Analysis of vegetated building elements to achieve energy efficiency and improve indoor air quality in buildings

Due to the increasing global demand for energy and the application of nonenvironment friendly building techniques, there is an ever-growing attention to environmental issues. Although many essential benefits of plants, such as absorbing chemical pollutants in air and regulating temperature are well-known, unfortunately they are still not efficiently integrated in building design. This thesis aims to increase the level of awareness regarding the benefits of vegetated building elements and hence, help to increase their application rates in order to achieve sustainable architecture practices by improving energy efficiency and indoor air quality. As to fulfilling these objectives, firstly an in-depth literature review, to provide a comprehensive guide that identifies the types, benefits, and techniques regarding the application of vegetated building elements was done. Moreover, a questionnaire which targeted academicians and professionals related to the field of architecture and construction in several countries was conducted. With this study, the importance of integrating plants in building elements was emphasized and the motivators and challenges for their applications were determined. It was seen that overall, there is reasonable knowledge of the application process, however, there is still the need to increase the level of awareness regarding the benefits of vegetated building elements, throughout communities. The application of vegetated building elements could significantly increase in future developments, if they were supported and adopted by governmental authorities and decision-makers.