Environmental Control in Architecture by Landscape Design

ITU A|Z • Vol 15 No 2 • July 2018 • 197-211 Environmental control in architecture by landscape design Nazire Papatya SEÇKİN [email protected] • Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul, Turkey Received: April 2018 • Final Acceptance: July 2018 Abstract The landscape design is a significant component of effective building design. Landscape elements can provide such benefits to buildings as shielding them from the sun, protecting them against wind, facilitating passive cooling, and providing opportunities for natural ventilation. Furthermore, landscape elements can be useful to clean the air and water, absorb floodwaters, improve aesthetics, provide recreational amenities and develop ecological habitats for wildlife. The heating, cooling and lighting of a building are very much affected by the site and landscape in which the building is located. Plants are immensely useful in the heating, cooling and lighting of buildings. Landscaping that sup- ports the heating, cooling, and lighting of buildings varies with the climate. The general logic for tree planting around a building includes shade trees on the east and west, wind breaks on the north, and open fields on the south-facing sides. In this connection, lawns should be used only when necessary. On the other hand, a verti- cal vine-covered trellis is very effective on east and west facades, while a horizontal trellis can be used on any orientation. Outdoor shading structures such as trellises and pergolas, can be used for providing shade and/or to control air movement. Oth- er functional landscaping elements include allées, pleached allées and hedgerows. In short, the following sections discuss some of the critical concepts and topics necessary for understanding landscape design as it relates to sustainable building design. Keywords Landscape design, Building design, Landscape elements, Shading structures, doi: 10.5505/itujfa.2018.90022 doi: Windbreaks. 198 1. Introduction priate to cut them down to improve the The architectural design of a build- solar access. The summer shade from ing has a tremendous effect on the heat- mature plants might be more valu- ing, cooling and lighting of a building. able than the last energy from the sun. In fact, when an architect starts to de- However, in most climates, the energy sign the appearance of a building, he/ from the sun is too valuable not to use. she is simultaneously starting the de- Every square meter of the south façade sign of the heating, cooling and light- and south-facing roof should be used ing. In this connection, plants are also to collect daylight, photovoltaic elec- immensely useful in the heating, cool- tricity, and hot water all year long and ing and lighting of buildings. Although passive solar in the winter. plants are very popular, they are usual- On the other hand, evergreen plants ly used for their aesthetic rather than can be used on the east, west and north functional benefits. Ideally, along with sides of a building. These plants are their decorative function they could act most appropriate for protecting against as windbreaks in the winter, as shading the cold winter winds. To provide con- devices and evaporative coolers in the tinuous shade or to block heavy winds summer, and as light filters all year use evergreen trees or shrubs. The best long. Plants can also reduce erosion, windbreaks block wind, close to the noise, dust and other air pollution, the ground by using trees and shrubs that level of carbon dioxide, and increase have low crowns. the level of oxygen in the local air. Through the proper location and In that case, buildings can be com- selection of plants, well-designed land- bined into landscaping techniques scaping can reduce winter heating and that promote the heating, cooling and summer cooling costs of a building as lighting of buildings. The shading from much as 25 percent (Lechner, 2015). plants depends on the species, prun- Plants can also improve the quality of ing, and maturity of the plants. The daylight by filtering and diffusing the best shading devices are the deciduous light and heal human health and per- plants, because they lose their leaves formance. in response to temperature changes. A landscape design is often based Other advantages of deciduous plants on the mature size of plants, thus the include low cost, aesthetically pleas- growth rate is very important. Choos- ing quality, ability to reduce glare and ing a fast-growing plant is not always a ability to cool the air by evaporation good choice, because most fast-grow- from the leaves. On the other hand, ing plants have poor strength. How- the disadvantages of deciduous plants ever, some vines can be the ideal are slow growth, limited height and fast-growing plant for landscaping. the possibility of disease destroying the They are supported on a man-made plant. In general, the east, southeast structure such as a wall, a trellis, a per- and southwest sides of buildings are gola or a table network. These vines are the best locations for deciduous plants. very effective sun shading devices. Unless carefully placed, deciduous Proper use of trees, shrubs, vines plants on the south side of a building and man-made structures can modify may do more harm in the winter than the climate around a building to reduce good in the summer. However, decid- heat gains in summer and heat losses uous plants without their leaves still in winter. Plants can protect a build- block a significant amount of sunlight. ing from winter winds and shade it Furthermore, if the roof has col- from summer sun. Vegetation around lectors for domestic hot water, pool a building can regulate solar radiation heating, and /or heating, and/or pho- during different seasons of the year. tovoltaic, it should also not be shaded Proper building design and landscap- in the summer. Thus, on the south side ing control noise, air pollution, winter of buildings, plants should usually be wind and summer sun. kept below the solar access boundary. The design of landscape elements If large plants already exist on the south such as trees, shrubs, vines and man- side of a building in very hot climates made structures is a significant com- with mild winters, it may not be appro- ponent of effective building design. ITU A|Z • Vol 15 No 2 • July 2018 • N. P. Seçkin 199 Landscape elements can provide such Annuals and biennials are only herba- benefits to buildings as shielding them ceous; perennials can be either herba- from the sun, protecting them against ceous or woody. Some woody perenni- wind, facilitating passive cooling, pro- als are not totally hard in cold climates viding opportunities for natural ven- and act like herbaceous perennials. tilation, cleaning the air and water, There are a variety of characteristics improving aesthetics, and developing by which to describe or classify plants ecological habitats for wildlife. and distinguish them from one anoth- er. Among these, growth habit, season- 2. Landscape concepts al persistence, and ecological origin are Before discussing landscape design particularly important with regard to techniques, some general comments sustainability. about plants are important. The selection of proper plant material requires 2.1. Growth habitat knowledge of concepts such as growth Growth habits define the shape or habits, origin, species` adaptations, form of the plants and play a key role in and plant biological processes. It is also both their aesthetic character and their important to have a comprehension of function in the landscape. Based on contextual topics, including local and growth habit, plants can be classified as global hydrologic systems, precipita- trees, shrubs, groundcovers, or vines. tion, seasonal temperature fluctua- The boundaries between these growth tions, wind, and geography. Some of habit types are not always distinct, nor the critical concepts and topics nec- consistent. A plant species may fall into essary for understanding landscape several categories depending upon the design as it relates to proper building conditions of a particular site or its design are discussed as follows (Car- maintenance regime. Despite the short- penter & Walker, 1998; Marsh, 2010; comings of this classification system, it Vassigh at all, 2013). is widely used in landscape design. Landscape plants are herbaceous plants and woody plants. Herbaceous 2.1.1. Trees plants do not produce woody stems Trees are the largest plant elements and are known botanically as herbs. used in landscape design. It can gen- They may have an upright, prostrate, or erally be defined as a plant which is viney growth habit. Woody plants can taller than 3m. Trees measuring 3 to 6 be classified as trees, shrubs, or woody m is height can be classified as `small vines. The distinction between trees trees`, trees 6 to 9 m can be considered and shrubs is not always apparent. as `medium trees`, and trees taller than Generally, trees are characterized by a 9 m can be considered as `large trees`. single upright stem or trunk, whereas shrubs have several stems. In addition, 2.1.2. Shrubs trees usually are taller than shrubs. The Shrubs are relatively smaller plants distinctions, however, may be obscured than trees. They can be defined as be- by pruning, training, or environmental ing larger than 0.5 m, but less than 3 m conditions. in height. Among woody plants, a major distinction is made between deciduous 2.1.3. Groundcovers plants, and evergreen plants. Ever- Groundcovers are low-level un- green plants are classified as either derstory plants that are grown over broadleaved evergreens or needle ever- and cover an area of ground, acting greens. Conifers constitute the needle as a base layer in a planting design. A evergreen group.

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