Atlas Hotel, Hoi An, Vietnam.

Tree walls are cleverly arranged, flooded on the balcony, creating a fresh, friendly atmosphere.

Many households in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City also choose to build trees around the house to create a sense of comfort and closeness to nature.

The green house in the heart of architect Nguyen Trong Nghia's capital has attracted a lot of attention of local people as well as international visitors. The house is likened to Hanoi's "green waterfall" because of its diverse flora "hidden" balconies and windows, enveloping the walls on the front, covering the house with shadows.

Tree walls create a fresh and airy space.

The reason is, the tree wall is called 'the green lung of the city' because they not only create a fresh and airy space but also take advantage of the narrow area in big cities.

These green walls can reduce up to 84% of harmful indoor emissions after only 24 hours.

Tree walls with many green foliage act as a natural air filter, purify harmful substances, improve air quality for your own home, even the city. These green walls can reduce up to 84% of harmful indoor emissions after only 24 hours.

The famous Edificio Santalaia building is one of the world famous urban gardens, with more than 115,000 trees.

Edificio Santalaia Building.

It can produce more than 3,100 oxygen per year, treat about 775kg of heavy metals in the environment, filter more than 2,000 tons of toxic emissions and keep more than 400kg of dust in the air.

Not only that, these tree walls do not occupy much of the area because they mainly use the area on the vertical surface of the walls instead of the horizontal area as other forms of planting trees.

The canopies will be cared for automatically by the irrigation system installed under the walls so we do not have to take care of applying too much.

More specifically, tree walls also bring a simple pleasure to the family members. What is more comfortable when after a hard day's work, we can watch our unique garden and take care of them. These trees can also provide clean food for the family.

Challenges of "tree wall"

However, the challenge of building these green walls is the cost of installation and maintenance.

The ability to maintain the life of the plants grown on the walls is also weaker when the plants are grown underground.

On average, a square meter of tree walls costs about 1 - 3 million to build and 8-10% of the installation cost to maintain the green walls. As a result, the water system also needs to be invested smartly.

Mr. Solano - who built the great tree garden on Edificio Santalaia building also shared: 'One of the challenges that I and my colleagues face is that the irrigation system must ensure the development of the tree wall. fresh. It is because of the diversity of selected plants that make sure the amount of water and nutrients becomes very difficult ".

The ability to maintain the life of the plants grown on the walls is also weaker when the plants are grown underground. To ensure the development of horizontal vegetation, we need to provide more and more continuous water, once the irrigation system malfunctions, the entire wall will quickly disappear.

The first story about tree walls in London is the best example. Tree walls were built in 2005 with more than 30 different plants, costing up to 100,000 USD / m ² but only 4 years later, the entire fertile vegetation here is only withered trees. The reason lies in the broken water pipe, the tree cannot sustain itself when it lacks water, thereby wilting and dying.

And one question is: 'How to install and maintain an effective tree wall?' . The answer lies in a proper irrigation system. The drip irrigation system will be the optimal solution for tree walls , this system is able to provide water more efficiently than the irrigation system up to 85%.

Drip irrigation system will be the optimal solution for tree wall.

Such a form of irrigation is both water-efficient and able to reuse the excess water flowing through the wall.

The selection of crops is equally important. Trees that can withstand dry weather, drought, or plants that need less water will be a good option to save on care costs and ensure life for tree walls.

In addition, the planting of tree walls in sun-absorbing locations also contributes to minimizing costs and energy to provide light for growing trees.

Tree walls surrounding buildings are a sustainable solution to reduce pollution as well as bring green to cities. However, in order for them to develop their role properly, the effective investment to build and maintain tree walls is still a key factor not easy to solve.