Façade greening creates a climate‑active façade, improves energy efficiency and enhances both the ecological and economic value of buildings. It functions as a technical performance layer, increases user comfort and supports ESG objectives in both new builds and existing properties.

Key Technical Points (Fundamentals of Façade Greening)

• Ecological function: Microclimate improvement through evaporative cooling, fine‑dust capture, creation of a biodiversity façade, and contribution to rainwater management and runoff reduction.
• Building performance: Reduced façade and ambient temperatures, moderate energy savings through shading and additional insulation effects; acoustic dampening depending on system design.
• Planning & systems: Choice between trellis systems (ClimbingBASE) and wall‑mounted systems (LivingWALL, LivingPANELS) depending on architecture, structural capacity, maintenance and CapEx/OpEx.
• Economics: Extended lifespan of the building envelope and potential ROI through energy savings and value appreciation of climate‑active façades.
• ESG & certification: Relevant credits for DGNB, LEED and BREEAM (microclimate, ecological quality, rainwater management, biodiversity).

Technical Details

System structure:

• Trellis system: lightweight, climber‑based vertical greening.
• Living Panels: modular, pre‑cultivated elements.
• Living Wall System: full‑surface, actively irrigated planting mats and substrate modules.

Loads (Vertiko systems)

• LivingWALL: total weight < 35 kg/m² (water‑saturated)
• LivingPANELS: total weight < 50 kg/m² (water‑saturated)
• Trellis systems: loads vary depending on plant species, growth pattern and vegetation density (typically very low additional loads on the substructure). Load transfer into system‑integrated prefabricated foundations.

Both Vertiko systems are among the lightest living wall solutions on the market, significantly simplifying structural integration in both existing and new buildings.

Irrigation:

• Automated irrigation and fertilisation systems; essential for sustainable function and service life of façade greening.

Substrates:

• Lightweight, mineral, structurally stable substrates or fleece/module substrates; long‑term nutrient stability is critical.

Construction:

• Ventilation gap, corrosion‑resistant fixings, defined spacing profiles.

Monitoring:

• Sensors for moisture, nutrients, flow; ideal for reducing OpEx.

Risks / typical errors:

• Insufficient irrigation, unclear interfaces with MEP systems, inadequate root protection, missing fire‑safety compartmentation.

Building‑Type‑Specific Considerations

• Data centre: Reduction of solar heat gain, improved cooling system efficiency, climate‑active façade for thermal stability.
• Logistics facility: Enhanced ESG profile, ecological logistics property, large‑scale trellis systems as cost‑efficient solution.
• Schools: Microclimate improvement in schoolyards, educational value, green school buildings.
• Hospital: Part of a health‑promoting, nature‑based architectural approach with improved air quality.
• Residential buildings: Noise reduction, microclimate benefits in dense urban areas.
• Office buildings: Energy savings, attractive climate‑active façade for tenant retention.
• General: Increase in biodiversity.

Practical Recommendations for Developers / Architects / Main Contractors

• Early integration in work stages 1–3, especially interfaces with structural engineering, fire protection and MEP.
• Clear distinction between CapEx (system) and OpEx (maintenance of façade greening).
• For actively irrigated systems: accessible maintenance and service points, plus monitoring for early fault detection. Depending on building type: additional safety measures such as leakage sensors, shut‑off valves or segmented irrigation circuits.
• Fire protection: compliance with horizontal fire barriers and use of non‑combustible carrier materials.
• Economic viability: façade greening ROI through energy savings, the premium value of a green building envelope and extended façade lifespan.

Summary – Why Façade Greening?

• Façade greening improves energy efficiency, microclimate (evaporative cooling), air quality and ecological building performance.
• Additional benefits: acoustic dampening depending on system, rainwater retention, and promotion of urban biodiversity.
• Choice between trellis systems, LivingPANELS and LivingWALL depending on budget and objectives.
• Irrigation, loads and fire‑safety compartmentation are key planning factors.
• Significant advantages for data centres, offices, schools, hospitals and logistics facilities.
• Early planning + professional monitoring = maximum service life of façade greening.

Do you have questions about your project or require professional guidance on façade greening? Feel free to contact us.

Façade greening refers to the deliberate vegetating of exterior walls using vertical greening systems such as living wall systems, Living Panels, climbing cables or trellis structures. It functions as a climate‑active façade, enhances building performance, improves the microclimate and ESG scores, and creates a sustainable, biodiversity‑promoting building envelope.

Technical Key Points (Fundamentals) of Façade Greening

• Definition: Technically planned, permanently operated greening of façades using ground‑based or wall‑mounted systems.
• System types:
  • Wall‑mounted living walls (Vertiko LivingWALL and LivingPANELS)
  • Trellis systems for ground‑rooted plants (Vertiko ClimbingBASE)
• Objectives: Reduction of urban heat islands, energy savings, rainwater management, improved user comfort and ESG performance.
• Relevance for planning: Integration into façade planning, structural engineering, irrigation infrastructure, maintenance strategy and fire protection requirements.

Technical Details of Façade Greening

System construction

• Wall‑mounted systems consist of a substructure, substrate cassettes or textile mats, integrated irrigation and sensor technology (monitoring).
• Trellis solutions require defined distances from the façade and calculated load assumptions (permanent and variable loads).

Loads

• LivingWALL: total weight < 35 kg/m² (fully water‑saturated)
• LivingPANELS: total weight < 50 kg/m² (fully water‑saturated)
• Trellis systems: loads depend on plant species and vegetation density.

Irrigation

• Automated irrigation.
• Vertiko: bespoke irrigation solutions for each project.
• Recommendation: sensors for moisture, EC, pH and leakage monitoring.
• For data centres: specific requirements for leakage protection and redundancy.
• Automatic fertilisation tailored to each project.

Substrates

• Structurally stable mineral substrate mixes with high water‑retention capacity and sufficient air‑pore volume.
• No humus‑rich substrates (decomposition / settlement).

Construction

• Ventilated installation for moisture regulation.
• Fire protection separations according to system approval; vegetation breaks across fire compartments.

Monitoring

• Digital operational monitoring for irrigation, flow rates, fertiliser management and fault detection.

Typical risks

• Structural challenges
• Insufficient fertiliser and irrigation management
• Incorrect plant selection (exposure: south‑west vs. north‑facing façades)
• Inadequate consideration of maintenance access
• Missing fire safety separations

Building‑Type‑Specific Considerations for Façade Greening

• Data centre: High requirements for leakage protection; climate‑active façade to reduce thermal loads.
• Logistics facility: Large‑scale trellis systems for ESG optimisation and certification.
• School: Educationally valuable biodiversity façade, low emissions, robust plant species.
• Hospital: Part of a health‑promoting, nature‑based architectural approach with improved air quality.
• Office building: Climate‑active façade to reduce cooling demand.
• Residential building: Focus on summer thermal protection and user comfort; fine dust capture.

Practical Recommendations for Developers / Architects / Main Contractors

• Integrate complete façade‑greening design (structural engineering, building services, fire protection, drainage) as early as work stages 1–3.
• Always select RAL‑certified façade greening systems with verified fire‑safety details.
• Ensure façade‑greening maintenance is contractually included as part of building operation (2–4 services per year).
• For optimal ROI, integrate monitoring and efficient irrigation control.
• Clarify building‑type‑specific requirements early (e.g., data centre: redundant irrigation protection).

Summary – What Is Façade Greening?

• Façade greening = technically designed, permanently operated vertical (partly horizontal) vegetation on buildings.
• Systems: living wall systems, Living Panels, trellis systems.
• Benefits: climate‑active façade, ESG enhancement, energy savings.
• Key aspects: irrigation, fire safety, load‑bearing capacity, maintenance.
• Suitable for offices, residential buildings, schools, logistics facilities, hospitals and data centres.

Do you have questions about your project or require professional guidance on façade greening? Feel free to contact us.

A LivingWALL is a full‑surface, ventilated, wall‑mounted greening system with integrated irrigation, pre‑cultivated plants and a defined substrate structure.
Traditional façade greening is primarily based on ground‑rooted climbing plants and requires only minimal technology, low maintenance and low investment costs.

Key Technical Points (Fundamentals – System Comparison)

LivingWALL / LivingPANELS

• Ventilated, wall‑mounted vertical greening with active irrigation.
• Instant greenery via fleece‑substrate systems or pre‑cultivated modules.
• Precise control of growth, moisture and nutrients.
• Higher CapEx/OpEx, but greater functional stability and a strong architectural impact.

Traditional façade greening

• Ground‑rooted climbing plants on trellises.
• Lower system loads; very low maintenance and operating costs.
• Longer development period until full coverage.
• Strongly dependent on location, soil conditions and plant selection.

Technical Details

LivingWALL – technical characteristics

• LivingWALL system structure: substructure, fleece‑substrate system, plants
• LivingPANELS system structure: substructure, pre‑cultivated LivingPANELS
• Irrigation: automatically controlled, seasonally adjusted; coordinated nutrient dosing; optional monitoring.
• Loads:
  LivingWALL < 35 kg/m² (water‑saturated)
  LivingPANELS < 50 kg/m² (water‑saturated)
• Plant types: perennials, grasses, semi‑shrubs, small woody species.
• Risks: irrigation failure, insufficient maintenance, lack of drainage.

Traditional systems – technical characteristics

• Trellis / cable systems (steel/aluminium), anchored in the load‑bearing structure or ventilated façade.
• Approx. 1 m³ rootable soil volume per climbing plant.
• Very low additional loads (typically 15–40 kg/m² incl. trellis, depending on plant class).
• Minimal technical components → very low failure risk.

Building‑Type‑Specific Considerations

Data centres & logistics facilities

• LivingWALL, LivingPANELS: controllable, climate‑active façade (evaporative cooling).
• Traditional: robust, cost‑efficient, low maintenance.

Office and residential buildings

• LivingWALL, LivingPANELS: representative, densely planted green façade, enhanced biodiversity.
• Traditional: low‑cost long‑term solution for ESG credits.

Schools & hospitals

• LivingWALL, LivingPANELS: controlled system suitable for healing architecture, fast visual impact.
• Traditional: low‑maintenance, ideal for large areas.

Practical Recommendations

Decision criteria

• Budget approx. €900–1,200/m² → LivingWALL
• Immediate full greenery → LivingWALL / LivingPANELS
• Minimal maintenance → traditional greening
• Complex geometries → LivingWALL
• Optimised life‑cycle costs → traditional greening

Avoid planning errors

• Integrate additional system loads early in the structural design.
• Provide irrigation connection and drainage.
• Ensure maintenance access.
• Coordinate fire‑safety concept (especially for LivingWALL systems).

Summary

• LivingWALL = fully technical vertical greening with irrigation, pre‑cultivated plants and higher investment.
• Traditional greening = ground‑rooted climbing plants, minimal technology, low costs.
• LivingWALL offers instant coverage, climate benefits and biodiversity, but with higher maintenance demands.
• Traditional systems excel in life‑cycle costs and robustness.
• Both systems are suitable for ESG and climate‑active façades.

Do you have questions about your project or require professional guidance on façade greening? Feel free to contact us.