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Sustainable renovation with greenery
Searching for a sustainable option for your facade renovation? Then green cladding in the form of a SemperGreenwall is an outstanding choice for your project. This living wall system is not only a true eye-catcher for your facade, but it also offers numerous benefits for the property and the environment. Furthermore, the SemperGreenwall can be applied directly to the facade insulation, as the back of the living wall is water- and root-resistant. An additional facade cladding is therefore not necessary, as the SemperGreenwall forms the complete outer shell. In this article, we explain why a SemperGreenwall is the best choice for a sustainable facade renovation.
Why choose a green facade for facade renovation?
By choosing a SemperGreenwall, you are selecting sustainable cladding. This is because this innovative green wall system is certified with a Cradle-to-Cradle certificate. Within this design philosophy, raw materials are not discarded but infinitely recycled. Consequently, this bio-based facade cladding can also contribute to earning LEED and BREEAM points for every project. Other benefits of cladding with a green wall include:
- Promoting biodiversity: a SemperGreenwall incorporates 78 plants per square meter. This makes the green wall an oasis for bees, butterflies, and other insects. Birds are also regularly spotted in our living walls. Especially in the urban environment, this is a valuable addition to local biodiversity.
- Pleasant living and working environment: the SemperGreenwall not only benefits animals. The presence of greenery uplifts people too. Plants provide relaxation, increased productivity, cleaner air, and a dampening effect on environmental noise. Thus, the SemperGreenwall positively impacts people’s health and well-being.
- Indoor and outdoor temperature regulation: the plants in the SemperGreenwall absorb and reflect sunlight. This advantage means that heat from outside enters less quickly, and the indoor climate remains more pleasant. The air conditioning doesn’t have to work as hard during hot summers. A green facade also positively affects the outdoor climate. In the petrified environment of a city, plants provide a 3°C reduction in the outside temperature.
- Building value increase: the green and sustainable appearance, the reduction in energy costs, and good insulation of a green facade increase a property’s value. The presence of green elements in a building increases its economic value by 4 to 12%.
- Saving on renovation costs: did you know that the material for the external wall can be omitted because the SemperGreenwall can also be mounted directly on insulation? This is because the back of the Flexipanel is water-resistant. That, in turn, saves costs!
Green wall is fire-safe facade cladding
In addition to the Cradle to Cradle sustainability certificate, Sempergreen’s living wall system also possesses a fire safety certificate in the highest fire classification standard. This signifies that a SemperGreenwall can be utilized for project applications, at elevated heights, and in escape routes.
What should I consider when renovating a facade with a living wall?
Good news: a SemperGreenwall can be installed seamlessly on any background – be it stone, wood, sandwich panels, or other insulation material. The only condition is that the wall can support a weight of 45 kg/m².
A great advantage of the SemperGreenwall is that the back of the Flexipanels is both water- and root-resistant. So, the wall does not need to be waterproofed first before the green wall is installed. The green wall system can be applied directly to hard or soft insulation, without any roots being able to affect the insulation layer. Moreover, the insulating effect is maintained. It is therefore an optimal solution for renovation projects, where facade insulation is also applied.
Architectural Renewal: These Inspiring Renovation Projects Already Opted for a Green Facade
Curious about the transformation of a building after a renovation with a green wall system? Here are some examples of inspiring projects, where a facade renovation with a SemperGreenwall led to a sustainable outcome.
Hotel Gilbert, Vienna Austria
In Vienna, Hotel Gilbert is considered a pioneering project in sustainable construction. This new hotel was opened in an existing building. Prior to the opening, the building was completely renovated in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way, with the green outer facade being an integral part of the architecture. The result: a green oasis in Vienna’s petrified city center.
Rotterdam District Court, The Netherlands
The Court of Rotterdam has undergone an impressive facade renovation. The installed green wall is part of the new reception area ‘Galleria’, designed by Fokkema & Partners Architects. The entire wall is fitted with a SemperGreenwall. Main reason: to create more environmental peace in this busy entrance area. And that succeeded, the great amount of plants in the wall resulted in a noise reduction of 41%.
Mundus College, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
In Amsterdam, the Mundus College was renovated with an eye-catching SemperGreenwall. The old facade panels were no longer in good condition. The foil of the trespa panels was coming loose and there was wood rot. Salverda Bouw was commissioned to completely renovate the facade. It was important to Mundus College that the facade be renovated in a 100% circular way, reusing the cladding if possible. The money saved by reusing existing materials was used to provide part of the facade with a green wall by Sempergreen. With this, Mundus College wants to contribute to a greener environment in the busy city of Amsterdam and provide living space for bees, butterflies, birds, and bats.
Intersport, Ljubljana Slovenia
What a difference in appearance! That’s what you see when you look at the before and after photos of the Intersport shop in Ljubljana. The sports chain’s new flagship store pays a lot of attention to sustainability. It was the client’s wish for the shop to exude the connection with nature, to interest both intensive and recreational athletes of all ages in a healthier lifestyle.
Greenhouse Antwerp, Belgium
Greenhouse Antwerp is a paragon of sustainability. A vertical garden with as many as 50,000 plants was chosen for the renovation of the facade. The living wall was also a first for the city of Antwerp. It was no surprise that CONIX RDBM Architects opted for this solution, as they value sustainability in their designs. This is because they want to reduce the use of energy and materials. In addition, this green facade makes an important contribution to the local climate and creates a pleasant working environment in the office building itself.
Start your green project today
Ready to make a difference? At Sempergreen, we believe in building a greener future, one step at a time. Our innovative solutions are designed to help you decrease your footprint and contribute to a more sustainable world. Join us in replanting the planet!
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