The District’s proposed Green Area Ratio (GAR) allows vegetated or green walls to be counted as a landscape element toward a project’s required GAR score. Vegetated walls are essentially vertical versions of green roofs. In addition to helping to reduce the District’s heat island effect, vegetated walls can be beautiful works of art or used for urban agriculture. Below are a couple of examples of vegetated walls — the first is from Mexico City, Mexico and the second is from Paris, France.
Source: Will Shank
Vegetated walls are constructed using either panels or cables (the construction method used depends on the types of plants selected). Vegetated walls are either free standing or part of a building.
The GAR allows applicants to calculate points for vegetated walls by multiplying the ground coverage area (planting bed) of the vegetated wall by the multiplier (0.6). The multiplier represents a value for the vertical surface of the wall.
Do you have any other examples of attractive vegetated walls? We’d love to see them!
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