Queen's University | Faculty of Applied Science

Access the data

SEARCH
Contact, About

About Us

Home Green Features Biowall

Biowall
Biowall Concrete Enthalpy Wheel Life-Cycle Analysis Smart Lighting Solar Array Windows
The most eye-catching feature of the IL Centre is the biowall, located in the main lobby. Three stories high, the wall is both beautiful and functional, acting as a biofilter and a central aesthetic feature of the building. The wall is a natural air filter which removes VOCs and CO2 from the air as it passes through the wall into the building's office spaces.

GREEN TIPS
Grasscycling improves lawn quality. When grass clippings are allowed to decay naturally on the lawn, they release valuable nutrients, add water-saving mulch and encourage natural soil aeration by earthworms. Grasscycling also saves time and work. A recent study in the United States found that 147 homeowners who quit bagging their clippings saved an average of 35 minutes per mowing. Thats an average of 7 hours per season or a day at the beach. n/a

The IL Centre's biowall is three stories tall. Water runs down the back of the wall, keeping the plants moist, and air is pulled through the wall from fans on each floor. The plants are embedded in a thick mat material.

The wall is made up of two layers of a porous material attached to a concrete wall. The material is approximately 3 centimetres (1 inch) thick, and is made of loosely-woven plastic that is screwed onto the wall in pieces. Plants are placed into gaps cut into the top layer of material; their roots hold them in place. The roots grow downwards between the layers, and can grow to be several stories long. Water is pumped to the top of the wall and cascades down between the layers, wetting the roots of the plants. Water is recycled; occasionally nutrients are added, and the system is drained monthly. At the same time, the plants are dusted, wetted, and pruned. The wall requires no more maintenance than any other indoor landscaping feature. The plants are all chosen to spread no pollen, and the constantly running water and fresh air stop mould from getting a foothold. A vapour barrier has been installed in

There are many species of leafy plants thriving in the wall.

front of the concrete wall and behind the drywall to stop water vapour from permeating the building. On each of the three floors, fans pull air through the wall into the building. The fans are triggered by humidity.

VOCS
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are produced by many manmade chemicals. They come from petrochemical-based products like industrial solvents, and are also created by car exhaust. The term VOC actually refers to dozens of common pollutants of varying concentrations and emission rates, indoors and out. All are chemically reactive, which makes them great for cleaning and gluing. This also means that they easily escape into the air. VOCs tend to have a high vapor pressure, so they evaporate particuarly well at room temperatures. While small concentrations of these chemicals arent dangerous, over time they can contribute to sick building syndrome, which can include eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, and dizziness. Many VOCs can be reabsorbed into building surfaces fairly soon after theyre released. However, if there is a large concentration of VOCs in the air, they can hang around; only so many can be absorbed at once. Industrial buildings have filters and scrubbers that remove many of these contaminants from air as it is circulated through building spaces. The downside to using filters or carbon-based materials is that they become saturated and have to be replaced fairly often, with the attendant expense. Printed circuit-boards, paint, photocopiers, lubricating oils, and refrigerants are all sources of indoor VOCs. Commonly-used materials like carpets and glues will slowly give off pollutants like formaldehyde over the lifetime of a building; new electronics give off methly-ethyl ketone and hexanal. The graph to the right illustrates the kind and concentration of VOCs given off over the lifetime of a printed circuit board. Here are a few VOCs that are commonly encountered indoors, and the materials they come from: Commonly Encountered Indoor VOCs Source Paint, coatings, finishers, paint remover, thinner, caulking Paint, adhesive, gasoline, combustion sources, liquid process photocopier, carpet, linoleum, caulking compound Combustion sources, paint, adhesive, gasoline, linoleum, wall coating Upholstery and carpet cleaner or protector, paint, paint remover, lacquers, solvents, correction fluid, dry-cleaned clothes Acoustic ceiling tile, linoleum, caulking compound Carpet, moth crystals, air fresheners Carpet, paint Deodorizers, cleaning agents, polishes, fabrics, fabric softener, cigarettes Table from Environment Canada. Green Features up Concrete Login to post comments Chemical Acetone Aliphatic hydrocarbons (octane, decane, undecane hexane, isodecane, mixtures, etc.) Aromatic hydrocarbons (toluene, xylenes, ethylbenzene, benzene) Chlorinated solvents (dichloromethane or methylene chloride, trichloroethane) n-Butyl acetate Dichlorobenzene 4-Phenylcyclohexene (4PC) Terpenes (limonene, apinene)
An example of a common houseold VOC source: micrograms per hour, per square meter, that can be generated by a printed circuit board. Consumer products make up 35% of all VOCs (second place, at 30%, is transportation).

PLANTS ON THE BIOWALL

Plants are swapped out if they fail to thrive. Each wall has a different plant profile depending upon its exposure and the local environmental conditions. The IL Centres biowall has been in operation for over a year, and a balance has been achieved with certain plants but not others. The wall prefers leafy ferns; hibiscus was tried in the wall and failed, but orchids have done quite well. Aglaonema (Algaomema commutatum) & Spathiphyllum spp. (mixed aroids) Spider plant (Chlorophytum) Croton (Codiaeum) Cordyline Dragon Plant (Dracaena) Ficus (verigated) Rubber Plant (Ficus Elastica) Ivy (Hedera) Palms (Dypsis, Howea, or Chamaedorea spp.) Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum) Philodendron (several species) Snake plant (Sansevieria) Purple Heart (Setcreasea pallida, similar to the common Tradescantia) Umbrella Plant (Schlefera)

Integrated Learning Centre | Faculty of Applied Science | Queen's University Home | Contact Copyright 2006 Queen's University & the contributors