Green facades prevent the formation of urban heat islands, improve the urban microclimate and bring nature back into the heart of the city. The 50 Green Houses research project created an integrated solution for street-side greening of facades on existing buildings. Until recently, the placing of planters along existing facades was hampered by lengthy processing and approval procedures. The project therefore developed a reasonably priced, all-in-one solution known as the BeRTA green facade module.

The BeRTA green facade module consists of a 300-litre planter tub, a trellis, soil substrate and two climbing plants that together cover approximately 8m² of facade. When selecting suitable plants the project planners take account of the intended site and the nature of the facade. Experts support the interested parties throughout the entire process, from the initial on-site consultation through to planning and installation of the green facade.

There are currently eight locations in Vienna’s Favoriten district where interested parties can view prototype BeRTA modules. The monitoring and evaluation phase of the project is also currently under way until summer 2021. This involves the project leaders surveying the condition of the plants and asking residents and the people responsible for care and maintenance about their experiences with the planter tubs. The feedback so far has been positive. “The plants give the building a more lively look and I imagine that has a positive effect on the mood of passers-by,” commented one resident about the BeRTA green facade on her building.

Combating climate change

Climate forecasts suggest that summers in Vienna will become even hotter, with up to 100 very hot days per year with temperatures in excess of 30°C. One goal of the Smart City Wien Framework Strategy is to provide people living in Vienna with green and open spaces close to where they live. Measures for greening of buildings such as the BeRTA green facade modules also help to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis by reducing the perceived temperature on very hot days by up to 13°C. “BeRTA provides property managers, owners and residents with a simple, reasonably priced solution for greening of facades, thus doing their bit to make our city a cooler, more comfortable place to live,” says Susanne Lins, lead manager of the 50 Green Houses project.

The all-in-one module is now available via www.berta-modul.at, with the City of Vienna contributing up to 5,700 euro to the cost of implementation via co-financing and subsidy schemes. The project is part of the “City of the Future” programme, a research and technology programme of the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT).

Contact

Mag. Susanne Lins, MAS, MSc

tatwort Nachhaltige Projekte GmbH

E-Mail: susanne.lins@tatwort.at

Website: www.50gh.at (in German)