Green Walls, Sustainable Design, and the Built Environment

Last Updated: March 30, 2010

There is some debate, amongst scholars, as to whether the Hanging Gardens of Babylon ever existed. Of those scholars who do agree to their once having existed, there still is some debate as to how they were constructed, as well as, if they were even erected in Babylon, itself. Whether this Wonder of the Ancient World ever existed, or how it was constructed, its influence on the imaginations of architects since - is not debated. An example of this influence, on an architect's imagination, is the inclusion of seven 250-foot tall Vegetated Fins (see above photo), on the west side of the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, in Portland, Oregon. More than just an aesthetic attribute in the design program, the vegetative fins are intended to serve multiple functions, such as a sunscreen, provide insulation, filter and/or absorb air pollution, as well as, reduce the heat island effect. In themselves, they are but one of the many sustainable design components incorporated into this $135M remodeling project.

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