Singapore Field Investigation World-Leading Integrated Water Management System Project Case Study Tree House Green Wall
Setting a record for the largest vertical garden in the world
Location: Bukit Timah, Singapore
Size: 2,289 sqm green wall
Inquiry
How can we design the walls of our buildings to improve air quality, reduce energy use, collect water and connect people to nature?
Project Summary
Located in Singapore’s District 23, Tree House is a 24-storey condo building that boasts the world’s largest vertical garden and features state-of-the-art sustainable technologies. The luxury building's defining feature is a lush, plant-shrouded green wall spanning 2,289 square meters - nearly 25,000 square feet or about half a football field if it were standing straight up. This innovative green design allows residents to live healthfully and connect with nature. Constructed in 2013, it is one of 154 vertical garden projects in Singapore. (Inhabitat and Straits Times)
Design
Designed with environmental sustainability in mind, and taking inspiration from the greenery of the nearby Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Upper Peirce Reservoir, Tree House’s vertical garden is more than just a unique architectural feature. (City News)
The plants covering the west exterior wall serve as insulation and function as a set of green lungs to reduce pollutants by filtering carbon dioxide out of the air. The green walls help to lessen heat absorption, thereby lowering the energy required to cool indoor spaces. This is expected to achieve energy savings between 15% and 30% (roughly $9,500 and $19,000 per year) for the 48 west-facing master bedrooms that are insulated by the vertical gardens. The sloped design of the walls creates a “bio-shelter”, which collects water for landscape irrigation elsewhere in the development. Each of Tree House’s four towers also features sky terraces at the 7th, 13th and 19th floors, which serve as additional green spaces for the residents. (Mother Nature Network and CDL)
Other green features at Tree House include the use of heat-reducing laminated green tinted windows, lifts with Variable Voltage and Variable Frequency motor drive, and sleep mode programming and motion sensors at staircases that will activate lights automatically. Tree House’s various green features are expected to result in energy savings of over 2.4 million kWh per year and water savings of 30,000 m3 per year, or approximately over $500,000 annually. (Inhabitat)
Challenges
● Plant Maintenance - platforms and ladders needed to be installed ● Modular Steel Frame that took a year to fabricate and install ● Time to cultivate plants before installation ● Ensuring a cost effective green wall design ● Collateral damage from storms and high winds
Pacific Northwest Context
● Are there examples of green walls or vertical gardens in your community? ● How could we implement vertical gardens to create a sustainable food system? ● How would implementing vertical gardens reduce your community's carbon footprint? ● How can vertical gardens help reduce urban and suburban sprawl? ● What types of plants would work best on a green wall for your climate? ● How could structures like this be implemented on a smaller scale and for a lower upfront cost?
Resources
Vertical Greenery - Overview of vertical garden designs
World’s Largest Vertical Garden - Page one of City News describes Tree House
Singapore Set World Record for Largest Vertical Garden - Article in Sourceable
Vertical Garden Benefits Go Beyond Dollars and Cents - Article in Straits Times
Singapore Developer Aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals - Article in Eco-Business
Slideshow - Photos, site plan, maps
Other Vertical Gardens and Green Walls in Singapore ● Parkroyal on Pickering ● Ocean Financial Centre ● Supertrees at Gardens By the Bay ● Rainforest Rhapsody ● Skyrise Greenery Projects
Inquiries created by Sustainability Ambassadors made possible by Cascade Water Alliance