Vegetal Walls Analysis Essay

The object of my design analysis essay is the concept of vegetal walls, developed in the late 1980s by the ecological engineer Patrick Blanc. I will focus on several aspects of vegetal walls which I believe are relevant to the purpose of the demanded essay which include the complexity of its design, its artistic purpose and its ecological benefits.

Vegetal walls, also know as vertical gardens, are based on the knowledge of botanic plants and what they demand in order to be able to grow on a vertical surface and be able to grow in harmony with the surface they are on as well as with the surrounding architecture. The concept Patrick Blanc has developed is the creation of natural habitats using man induced materials. Vegetal walls can be built anywhere whether it is outdoors such as on the Quai Branly in Paris, or indoors with the right lighting. Of course, the installation of such walls requires months of studies which are to determine which species are able to survive in the clicmatic conditions of the area the wall is built in.

  The technique Patrick Blanc uses enables him to get rid of all problems of the plants' weight, their water needs and the height of the buildings. This is what creates the   beauty of his project and the magnificence of its design. Indeed, the composition of the walls are very complex. Here is a quick summary: It includes a metallic plaque which is placed on top of the existing wall. It creates an isolation between the actual wall and the vegetal wall both in summer and in winter. In addition to the metallic plaque, a PVC plaque is installed which takes care of waterproofness, rigidity and the homogeneousness of the vegetalized surface. Finally, stapled on top of that is the last layer of the wall: the irrigation sheet, home of all the plants' roots. The plants are installed in form of seeds, bulbs, cuttings or a variety of adult plants with a density of about 30 plants per square meter.
The watering of the plants is done through a...