[BE-MO-FA] Development of moss covered building-front panel
Runtime: 2014 – 2015
Funding: Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG)
Summary
The project BE-MO-FA is concerned with the development of moss-covered facade panels aiming at year-round green, sustainable, extensive care and affordable building facades. In this study the project team is selecting and testing appropriate (i) moss species, (ii) new water storages and adhesive substratum, (iii) materials of the support panels and (iv) technical building construction details.
Description
The greening of buildings and urban structures is a great need in the population and for planners. However, this rarely can be realized successfully. Currently there are only 2 options with strong restrictions available. The growth of climbing plants needs root space beneath the facade surface and often causes damage to the building. The installation of plant pots on the facade is very expensive, it results in high maintenance costs and building construction is technically very problematic. In the project BE-MO-FA a third option for greening buildings with moss-covered facade panels will be developed and tested aiming at year-round green facades, which can be inexpensively built, are durable and require extensive maintenance. The approach consists of (1) selecting and testing suitable moss species, (2) selecting and testing new water storages and adhesive substratum on/in the support panels, (3) testing the materials of the support panel and (4) development of technical building construction details. Investigations are effected by means of scientific growth experiments on sample surfaces and structural engineering development work. Aimed findings and results: The first information sought from the documentation of plant development, of building construction material samples and technical construction details should make possible a concrete product development in a follow-up project with business partners. Moss planted facade panels for building facades have a high potential for new ways of greening of buildings and urban structures with interesting architectural design options and many additional benefits (sound absorption, dust control, air humidity balancing, preventing summer heat islands, psychological benefits, biomonitoring…).
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