Unit V-2

UNIT V
LANDSCAPING OF
FUNCTIONAL AREAS
CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

SYLLABUS
• Urban open spaces and principle of urban
landscape.
• Street landscaping,
• landscape design for waterfront areas and
functional areas in urbancentres.
• Green infrastructure including green roofs and walls.

URBAN OPEN SPACES

• In land-use planning, urban open
space is open-space areas
reserved for parks, ―green spaces‖,
and other open areas.
• The landscape of urban open
spaces can range from playing
fields to highly maintained
environments to relatively natural
landscapes.
• Generally considered open to the
public, urban open spaces are
sometimes privately owned, such
as higher education campuses,
neighborhood/community
parks/gardens, and institutional or
corporate grounds.
• Areas outside city boundaries, such
as state and national parks as well
as open space in the countryside,
are not considered urban open
space.
• Streets, piazzas, plazas and urban
squares are not always defined as
urban open space in land use
planning.

• The terms ―urban open space‖ can
describe many types of open
areas.
• One definition holds that, “As the
counterpart of development, urban
open space is a natural and
cultural resource, synonymous with
neither „unused land‟ nor „park and
recreation areas.”
• Another is “Open space is land
and/or water area with its surface
open to the sky, consciously
acquired or publicly regulated to
serve conservation and urban
shaping function in addition to
providing recreational
opportunities.”
• In almost all instances, the space
referred to by the term is, in fact,
green space.
• However, there are examples of
urban green space which, though
not publicly owned/regulated, are
still considered urban open space.

BENEFITS
The benefits that urban open space provides to citizens can be broken
into four basic forms;
• recreation,
• ecology,
• aesthetic value, and
• positive health impacts.
• Psychological benefits gained by visitors to urban green spaces

increased with their biodiversity, indicating that „green‟ alone is not
sufficient; the quality of that green is important as well.

Recreational
• Urban open space is often appreciated for
the recreational opportunities it provides.
• Recreation in urban open space may
include active recreation (such as
organized sports and individual exercise) or
passive recreation, which may simply entail
being in the open space.
• Research shows that when open spaces
are attractive and accessible, people are
more likely to engage in physical activity.
• Time spent in an urban open space for
recreation offers a reprieve from the urban
environment and a break from over-
stimulation.
• Studies done on physically active adults
middle aged and older show there are
amplified benefits when the physical
activities are coupled with green space
environments.
• Such coupling leads to decreased levels of
stress, lowers the risk for depression as well
as increase the frequency of participation
in exercise.
• Casual group walks in a green environment
(nature walks) increase one’s positive
attitude and lower stress levels as well as risk
of depression.

Ecological
• The conservation of nature in an urban
environment has direct impact on
people for another reason as well.
• A Toronto civic affairs bulletin entitled
Urban Open Space: Luxury or Necessity
makes the claim that ―popular
awareness of the balance of nature, of
natural processes and of man’s place in
and effect on nature – i.e., ―ecological
awareness‖ – is important.
• As humans live more and more in man-
made surroundings – i.e., cities – he risks
harming himself by building and acting
in ignorance of natural processes.‖
• Beyond this man-nature benefit, urban
open spaces also serve as islands of
nature, promoting biodiversity and
providing a home for natural species in
environments that are otherwise
uninhabitable due to city development.

Aesthetic
• The aesthetic value of urban open spaces is
self-evident.
• People enjoy viewing nature, especially
when it is otherwise extensively deprived, as
is the case in urban environments.
• Therefore, open space offers the value of
“substituting gray infrastructure.”
• One researcher states how attractive
neighborhoods contribute to positive
attitudes and social norms that encourage
walking and community values.
• Properties near urban open space tend to
have a higher value.
• One study was able to demonstrate that,
―a pleasant view can lead to a
considerable increase in house price,
particularly if the house overlooks water (8–
10%) or open space (6–12%).‖
• Certain benefits may be derived from
exposure to virtual versions of the natural
environment, too.
• For example, people who were shown
pictures of scenic, natural environments
had increased brain activity in the region
associated with recalling happy memories,
compared to people that were shown
pictures of urban landscapes.

Impact on health
urban green spaces have a positive impact on mental and physical health.
Urban open spaces often include trees or other shrubbery that contribute to moderating
temperatures and decreasing air pollution.
Urban open space access has also been directly related to reductions in the prevalence
and severity of chronic diseases resulting from sedentary lifestyles, to improvements in mental
well-being, and to reductions in population-wide health impacts from climate change.
• Reductions in Chronic Disease Rates
• Reductions in Mental Illness rates / Improved Social Cohesion
Impacts on high temperatures

• Urban areas tend to have higher temperatures than their surrounding undeveloped
areas because of Urban Heat Islands, UHIs.
• Urban heat islands are areas with man-made infrastructure that contribute to the
increased temperatures.
• The average temperature during the day in cities can be 18-27 degrees Fahrenheit
higher than in the surrounding rural regions. This is an example of one type of UHI, surface
heat islands.
• Surface heat islands encompass the area from the ground to the top of the tree-line. It is
usually higher during the day when direct sunlight reaches urban structures (often with
darker materials than natural areas) including the main contributor, pavement.
• The other type of UHI, atmospheric heat islands, are from above the tree-line to the level
in the atmosphere where the urban area no longer has an effect. This type of heat island
has increased heat at night due to the release of heat from infrastructure that built up
throughout the day.

• Green spaces within urban areas can help reduce these increased temperatures
through shading and evapotranspiration.
• Shading comes from the taller plants, such as trees, planted in green spaces that can
contribute to lowering the surface heat island effect.
• The shade provides protection from the sun for vulnerable populations, such as children,
during periods of increased temperature, during the summer months or during a heat
wave.
• Tree cover prevents some solar radiation from reaching the ground with its leaves and
branches. This reduces the effect of surface urban heat islands.
• Open spaces that include any type of vegetation help offset the high temperatures
through the natural process of evapotranspiration.
• Evapotranspiration releases water into the air therefore dissipating heat.
• There are many elements of an urban open space that can contribute to the mitigation
of urban heat islands including the type of open space (park or nature reserve), type of
plant species, and the density of vegetation.
• Green spaces contribute to the reduction of local heat, decreasing the overall effect of
UHIs.
• The larger the distribution of green spaces, the bigger the area of heat reduction.
• Green spaces that are clustered together will have an additive heat reduction resulting
in a greater decrease in temperature in the local area compared to surrounding areas.

Impacts on air quality
• Human activity has increased air pollution in the earth’s atmosphere and trees play an
essential role in removing human-made pollutants from the air, aka particulate matter
(PM).
• Trees produce oxygen and absorb CO2. In urban green spaces, trees filter out man-
made pollutants.
• Air quality data collected on cities with and without urban green space has shown that
areas with an abundance of trees have considerably less air pollutants, i.e. O3, PM10,
NO2, SO2, and CO.
• As air pollutants accumulate in the atmosphere, vulnerable populations, such as children,
may suffer from increased incidences of respiratory disease.
• Particulate matter or particle pollution with a diameter of 10 microns (PM10) or 2.5
microns (PM2.5) is associated with heart diseases and respiratory diseases including lung
cancer.

THE URBAN
LANDSCAPE

• Gibberd (1970) as one of the followers of artistic view, introduces texture, colour,
mass and lines as the most important elements of the urban landscape.
• In another view, Le Corbusier (1920) defines four essential areas for the city
included residential, industrial, commercial, and a transportation infrastructure.
Therefore, the city of Le Corbusier is a functional city.
• Some scientist such as Lynch (1960), considered the city as more than individuals
and social facilities. In their view, the city is more of a state of thought.
• The more recent group of theorists consider the city as a product of nature and is
considered and evaluated as part of an ecosystem with a powerful human
presence.
• “A physical space consisting of materials and forms that leads to the creation
of an integrated artistic space. In this space urban landscape as a comprehensive
art is inherently related to other forms of art.
Thus various forms of art play an important role in the formation of
urban landscape. It can be said the contemporary urban
landscape includes dynamic
and flexible relationships; layering, congestion and the landscapes
interpenetration make an unbounded and undefined spatial-temporal urban
continuity which is difficult to distinguish .In fact, the urban landscape includes all
areas and functions such as residential, institutional, commercial, industrial,
cultural land uses”

Urban landscape
evolution
According to the above, it can be seen that the concept of the

urban landscape as a medium that provides the ability to read
urban text is very controversial .In the meantime, by studying the
history of the urban landscape, the development of this concept
can be traced over the last decades.

• In fact, the urban landscape can be considered as a paradigm, which has a
set of concepts, theories, rules, patterns, measurement tools, and executive
practices.
• According to Table 1, each of the design approaches has set some criteria as
their primary goal and put them at the head designs and researches. Basis
on table 1, generally, it can be stated that the factors of ―aesthetics‖,
―function‖, ―identity‖ and ―ecology‖ are the four main goals of the urban
landscape which are obvious in the work of designers and theorists from past
decades until now and as it is seen, due to these goals, different movement
and style have been created. These goals have been extracted after
studyingtheevolution of urban landscape approaches, which include four
approaches; Artistic approach, Functional approach, Perceptual/
contextual approach, Sustainable approach (Table1).
• Figure 2 Indicates approaches, main purposes and transition of
urban landscape concept from a two-dimensional view to sustainable
socio-spatial view. It should be noted that the purposes mentioned above
have several subsets, which are referred to in more detail below.

URBAN LANDSCAPE
PRINCIPLES

1.AESTHETICS
• But the concept of aesthetics as an independent concept was introduced
for the first time by Alexander Baumgarten, the 17th-century German
rationalist philosopher. He describes that the domain of AESTHETICA word as a
Latin root of aesthetics is related to «sensory perception» and knowledge of
cognitive sense. In Greek also the etymology of the term of aesthetics refers
to feeling, sensitivity and sensory perception.
• Aesthetics, more than anything, relates to sensory experience, in the general
sense; for example, it can be an experience of beautiful artistic or natural
beauty.
A. Urban landscape aesthetics –

• Urban Landscape aesthetics and people’s daily life are closely related to
each other and a large number of researches has been done to
comprehend the public’s landscape preferences.
• the landscape aesthetics value has converted to one of the most
significant socio-ecological research issues and also has gained important
regard in public perception.

B. Aesthetic approaches in urban landscape –
Among the existing approaches related to the nature of aesthetics, the two
general objective and subjective approaches have been more attending than
other approaches .In relation to these two approaches in the urban landscape,
at first, the objective approach and then the subjective approaches have been
proposed.
• urban aesthetics concepts have gradually been transferred from the
objective/emotional approach and emphasis on visual qualities to
the subjective/perceptual studies of the urban environment
• aesthetic preferences cannot be separated from the examination
of the mental concepts of individuals relative to the place. Because the
perception of beauty is related to personal emotions and the person’s mental
background.
According to the objective explanation of aesthetic quality, beauty must be

found in the features of that thing and, based on the mental explanation, is the
focal point of aesthetics in the human mind (observer’s sight). The following is
a brief overview of these approaches.

Objective aesthetics approach –
As mentioned, in this approach, beauty is the intrinsic quality of the landscape.
This approach is often used for management purposes and is looking for physical
features. Evaluations in this approach are done by trained
experts or observers. Ecological and formal, are two main approaches
of objective view to study urban landscape aesthetics (Lothian, 1999).
• Ecological approach: The basis for this approach is based on naturalness. In
fact, this approach tends to define the quality of aesthetics based on
biological conditions such as ground topography, hydrology, vegetation and
animal life.
Measurement of aesthetic values is done by considering the amount of
disruption and incompatibility that management and development of areas
with natural environment have created.
• Formal aesthetics: This approach is based on the belief that aesthetic values
exist in abstract aspects of the landscape .These properties are based on
formal properties that incorporate base components such as lines, forms,
colours, and shapes. Experts’ judgments about diversity, harmony, unity and
contrast are among the basic elements of the fundamentals of aesthetic
values in this approach.

Subjective aesthetics approach – Beauty is a quality in the eyes of the viewer. In
assessing the preferences of people who have a mental trend,
approaches such as phenomenology, psychology, psycho-physical, cognitive,
and empirical have been introduced.
• Psychophysical approach: In this way, people’s opinions about landscape
beauty or landscape properties are being examined by visual questionnaire
by landscape architects or environmental psychologists. The dominant
methodology in this study is widely used in behavioural approaches .
• Psychological approach: This approach looks for human meanings related to
the landscape and its creatures, which is done by environmental
psychologists. Behavioural approaches to this study are considered as a main
aspect of the study. In fact, data from observers is gathered in relation
to past experiences or future expectations or socio-
cultural conditions. regarding this, geographer Natalie Blanc emphasizes on
shared sensibility as a fundamental factor of aesthetics of nature.
• Phenomenological approach: The purpose of this research approach is to
explore on mental experiences with interpreting paintings, pictures
and poetry and expressing their stories by phenomenologists and
psychologists, In fact, such studies have taken the human approach with a
landscape phenomenon.

• Experiential approach: This approach is the result of the interaction between
human and landscape, and the shaping of the landscape is created in an
interactive process. Indeed, the active participation of observers in the
environment leading to landscape assessment is described in a way that is
due to the development of a person’s personal sense of interaction with the
environment.
In general, in the twentieth century, the objective approach was widely used in
urban management and versus, major research projects were conducted with a
subjective approach based on public judgments.

2.FUNCTION
• Land use management and adopting the best decision and applying the
maximum potential of urban spaces is one of the main challenges facing the
different groups of experts such as policymakers, urban planners, urban
managers and landscape architects.
• Generally, different and sometimes conflicting criteria and selecting a
suitable alternative, convert the urban landscape policy to the kind of Multi-
Criteria decision making (MCDM) problem.
The correct and proper understanding of the concept of urban landsca
pe function requires a series of preparations, which are referred to below.
• Types of activities – Quality and quantity of Activities in an urban environment

can influence the people to stop and interact in these spaces. Public spaces
provide the situation for the widest range of daily activities to periodic
celebrations, individual or collective, active and passive (Gehl, 1987).

Based on the classification of Activities can be
divided into three categories, depending on
whether they are compulsory or optional:
• Necessary activities (such as shopping,
going to school or work, etc.).
• Optional activities (such as going to the
park or cinema, swimming, etc.)
• And social activities (such as watching
others, talking, catching attention, etc.).
Necessary activities are carried out without
being related to the physical environment,
while the Optional activities depend on
qualities which have been provided by space
for the people and also activities which they
are persuaded to do. To the extent that
space is more desirable, more optional
activities are carried out and the duration of
the necessary activities increases. Social
activities that involve children’s play, listening,
talking, Communicating and seeing and
hearing other people are the result of the
quality and duration of other types of
activities because they occur when people
meet each other in special circumstances
(Figure 3).

• When all types of activities take place together and complete each other,
the collective spaces of cities become meaningful and attractive.
• In this regard, Carr et al (1992) argue that urban spaces in addition to being
meaningful and democratic must meet the needs of “comfort, relaxation,
passive engagement with the environment, active engagement with the
environment and discovery”. Good places mostly consider more than one
purposes.
• Nature needs which directly related to physical features
of the environment are “contact with nature”, “aesthetic preference”,
and “recreation and play”. Human interaction needs also include the issues
of “social interaction and privacy”, “citizen participation in the design
process”, and “sense of community identity”. He adds that well-being and
behaviour of users intensely are affected by urban landscape design.

Response to human needs
According to the last mentions, it can be said human needs in the environment
can be divided into the two groups of mental and behavioural needs. Therefore,
responding to these needs is the main duty of the urban landscape in the
concept of function and can help to reach good quality of the environment.
Based on Figure 4, Consideration of function as one of the key purposes of the
urban landscape and paying attention to the correct role of that, can
make the environment as responsive space and also increases optional
activities in the Environment. In this situation, presence in the environment and
having active engagement with the urban environment can improve the urban
landscape perception.
Urban quality As previously mentioned, a more favourable space, more human

contact and more interaction .In this situation, human needs are answered and a
good context for behavioural patterns is created.

3. IDENTITY
―Identitas‖ is the Latin root of ―identity‖ which it means is ―sameness‖. Identity

is ―the distinguishing character or personality of an individual‖ according to
Webster’s Tenth Collegiate Dictionary, (2003).
In fact, the identity is the human beings interpretation from his association with
history over the time, a history related to the various components of the life of
―man of today‖.
In general, it can be stated Identity is a set of material and spiritual
attachments of a man whose principles have already been formed, so identity
is the issue that can vary in different situations in different people and societies.
• Identity concept in urban and landscape

Place identity can be boosted by memory and hope of communities.
• Cities like humans and places have an identity;
• The city’s public identity is intertwined with our imagination of urban
landscapes. The urban landscape indicates the lifestyle of the residents, their
interactions and their activities, the values and beliefs of the inhabitants, the
affiliations of the city to the geographical location, time, climate, economy,
society and politics residents, their interactions and their activities, the values
and beliefs of the inhabitants, the affiliations of the city to the geographical
location, time, climate, economy, society and politics

4. ECOLOGY
Landscape ecology is a complex cross-sectional discipline that
integrated urban ecology early on, first as a special section but later recognized
it as science requiring a consolidated theory.
Nowadays the landscape is recognized as a product of the complex relations
between humans and nature.
From the landscape ecology view, the city is a set of disrupted ecosystems
and can be studied its structures, functions and processes from this point of
view. “Patches”, “corridors” and the “matrix” are the main elements of
landscape ecology which Forman and Godron (1986) introduced to describe the
spatial patterns in natural and rural landscapes. But that was one of the early
methods to study and evaluate urban ecology.
• Urban landscape ecology
It can be said the integration of landscape ecology and urban ecology lead to
the new Proposition which is called urban landscape ecology. ―Cities are
spatially extended, complex adaptive systems—which we call landscapes.‖
Undoubtedly, cities are the main place of the future of human life, so
inevitably, most of the landscape ecological studies will be on the cities
“More speciﬁcally, it is the science of studying and improving
the relationship between urban landscape pattern and Ecological processes for
achieving urban sustainability.”
•

STREET
LANDSCAPING

• Landscape and streetscape design should unify the different modules and
help establish a distinct identity.
• Develop streets and public spaces that are pedestrian and bicycle friendly,
environmentally responsible and aesthetically pleasing.
• The landscape plan should mimic natural systems to manage water quantity
and quality, reduce heat island effects, respond to seasonal temperatures
and support wildlife habitat.
• All landscape elements should provide for and reinforce the function of each
specific space: vehicular-oriented streets, pedestrian-oriented streets, other
pedestrian spaces, areas that frame views and vistas, stormwater
management, wildlife habitat.

1. PLANTING
• Landscaped areas should be continuous from one lot to another and should
use landscape materials that are compatible with adjacent lots, streets,
drainage corridors, and landscape easements.
• Landscape areas should be an integral part of the site stormwater
management strategy, through rain gardens, bio-swales and street planters
and curb extensions.
• The campus plan and individual building site plans should utilize the plant
palettes of both: Landscaping with Native Plants.
• Trees should be generally grouped to mimic naturally occurring forest type
groups specific to soil, aspect, and water requirements, with a variety of
types, sizes and species.
• Rows of trees should appropriately parallel and reinforce street corridors. The
use of a variety of types, sizes and species, however, is encouraged to
emphasize different micro-climates,building entrances, roadway intersections,
walkway locations, and other functional variations.
• Shrubs and understory or small flowering trees should be used, along with
flower beds, to provide seasonal color, visual emphasis and a comfortable
scale for human interaction.

2. SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
• Utilize native and adapted vegetation that are climate-tolerant to Tennessee
and applicable to sustainable design
• Seek to design no less than 50% of site area as highly reflective or non-
absorptive (excluding building footprint).
• Use pervious/open-grid paving materials to promote stormwater water
infiltration and reduce heat island effect.
• Use light colored paving surfaces with a Solar Reflectance Index greater than
29 to limit heat island effect.
• Design building façade and site lighting with lighting power densities that
promote safety but, minimize light pollution from the building site.
• Design the placement and fixture styles of site lighting to minimize illumination
above the horizontal plane and to minimize light trespass at the site boundary.
• Use fixture types designed as ―cutoff ‖ and ―full-cutoff ‖ styles to minimize
fixture lumens emitted at 90 degrees or higher from straight down.
• Select exterior fixtures and locate them on the site to minimize light trespass at
the site boundary. Document the foot-candle levels at the site boundary with
a site illumination model.
• On previously undeveloped sites, design the stormwater management for
post-development site discharge rate and volume not to exceed pre-
development discharge rate and volume.
• Design to remove 80% of total suspended solids from first inch of rain for each
rainfall event. CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S
3. SIDEWALKS AND PAVEMENT
• Sidewalks should have a minimum width of 5 feet.
• Sidewalks should be brick on a sand base with brick edging.
4. FURNISHINGS
• Amenities such as outdoor seating and plaza areas for meetings and
gatherings are encouraged throughout. Selected furnishings will add
character as well as create environments for community interaction. The
degree to which site furnishings vary among building sites and campus
spaces should be minimal.
• A single style of streetscape and landscape furnishings should be used to
establish a distinct and unified campus.
• High quality, durable material such as metal should be selected to minimize
maintenance.
Benches
• Benches should be located in courtyards and along major pedestrian paths,
associated with landscaping and shading, and shielded from vehicles.
• Benches with armrests should be 6 feet in length, solid steel frame, powder
coated, finish color to be determined.
• Backless benches with armrests should be positioned at appropriate locations
for multi-directional seating.

Seat walls
• Seat walls should be used throughout the campus to provide convenient
sitting opportunities and define landscaping, especially in outdoor gathering
spaces and along major pedestrian paths.
• Seat walls should have smooth cut stone, precast or brick caps.
• Seat walls should be consistent with surrounding buildings in materials,
patterns, and colors.
• Seat wall heights should range from 12 to 20 inches, and the width should be
no less than 16 inches.
Table Sets
• Table sets, all steel components with powder coated finish, finish color to be
determined, should be located throughout the campus in outdoor seating
areas and plazas.
Trash Receptacles
• Trash containers should be placed unobtrusively throughout the campus at
logical gathering areas such as building entries, outdoor seating locations,
intersections of walkways, bus stops and parking lots.
• Receptacles should be setback 3 feet from walkways.
• Use 24 gallon receptacle with dome lid and 10 inch stainless steel ashtray.
• All steel components should have powder coated finish, color to be
determined. Lid attached via vinyl-coated aircraft cable, high density plastic.
Liner, rubber tipped leveling feet.
Bicycle Racks
• Recommended bicycle parking guidelines established by the Association
should be referenced when determining appropriate bicycle racks and rack
area design.
• Bicycle rack areas should be immediately adjacent to the entrance it serves,
preferably within 50 feet, and clearly visible, without impeding pedestrian
movement in and out of the building.
• Rack elements, such as an inverted ―U‖, should support the bicycle upright by
its frame in two places, prevent the wheel of the bicycle from tipping over,
and enable the frame and one or both wheels to be secured.
• Comb, toast, schoolyard, and other wheel bending racks that provide no
support for the bicycle frame are not recommended.
Bollards
• Bollards should be used to reinforce street curbs in the absence of planting
strips to provide additional pedestrian safety, especially adjacent to the main
lawns.
• Bollards should not interfere with loading areas, including bus stops.
• Bollards must accommodate emergency fire access.

5. RETAINING WALLS
• The design and materials for retaining walls should complement the principal
buildings with regard to color, quality, scale and detail.
6. LIGHTING
• Lighting is an integral component of the overall campus design, helping to
establish campus identity, support way finding, contributing to safety and
security, and highlighting important nodes, public spaces and building entries.
• Recommended light level guidelines and uniformity ratios established by the
concerned authorities should be considered when determining appropriate
lighting design solutions.
• Lighting should minimize glare and light trespass, maximize energy
conservation, and maintain dark skies.
• Street lighting should have a uniform height and be a maximum 25 feet high
above the street.
• Pedestrian lighting should have a uniform height and be a maximum 15 feet
above the walkway.
• Lighting should be coordinated with tree locations, proposed landscaping,
buildings, driveways, on-street parking, street furnishings, signage, and sub-
street structures.
• Step or bollard lighting should be used to clearly illuminate level changes and
handrails for stairs and ramps. Bollard height shall not exceed 42 inches and
should only be used where a pole light fixture is not appropriate.
7. STORMWATER
• Stormwater management off ers a twofold opportunity: addressing water
quantity and quality from the site while enhancing public spaces and wildlife
habitat.
• Stormwater management elements such as bioswales, rain gardens and rain
harvesting features should be integrated into the campus and building site
design.
• Stormwater management, grading design and planting selection and
location should be fully coordinated to slow the conveyance and discharge
of water from the site, and provide for groundwater recharge and planting
irrigation.
• Plantings should be supported, to the greatest extent possible, by detained or
captured rainwater, and through drought resistant and native planting
principles. Supplemental irrigation should be confined to building entry areas.
• To minimize erosion, planting designs should be fully coordinated with the
grading of walkways, parking lots/islands, lawns, pedestrian plazas/terraces
and streets.
• Fine surface grading in the archaeological site should slow and reduce sheet
flows. Groupings of trees should be planted to further reduce run-off.

WATERFRONT AREAS

• The definition of waterfront area The
waterfront area is the confluence
area of water and land. It is not only
the edge of land but also the edge
of water, and the land should cover
some areas.
• This concept illustrated in Figure 1. It
is with the highest density of
elements and human activities. They
affect each other greatly. In
Princeton University online dictionary,
it’s explained as the area of a city
(such as a harbor or dockyard)
alongside a body of water.
• Most of the waterfront lands are like
belts along the coastlines. People
want to make use of these areas, so
planners begin to think of a way to
make it attractive for people. How to
connect traffic, establish different
functions, and how to communicate
with inner cities are the main
problems.

• In geographical aspect, the urban landscape is a synthesis of climate, soil,
biology and physiognomy. If it is explained in an ecological aspect, it is an
ecosystem of correlative space. The most popular explanation is that it is the
collection of integrated elements in the space of cities, including landscape
elements, functional characters and cultural character, and most importantly,
the activities of people. The essence of a city is to make the city convenient
for people to live. An integrated landscape includes artificial landscape and
natural landscape. The artificial landscapes include architecture, streets,
squares and so on.
THE EXTENT OF WATERFRONT AREAS
• The extent of waterfront areas refers to how large area a waterfront area can
be. In different places, this question is answered differently, because it
depends on many things, such as history, culture, city planning, economic
development and climate. In the book titled Landscape Architecture of
Waterfront, the landscape area is defined as a land 100 feet to 5 miles in front
of shoreline. In my opinion, the landscape area can be defined by the
citizens who live in the city, because they are the users in that waterfront area.
After the research I think 200 to 300 meters is the usual range. (Tang Jian,
2007)

THE STRUCTURE OF WATERFRONT LANDSCAPE
The waterfront landscape can be separated into three parts:
1. Landscape water body.

• This includes water plants, life-forms and other things in the ecosystem.
• There are also some artificial landscapes, such as bridges and lighting.
2. Areas close to water.

• Examples include waterfront squares, footpaths, architecture, landmarks,
lighting and some artificial landscapes. There is usually a greenbelt to make
the water look beautiful.
3. Human activities.
People can do some activities on waterfront areas, such as recreation or having
a picnic. Waterfront landscapes can be separated by artificial and natural
landscapes:
• Natural landscape, such as water and plants.
• Artificial landscape, such as footpath and waterfront square
• Cultural landscape, such as historical heritage and related stories.

• THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WATERFRONT LANDSCAPE
Urban waterfront landscape plans are the most complex and difficult plans of all
the landscape plans. Generally, it consists of a greenbelt, architecture,
landscape arrangement and shorelines. A waterfront area is closely related with
water, so it has different landscape characteristics from other places. It has five
characteristics:
1. Natural biological aspect

The structure of water system contains atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere
which are made up of soil and geology, of course there are also some
communities which include animals, plants and microbes.
Compared with other parts of the city, waterfront areas have less changes,
especially in Europe where the environment is well protected, they are not
polluted much.
In some developing countries, the situation is serious. In Nanjing China, Green
Algae grow rapidly. Suddenly it covered a large face of the water in Xuanwu
Lake, and after the investigation, people find out that it was put in by planners to
restrain another plant, but algae did not have any natural enemies in that lake,
so it quickly grew out of control.

2. Public aspect
• Waterfront areas are the most public areas. In an ecological aspect, the
nature of waterfront area makes the ecosystem balanced.
• In the economic aspect, waterfront areas have high quality spaces, such as
green belts, squares and sometimes sand beaches. These are often
established areas for shopping, taking a walk and relaxing.
• In China, waterfront landscapes are usually very important in the cities, and
the government often build a largescale planning as a land mark of the city.
3. Historical cultural aspect
• Many years ago in ancient times, many of the urban waterfront areas were
the original places for people to live.
• It became the first place to be developed; it greatly affected the
development of cities.
• Water is also the door to communicate with other cities in transporting,
trading, information and culture, at that time all the transportation was done
on water. So the culture emerged first in the waterfront areas.

4. Diversity characteristic
• Diversity characteristic can be seen in three aspects. In physiognomy aspect,

it’s made up of water, field, and superposition.
• In spatial division aspect, it includes architecture, city and landscape. In
ecosystem aspect, it is made up of system in water and system on lands. So
the natural landscape in waterfront areas is abundant.
5. Characteristic aspect
• In Kevin Lynch’s famous work, The Images of the City published in 1960, he
said that space has five elements:
1. Paths, such as the streets, sidewalks, trails, and some other channels;
2. Edges, perceived boundaries such as walls, buildings, and shorelines;
3. Districts, relatively large sections of the city distinguished by some identity or
character;
4. Nodes, such as focal points and intersections;
5. Landmarks, readily identifiable objects which serve as reference points.
Channels are the easiest one among these that people can feel; waterfront
space is the most obvious channel. (Kevin Lynch, 1960)

THE PLANNING OF WATERFRONT LANDSCAPE
The content of waterfront landscape
Waterfront landscape is a mixture of natural and artificial things. Nowadays,
artificial plan and design is the main way that people usually use.
The main contents in landscape design in waterfront area are:
1. The overall division and programming of functions.

• Using the overall division and programming of functions, landscape architects
can make good use of the land well, create reasonable landscape
programming. This is the basic step after researching the area.
2. Traffic programming
• This is how to connect the traffic outside and inside of the waterfront area
together.
3. Shoreline
• There are different configurations of the shoreline. Figure 2, 3 and 4 illustrate
three configurations of the shoreline:
• Some details such as pavement and statues can show the history and culture
of this waterfront. The waterfront areas should have six functions: trade,
relaxing recreation, education, environment, residence and open port.

PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING
• To make the waterfront area more reasonable and comfortable for citizens,
we usually need to follow these principles:
1. When we plan the waterfront area, we need to think about the plan of the
inner city, which needs to base on the overall city planning. After the overall city
planning, planners will know which land will be used as waterfront land. In traffic
aspect, the traffic should be firmly connected with the traffic in the inner city.
Complementarities are also a way to renew the landscape in the future.
2. Sustainable development principle – Sustainable development can be
explained in four aspects. First, sustainable development in a biological aspect:
How to keep balance of the ecosystem of the animals, plants, soil and water is
the main problem in city planning. Therefore, how to optimize the ecosystem is a
great subject in planning. Secondly, sustainable development in the economic
aspect. A lot of waterfront areas were previously industrial areas, so some areas
next to the water are polluted. On the other hand, the structure of architecture. is
mixed up. So it is often necessary to change the structure of economy, by making
the area a multi- economic area which includes culture, residence and
sightseeing. Thirdly, sustainable development in the social culture aspect How to
renew the waterfront area and represent the connotation is the core of planning.
Fourth, sustainable development in the technology aspect Some problems in
planning can be solved with technology such as energy, traffic and engineering.
Planning can be made more systematize and scientific.

PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING
• To make the waterfront area more reasonable and comfortable for citizens, we
usually need to follow these principles:
1. When we plan the waterfront area, we need to think about the plan of the inner
city, which needs to base on the overall city planning. After the overall city
planning, planners will know which land will be used as waterfront land. In traffic
aspect, the traffic should be firmly connected with the traffic in the inner city.
Complementarities are also a way to renew the landscape in the future.
2. Sustainable development principle – Sustainable development can be explained

in four aspects.
 First, sustainable development in a biological aspect: How to keep balance of the
ecosystem of the animals, plants, soil and water is the main problem in city
planning. Therefore, how to optimize the ecosystem is a great subject in planning.
 Secondly, sustainable development in the economic aspect. A lot of waterfront
areas were previously industrial areas, so some areas next to the water are
polluted. On the other hand, the structure of architecture. is mixed up. So it is often
necessary to change the structure of economy, by making the area a multi-
economic area which includes culture, residence and sightseeing.
 Thirdly, sustainable development in the social culture aspect How to renew the
waterfront area and represent the connotation is the core of planning.
 Fourth, sustainable development in the technology aspect Some problems in
planning can be solved with technology such as energy, traffic and engineering.
Planning can be made more systematize and scientific.
3. Diversity principle – ―Diversity‖ can mean many things, such as diversity in
function, diversity in space and diversity of different classes of people. Diversity in
function accelerates the diversity of people’s level by bringing new life styles to
the city. Diversity is based on people’s needs. Nowadays, people require more
and more, so the planning should be diversity to meet people’s needs.
Waterfront land is a desirable place, so it’s seldom used for some people, such as
for older people or children. However it should be for people of all ages, so it
needs integrated functions.
4. Pay attention to the mixture of tradition and modernization There is an adage
in China- ―the more traditional the more beautiful‖. There are two ways to mix the
tradition and modernization; one is to use some traditional details in modern
planning, another is to use modern details in traditional plan. Both of these ways is
a basic ways to plan.
5. Keep close with water – People are born to love water. Some years age, the
riverbanks were high and thick, block off people and water. Now people can
handle the water well, so they like to be as close as possible. According to the
demand of the citizens, some big steps close to water are often designed.
6. Elevation drawing – When we do the planning, we can not just do the plane
planning, but we should also consider the vertical face. It is just like when we
draw the pictures; we need to draw the ichnography, plan and also the
elevation drawings. Elevation planning has many functions: sometimes it can
separate a land as the figure 5 shows. The Western Harbor also uses this way to
separate the land, which will be explained in the fourth section.

7. Advanced technology principle – As technology develops, people need
something now, something they do not see before. So many new kind of materials
are used, such as water screens and laser light fountains

URBAN CENTRES

• A cluster of contiguous grid cells of 1 km² (excluding diagonals) with a
population density of at least 1 500 inhabitants per km² and collectively a
minimum population of 50 000 inhabitants after gap-filling.
• An urban area, or built-up area, is a human settlement with a high population

density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created
through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities,
towns, conurbations or suburbs.
• In urbanism, the term contrasts to rural areas such as villages and hamlets; in
urban sociology or urban anthropology it contrasts with natural environment.
The creation of early predecessors of urban areas during the urban revolution
led to the creation of human civilization with modern urban planning, which
along with other human activities such as exploitation of natural resources led
to a human impact on the environment.
• ―Agglomeration effects‖ are in the list of the main consequences of increased
rates of firm creation since. This is due to conditions created by a greater level
of industrial activity in a given region. However, a favorable environment for
human capital development would also be generated simultaneously.
• Urban areas are created and further developed by the process of

urbanization. Urban areas are measured for various purposes, including
analyzing population density and urban sprawl.

• Unlike an urban area, a metropolitan area includes not only the urban area,
but also satellite cities plus intervening rural land that is socio-economically
connected to the urban core city, typically by employment ties through
commuting, with the urban core city being the primary labor market.
• The concept of an ―urban area‖ as used in economic statistics should not be

confused with the concept of the ―urban area‖ used in road safety statistics.
The last concept is also known as ―built-up area in road safety‖. According to
the definition by the Office for National Statistics, “Built-up areas are defined
as land which is „irreversibly urban in character‟, meaning that they are
characteristic of a town or city. They include areas of built-up land with a
minimum of 20 hectares (200,000 m2; 49 acres). Any areas [separated by] less
than 200 metres [of non-urban space] are linked to become a single built-up
area.

GREEN ROOF

• The green roof will not be
a place for people to
gather, but rather an
aesthetically pleasing
alternative rooftop visible
from key areas within the
building.
• Yet again, maybe the
green roof will not be seen
by anyone. Green roof
design often requires
balancing desire, need,
and finances.
• In order to give a green
roof project every chance
to succeed, it is important
to clearly identify the
intent and limitations
specific to the project.

WHY GREEN ROOF?
• It’s best to start with the desired use of the rooftop space. Will people gather
and congregate on the green roof? If the answer is yes, then the green roof
is likely a rooftop garden for the enjoyment of visitors. If the answer is no, the
green roof will be designed to meet visual, environmental, and regulatory
goals. Many design considerations will need to be addressed based on
building a rooftop garden versus a green roof.
WHERE IS THE GREEN ROOF BEING BUILT?

• At this point, the general scope of the project has been determined and
some weight and access issues that will affect the final design have been
considered. However, the focus has been limited to the rooftop; next, it will
be expanded to include the area around the building. This section will look at
the project location and the important elements that will impact the green
roof. In this important phase of design, one must consider the conditions that
will shape the plant selection palette. Here the idea of the color and texture
of the rooftop space is fleshed out. The orientation of the roof area will be
considered first.

Hoisting
• The height of the building section dictates several aspects of the green roof
design. It has been stated that good green roof construction is all in the
material handling.
• The volume and weight of the green roof material, especially growth media,
makes roof loading a challenge.
• The taller the building, the more expensive it will be to get material to the
rooftop.
The following categories simplify consideration of height for material hoisting:

rooftops below 20 feet, rooftops between 20 and 120 feet, and rooftops higher
than 120 feet. Rooftops between 20 and 120 feet typically require the use of a
crane to hoist material to the rooftop. Conducting operations at this height
requires a great deal of skill and coordination. Using a crane to hoist material
requires experience in rigging loads for hoisting, the use of hand signals and
radio equipment to communicate with the crane operator, understanding of
point loading capacity of the roof deck, and safety practices and regulations for
rooftop activities and other hoisting procedures. The typical hoisting operation is
conducted by six or more highly paid tradesmen. Coordination of material
delivery times and crane availability is critical to avoid paying workers to wait on
the arrival of hoisting equipment.

Wind
• Winds are often greater at higher elevations. Consideration of winds blowing
across the rooftop will affect the plant selection and placement.
• Taller, upright plants catch wind and may need to be situated away from the
roof edge where winds are stronger. Supplemental anchoring may be
necessary to allow these taller plants a chance to establish roots capable of
withstanding wind loads.
• The perimeter of the roof is affected by a phenomenon known as wind
vortex, where wind travels up the wall of the building and creates negative
pressure at the roof surface as it swirls along the roof edge.
• It may be necessary to incorporate “no plant zones” in these areas.
• Often concrete pavers are used to add additional weight to counter wind
uplift forces along the roof perimeter. Even on the interior regions of the roof,
strong winds can wreak havoc on the green roof surface. Well-rooted and
established plants help hold the growth media to prevent scouring. The use
of wind blankets may be necessary to offer protection against scouring until
plants can be established.

Shadowing
• Taller structures in close proximity to the green roof may cast shadows over
the green roof.
• Depending on the orientation, shadows may fall over the roof surface at
various times throughout the day as well as throughout the year. Care must
be taken to match the sunlight requirement of the selected green roof plant
species with the sunlight available on the also be used to one’s advantage.
• Plants that are less tolerant of heat can be positioned to take advantage of
the morning sunlight while afternoon shading provides relief from the heat.
• Green roofs in constant shade require careful plant selection. Some plant
species may have a distinctly different appearance when fully shaded than
when exposed to direct sunlight.
• Some species will not tolerate winter shading in northern climates. It is best to
embark on shaded green roof projects with realistic expectations regarding
the trial and error necessary to develop a plant scheme that will thrive on the
chosen rooftop

Reflection
• Adjacent vertical walls constructed of glass or reflective metal cladding
reflect and amplify the intensity of sunlight.
• Sunrays bouncing off these surfaces can quickly dry out the growth media
and dehydrate plants.
• These areas require extremely drought- and heat-tolerant plant species and
may require more frequent irrigation.
• Increasing the growth media depth will help to buffer the heat gain and
retain more water to help keep the plants hydrated.
• The radiant heat in these areas may also extend the plant growth period in
northern climates by warming the roof surface.
Access
• Adjacent building sections can both enhance and inhibit access to the
rooftop on which the green roof will be built.
• Doorways and windows through adjacent building sections provide easy
access to the rooftop. However, adjacent building sections may prohibit
crane and forklift access to the rooftop, requiring material to be conveyed
through the building or over the top of adjacent roofs.
• This requires double handling of material and can significantly increase the
cost of the green roof. Modular green roof systems are particularly attractive
for these situations as the growth media and plants are contained in
individual modules.

Exposure
• Taller adjacent building sections can dramatically reduce the wind and
extreme weather exposure for a green roof.
• Green roofs oriented downwind of prevailing weather patterns will
experience less wind-driven rain and snow.
• However, upwind orientation will result in greater snow drifts against the taller
structure and greater accumulation of water along the base of the adjacent
wall.
• Taller adjacent building sections can also provide visibility of the green roof
from the interior of the building. Planting strategies for these green roofs may
include evergreen species that provide vibrant foliage during the winter
months. Flowering annuals can be used for adding spring and summertime
color. Green roofs that are visible from the interior of the building become an
amenity allowing interaction with the occupants and adding value to the
property.

Rain water harvesting
• Taller adjacent buildings afford a unique opportunity to capture rainwater
from higher elevations to use for the irrigation of a green roof.
• Strategic location of gutters and downspouts can allow the use of rain barrels
and cisterns to store rainfall while diverting storm water runoff from
overburdened storm water systems.
• The capacity of the rain barrels or cisterns, combined with the retention
capacity of the growth media, can play an important role in the overall
project storm-water management plan.
• It is necessary to consider the point loading of these rainwater storage
strategies to ensure that there is adequate structural capacity to support the
weight of the collection vessel.
• Ongoing research is studying the collection of condensation water from
rooftop air-conditioning equipment that may expand the water-harvesting
strategy beyond that of only rainfall.
• As supplemental irrigation dramatically expands the plant select options and
may also permit a reduction of growth media depth to meet structural
limitations, rainwater harvesting is becoming an integral component of green
roof design.

Rooftop equipment
• Heating, air-conditioning, and ventilation (HVAC) equipment located on the
rooftop can impact the green roof design and vice versa.
• Discharge from exhaust fans can contain fumes that are harmful to the green
roof plants. For example, kitchen exhaust fans often require grease traps,
which contain fat drippings that are harmful to plants and roof membranes.
• Grease traps typically require routine maintenance so it is important to plan
for providing access to this equipment as well as for larger HVAC equipment.
Solar equipment
• Solar and photovoltaic equipment is oftenlocated on rooftops as part of a
sustainable design and construction strategy.
• This equipment may require additional roof penetrations that must be sealed
into the roofing or waterproofing.
• Setting plants back from these areas will allow for routine inspection of the
flashings and for required repairs or maintenance to be conducted easily.
The panels often cast shade over the roof and should be factored into plant
selection for these areas.
• Studies have shown that green roofs’ abilities to lower the ambient air
temperatures near the roof surface enhance the efficiency of photovoltaic
operation.

ADVANTAGES OF GREEN ROOFS
1.Improve the drainage system

• Sustainable drainage is an important component of any building, as a way to
counter flooding in the event of excess rainfall. Traditionally, a network of
pipes connected to the sewage system has helped control water. However,
as a result of increasing urban development, as much as 75% of water is
running off into urban areas.
• Global warming isn’t helping the cause either and the risk of flooding is
heightened throughout the UK. To counter this threat, green roofs are a
terrific option. Water is stored in plants and substrate, before being released
back into the environment naturally.
2.Increase the lifespan of the roof

• A rooftop is continually under attack from the elements and has plenty to
cope with throughout the year. Not only will a roof need to sufficiently deal
with wind and rain, but ultraviolet light and fluctuating temperatures too. As
such, it’s common for both homeowners and businesses to consider an
alternative option for the roof.
• Green roofs offer this opportunity and have proved to double or even triple
the life expectancy of your rooftop. The barrier of greenery helps protect the
waterproof membrane underneath and ensure your rooftop’s life
expectancy lasts well for decades.
3. Boosting thermal performance

• Without doubt, one of a green roof’s most beneficial advantages is thermal
performance and it’s staggering just how much of a difference this can
make. One of the biggest problems facing a typical roof is poor insulation,
leading to substantial heat loss in winter and sweltering conditions over the
summer months.
• This all changes with the aid of a green roof. By implementing a green roof
you can ensure to improve energy efficiency and limit the usage of air
conditioning too. Plants absorb the sun’s energy and therefore reduce the
temperature of the roof in summer, whilst aiding thermal efficiency in the
colder winter by locking heat inside.
4.Helping out the environment

• The release of carbon dioxide is one of the key contributing factors to global
warming and as such, the government has been charged with meeting
stringent EU targets by 2020. Green roofs are ideal for doing exactly this.
According to the UKQBC, 44% of total CO2 emissions are released from
buildings.
• In a similar vein to the point above, green roofs reduce the need for air
conditioning, whilst also ensuring less heat is required for the winter. Both air
con and the generation of heat create CO2.
5.Supporting wildlife habitats

• Green roofs also help support wildlife and in turn, can create a healthy
habitat. Whilst they won’t directly replace ground environments, they’re
perfect for attracting birds and other wildlife to create a thriving eco-friendly
habitat.
• Each green roof will support varying habitats, dependent largely on the type
of vegetation included. According to a survey in Switzerland, the study of 11
green rooftops found there to be an incredible 172 separate species.
6.Aiding air quality

• Air pollution remains an important issue in the UK and staggeringly there are
some 24,000 who die from this every year. As you would expect, air pollution
is a greater problem in urban areas, especially the larger cities such as
London and Birmingham.
• A green roof helps to improve the overall air quality. According to a study,
green roofs help reduce up to:
• 37% of sulfer dioxide
• 21% of nitrous acid
• 0.2kg of dust particles / square metre each year.

DISADVANTAGES OF GREEN ROOFS
A greater expense than traditional roofs
• Unfortunately for green roofs, they do tend to be slightly more expensive than the
traditional option. One of the significant reasons for this being the extra support
required to handle the increased load.
• However, despite the greater initial setback, over time these green roofs more
than make up for the outlay. When you consider the range of incredible benefits
highlighted earlier, there should be no reason to allow cost to play a determining
role in your decision.
An increase in weight load

• There’s no doubt about it, green roofs are heavier and as such, require more
structural support to be implemented. Typically, the addition of a green roof will
add between 50 and 200kg/metre squared to an existing rooftop. Although some
rooftops will need to be retrofitted to cope with the increase in load, fortunately
flat roofs are often able to handle this capacity.
Require extra maintenance

• There seems to be much debate as to the full extent of maintenance required for
a green roof, however what’s clear is you’ll need to do some work to ensure it
remains a thriving atmosphere. You should treat your green roof as a garden and
as such, it will require watering, feeding and weeding. You could undertake this
yourself or even employ someone to take care of the space. Either way, it’s great
to keep on top of this brilliant green area.

GREEN WALLS/ VERTICAL LANDSCAPING
• The lack of vegetation in urbanized areas, as result of human establishments,
directly affects the quality of life, from physical and aesthetical point of view. The
construction of vertical gardens is recommended both in interiors and especially
in the exterior of buildings. By applying these technologies, any kind of area can
be used at its maximum capacity, obtaining esthetic valences, benefic for
environment and human health.
• Even if the price of constructing and maintaining the vertical gardens is higher
than a classical landscape it’s compensated by the environmental benefits,
raising the vegetation surfaces, with impact for reducing the pollution effect.
• The new modern concepts for landscape development are keen on using any
kind of concrete or glass, turning them in real vertical gardens, being possible to
overcome the development of the urban areas making a smooth transition for a
healthy green urban environment.
• Vertical Gardening is a special kind of urban gardening suitable to small spaces,
particularly for decorating the walls and roofs in various styles. This is an alternative
method for gardening by expanding the scope of growing plants in a vertical
space.
• Intensive urbanization has left hardly any horizontal space for outdoor gardens.
Green walls are not only spectacularly beautiful, but also helpful in enlivening
the ambiance.
• Green walls can absorb heated gas in the air, lower both indoor and outdoor
temperature, providing a healthier indoor air quality as well as a more beautiful
space.

General considerations:
• Watering: Appropriate time
• Carefull selection for wind prone areas (Succulent and hardy plants)
• Removing the dried leaves
• Keeping the structure clean
• Disposing the water from drainage system
• Pruning if necessary
• Timely application of fertilizers
Benefits of Vertical gardening:

1. Aesthetic effects
2. Acts as natural insulation for hot and cold air and a save energy for your
building
3. Reduces CO2 levels and increases oxygen and improved air quality
4. Conserves water and watering takes less effort
5. Sound absorption and noise absorption
6. Improves thermal insulation and energy efficiency
7. Provides protection to buildings from adverse temperature and hence
improves the life expectancy of the buildings
8. Mitigate urban island heat effect
9. It holds rain water, providing food and shelter for wildlife
Types of vertical greening system:
1. Green façade
2. Living/green wall
• Modular green walls
• Vegetated mat wall
Green facades:
• Green facades are a type of green
wall system in which climbing plants
or cascading groundcovers are
trained to cover specially designed
supporting structures.
• Plants are either grown in the
ground or in the elevated
containers where they are watered
and fertilized
Green facades are a type of green wall system in which climbing plants or cascading
groundcovers are trained to cover specially designed supporing structures. Rooted at
the base of these structure, in the ground, in intermediate planters or even on
achieving full coverage. Green facades can be anchored to existing walls or built as
freestanding structure, such as fences or columns.

Green walls / Living walls :
• Living wall system composed of pre-vegetated panels, vertical modules or
planted blankets that are fixed vertically to a structural wall or frame. These
panels can be made of plastic, expanded polystyrene, synthetic fabric and
support a great diversity of plants species ( eg: a lush mixture of ferns, ground
covers, perennials and edible plants).
• Constructed from pre-vegetated panels, vertical modules or planted blankets
(vegetated mat wall) that are fixed to structural framework or to a wall Made
from steel framework, plastic, expanded polystyrene and synthetic fabric to
support a variety of diversity and density of plant species Tend to require more
maintenance such as fertilizer and water than green facade systems that are
planted into the ground.
Modular green wall :
Vertical Garden Modules is made up

of recycled poly propylene material. It
has attractive look, highly durable in
nature and it can be easily installed. It
provides instant solution for making
garden in your residing place.

Green wall cups:
• Frame/ Supporting panel
• Easily detachable cups/pots
Vegetated mat wall :

This system, pioneered by Patrick Blanc,
is composed of two layers of synthetic
fabric with pockets filled with the plants
and growing media .The fabric walls are supported on a framework and backed
by a waterproof membrane against the building wall Nutrients and water are
delivered through an irrigation system at the top of the wall.
Building and installation of Green walls:

• Green wall system vary greatly in their design and construction from DIY projects
to modular green wall systems. This heading provides information on
• Structures and components for green wall system
• Suitable Plants
• Growing media
• Iirrigation and plant nutrition
• General considerations for green walls

Structures and components for green wall system:
Choosing the plants :

• The best plants for vertical gardens are dense, compact and low growing. Make
sure you choose species that suit the aspect of the wall on which they’ll be
growing. A wall drenched in sun, for instance, will need a selection of fairly
drought-tolerant plants, whereas a shady spot – perhaps under a pergola or
verandah – will require a selection of shade lovers, such as ferns. Also bear in mind
that the bottom of the unit will hold more moisture than the top, so consider this
when you’re deciding what to plant where.
• Apart from aesthetic preferences and the plants ability to grow in a soilless, vertical
location; the selection of plants is based on several factors, for example: What is
the local climate like (minimum temperature especially important to know)? How
much sun exposure is each area of the surface receiving and how does it change
during the year? Is there any particular micro climate — such as high buildings
creating strong winds along a wall? Understanding the prevailing growing
conditions is essential to make the right decision when choosing plants.
Plants suitable for vertical garden : Outdoor plants Peperomia, Syngoniums,
Philodendron, Epipremnum, Begonia, Anthuriums, Nephrolepis, Chlorophytum,
Lantana, Pilea, Rheo discolor, Cuphea, Fittonia, Spathiphylum, Schefflera

Growing media:
• Requirements:
• Weightless media
• High Water holding capacity
• High Nutrient holding capacity
• Good Porosity
• Neutral pH
Cocopeat, Perlite, Sphagnum moss, vermiculite, vermicompost, shredded bark and

leaf molds are the common media combinations used. Soil in not used since it
increases the weight of the green walls. There are three types of growth media
used in living walls:
• Loose medium walls tend to be ―soil-on-a-shelf‖ or ―soil-in-a-bag‖ type systems.
Loose medium systems have their soil packed into a shelf or bag and then are
installed onto the wall. These systems require their media to be replaced at least
once a year on exteriors and approximately every two years on interiors. Loose
soil systems are not well suited for areas with any seismic activity. Reparations
are only achieved by re-stuffing soil into the holes on the wall, which is both
difficult and messy. Loose-soil systems should not be used in areas where there
will be a lot of public interaction as they are quite messy and lose their soil little
by little over time. Loose-soil systems with physical media erosion systems are
well suited for all green wall applications.

• Mat type systems tend to be either coir fibre or felt mats. Mat media are quite
thin, even in multiple layers, and as such cannot support vibrant root systems of
mature plants for more than three to five years before the roots overtake the
mat and water is not able to adequately wick through the mats. The method of
reparation of these systems is to replace large sections of the system at a time
by cutting the mat out of the wall and replacing it with new mat. This process
compromises the root structures of the neighbouring plants on the wall and
often kills many surrounding plants in the reparation process.
• Structural media are growth medium ―blocks‖ that are not loose, nor mats, but
incorporate the best features of both into a block that can be manufactured
into various sizes, shapes and thicknesses. These media have the advantage
that they do not break down for 10 to 15 years, can be made to have a higher
or lower water holding capacity depending on the plant selection for the wall,
can have their pH and EC’s customized to suit the plants, and are easily
handled for maintenance and replacements. They are the most robust option
for a living wall for both exterior applications and for interior applications. They
are also the best choice in areas where high-winds, seismic activity or heights
need to be addressed in the design. Structural media are superior to the other
media for their longevity and high-level of performance in a variety of
circumstances. Depending on the installation, they do tend to be more
expensive to install, but lower cost to maintain.

Irrigation and plant nutrition:
• Green walls cannot be sustained without irrigation. Interruptions to the water
supply are a common cause of plant failure on green walls. Systems designed
with inbuilt irrigation should mitigate plant losses due to inconsistent moisture
management, although errors can still occur. Automated, remotely controllable
irrigation systems are used for walls in high profile locations, or in situations where
access is challenging.
• Note that the quality, design and costs will vary between different systems. The
most sophisticated systems enable the maintenance supervisor to keep track of
the automated performance of the system, including the volume of irrigation
delivered, its frequency, substrate moisture content, as well as pH and nutrient
levels in the water supply.
• The settings can be overridden if needed; for instance, the frequency or
duration of irrigation cycles may be increased on hot days. In hydroponic
systems, plant nutrition is delivered by a fertilizer injection system that releases
controlled doses of fertiliser into the irrigation system (fertigation).
• Management of fertigation systems and rates of delivery requires specialist
knowledge, as it is more complex than fertilizing soil or growing media.
Hydroponic systems require continual monitoring of pH, water hardness and
total dissolved solids (TDS), and adjustment of these parameters where
necessary.

Irrigation:
• The irrigation system is designed to minimize water consumption. It consists of an
automation-unit with equipment for control of nutrient injection and irrigation cycles.
When a surface has a variation of sun exposures, the irrigation is divided into
segments in order to program it specifically for each part. Within the multi-layered felt
surface a drip-tube is integrated. Water consumption varies with heat and sun
exposure, but compared to normal green spaces or a lawn, the consumption is
normally lower.
• It averages between 2-5 l/m2/day.
• For hydroponic green wall systems, the fertilation system may apply 0.5-20 litres of
irrigation solution per square metre perday. Internal green wall requirements are at
the lower end of this range, and external green walls at the higher end. Irrigation
cycles typically last a few minutes and will be required several times a day. Keeping
irrigation volumes low minimises waste and reduces run-off. Irrigation run-off may be
captured in a tank at the base of the wall and recycled back through the green wall
system. Green walls that use a high quality, water-retentive growing medium, and
are not in an exposed or particularly hot location, may thrive on a weekly watering
regime.
• In most simple, soil-based systems, including DIY systems, controlled release fertiliser is
mixed in with the growing medium, rather than using a fertilation system. Irrigation
must be available as soon as the plants are installed in the wall system. The irrigation
system requires a water meter to monitor irrigation volume, and a pressure gauge to
monitor the even application of water. The need for ongoing regular irrigation and
the expectation that water will be used sustainably means that stored (harvested or
recycled) water should be used whenever possible, so a pump is necessary.

Light:
Direct sunlight can deliver over 100.000 lux
whereas the average light level in an office
is around 300-500 lux. Even if the least light
demanding species are used, artificial light
is normally necessary indoor. A few species
will stay fine at 900 lux, but a slightly
increased level at some parts of the surface
will broaden the variation of species that
can be used. An artificially illuminated
surface has shifting light levels, due to the
fact that light reduces with the square of the
distance from the light source. Some areas
might have 3.000 lux and others 900 lux. The
plant design is made with this in mind, taking
advantage of the higher levels for more
demanding and interesting species.

Unit V-2

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Unit V-2

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UNIT V

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

• Psychological benefits gained by visitors to urban green spaces

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

Impacts on high temperatures

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

According to the above, it can be seen that the concept of the

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

A. Urban landscape aesthetics –

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

According to the objective explanation of aesthetic quality, beauty must be

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

• Types of activities – Quality and quantity of Activities in an urban environment

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

Urban quality As previously mentioned, a more favourable space, more human

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

―Identitas‖ is the Latin root of ―identity‖ which it means is ―sameness‖. Identity

• Identity concept in urban and landscape

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

THE EXTENT OF WATERFRONT AREAS

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

1. Landscape water body.

2. Areas close to water.

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

1. Natural biological aspect

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

3. Historical cultural aspect

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

• Diversity characteristic can be seen in three aspects. In physiognomy aspect,

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

The main contents in landscape design in waterfront area are:

1. The overall division and programming of functions.

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

CAAD AR 8701 LANDSCAPE DESIGN KARPAGAPRIYA S S

2. Sustainable development principle – Sustainable development can be explained