Project to integrates vegetation in building facades

The growing concern for the environment has led in recent years to create facades with vegetation. Internationally renowned architects have included vegetation on the facades of their latest works, such as Jean Nouvel and Herzog & de Meuron, examples that approach us to new systems of integration of vegetation in the urban environment. Such a trend can be found in both interior spaces of private houses, as in public and outdoor areas.

In this sense, and given the growing need for making cities greener and safer spaces in environmental terms, the University Institute of Ceramics Technology "Agustín Escardino" (ITC) in Castellón through its area of Architecture and Design is developing a project under the name "Forest," which aims to design and develop a green ceramic system for architectural applications. They seek to produce a ceramic material that promotes plant growth on its surface whilst conserving a balance with the technical characteristics necessary for use in urban architectural applications.

The ITC will also design and develop a green ceramic system to meet the needs of integration within the urban environment, and that will be validated through comparative studies among the defined optimal solutions, plus tests made on the various prototypes developed during the design process.

The development of this project will result in a system that encourages the integration of vegetation in urban environments by combining the advantages that the use of ceramics brings to architecture, and generating new lines of innovation that should promote partnerships between the ceramics industry and architects interested in this type of facade.

"Forest" is being developed with the contribution of FEDER European Funds for Regional Development through the Institute for Small and Medium Valencian Industry (IMPIVA), subsidiary of the Department of Industry of the Generalitat Valenciana.