Vertical Landscaping – A Tool for Sustainable Tall Buildings in Tropical Climates

Abstract

With rapid urbanization there has been an ever increasing demand for office and housing space in cities, resulting in taller building typologies. The large concentration of development in urban centers causes an imbalance to the ecology of the place as it replaces vast quantities of natural reserve and vegetation. In recent decades, this has triggered many environmental issues, the city has become more aware and urban planners are willing to implement strategies that could modify the urban climate. On one hand, we cannot rule out the benefit of the skyscraper in providing for large habitable spaces on a much smaller parcel of land but on the other are the shrinking green open spaces of the cities. The solution lies somewhere in between – In solving the problem of converting these glass and concrete boxes into eco-friendly buildings of the future. ‘Hence there is a need to balance the hard-inorganic quality with greenery’ – giving back to the city the green footprint which was destroyed in the making of these massive structures. Hence vertical landscaping forms a primary solution and seeks to invite nature back into our cities. The paper aims to bring out the possible ways to integrate landscaping in tall building design and explore the contemporary understandings of ecology, offering new insights into creating these green spaces in tall buildings that serve both human and environmental needs.