THE campaign for sustainable development prioritizes green strategies that enhance an office building’s performance by reducing its consumption of resources.
This overshadows the benefits of one of the most basic green practices even one can do in their own backyard: planting.
Having trees and shrubs provides shade, improves aesthetics, and, most importantly, increases oxygen supply in its surrounding environment, which is fundamental to improving air quality.
Sadly, this is still not a mandatory requirement in today’s built environment even when it remains to be one of the simplest solutions to mitigate the effect of climate change.
Most, if not all, green building programs and codes have required projects to dedicate areas for vegetation; however, this is only mandated in certain localities and may even be poorly implemented or maintained.
There are, however, several strategies – from design to operations –that can help turn the office environment into a green space in surface value.
Oftentimes, vegetated spaces come in last in the design of office buildings when utilizing small areas as pocket gardens or plant boxes for viewing decks or outdoor seating.
While this contributes to complying with green building codes, this can be elevated by providing adequate space as recreational areas for various wellness activities. Such amenity would allow occupants and even visitors to participate in routine or occasional health programs, whether it be dancing, meditating, or exercising, to which plants can improve visual focus, air supply, and even acoustics, muffling the noise of traffic and others.
While flowering plants are desired for their pleasing aesthetics, it will be hard to keep a lot in a tower of glass and concrete due to their high maintenance and water demand.
A combination of both flowering and nonflowering plants can be supplied with a nonpotable water source, such as recycled greywater from collecting rainwater or using an onsite water treatment system.
Maximum efficiency can even be ensured by adopting drip irrigation and/or automatic watering system that uses sensors to detect moisture content in soil. In some other countries, xeriscaping is being employed to eliminate the need for irrigation at the expense of plant species options.
There are different ways to increase the surface area of vegetated spaces and they are not always laid flat unto the ground. They can instantly turn a building into a landmark just as in the case of several developments in other countries, including Sydney’s Central Park in Australia and Milan’s Bosco Verticale in Italy.
In the Philippines, the Makati Commerce Tower attempts to be creative and functional by using a layered greenwall across the faí§ade to cover its podium floors. This helps in improving air quality across these levels that house the indoor car park which are exposed to carbon monoxide.
Green office buildings prove how powerful greenery can be when done properly. It allows people within its environment to be: aware of the sustainable practices, which is relevant in today’s battle against climate change; less exposed to pollutants while increasing productivity and creativity and; appreciative of a workplace that promotes a more conscious and a healthier lifestyle. Colliers
