A New Approach to Expanding Interior Green Areas in Urban Buildings
Abstract
1. Introduction
1.1. The Benefits of Indoor Greening
1.2. The Challenges of Indoor Greening
1.3. The Issues of Ceiling Planting
1.4. The Objectives for Developing a New Indoor Planting System
- A planter designed for inverted planting of various species with a watertight cultivating unit.
- An artificial light source will be integrated beneath the planter to ensure adequate and consistent illumination for both plant growth and daily activities.
- The system will not incur extra costs on daily electricity consumption under the proposed conditions.
- The planter will be an enclosed environment, allowing air exchange while preventing insect breeding and indoor humidity.
- To avoid overwatering, the system should enable plants to directly regulate their nutrient solution intake, rather than relying on artificial capillary action or other physical methods.
- Frequent replenishment of water or nutrient solutions will not be necessary, thereby reducing the maintenance workload.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. System Structure
2.2. Lighting Source
2.3. Power Consumption
2.4. Nutrient Solution
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Plant Cultivation and Transplanting
3.2. Pest Control
3.3. Temperature Control
4. Applications and Further Improvement
- Minimum GnPR requirement: 4.0.
- Landscape Replacement Areas (LRA) requirement:100%.
- Site Area: 10,000 m2.
- Building coverage ratio: 50%.
- Floor area of a single floor: 5000 m2.
- Total number of floors in the building: 10.
- Ceiling cultivation plant: Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis (Bok Choy); Leaf Area Index (LAI): 2.
- Total number of ceiling planting floors: 8 floors.
- Greenery ratio of the ceiling on each floor: 25%.
5. Conclusions
6. Patents
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Name of Plant | Feature and Application |
---|---|
Mentha canadensis | For tea, aromatherapy, mosquito repellent, cooking spice |
Stevia rebaudiana | For tea, aromatherapy, mosquito repellent, cooking spice |
Lavandula | For tea, aromatherapy, mosquito repellent, cooking spice |
Salvia rosmarinus | For tea, aromatherapy, mosquito repellent, cooking spice |
Euphorbia pulcherrima | Ornamental; high efficiency in absorbing CO2; average ability in absorbing formaldehyde |
Nephrolepis exaltata | Highly efficient in absorbing CO2 and VOCs (formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, benzene) |
Chamaedorea elegans | Highly efficient in absorbing CO2 and VOCs (formaldehyde, ammonia, trichloroethylene, xylene, toluene) |
Chlorophytum comosum | Highly efficient in absorbing CO2 and VOCs (formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene) |
Case | Introduction | Advantage | Disadvantage |
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The restaurants in Los Angeles [20] | Restaurants in Los Angeles, like Bavel, Coffee for Sasquatch, and Rosaliné, use wooden trusses for long planting troughs with hidden irrigation and drainage systems for ferns and ivy. | Ivy drapes down to the dining area, creating a green roof that gives customers the feel of dining under a rainforest canopy instead of in a busy city center. | The planting systems rely on sunlight that enters through the skylight. However, seasonal changes and climate fluctuations can result in unstable sunlight, which may hinder the healthy growth of plants. As a result, restaurants must incur substantial maintenance costs to ensure the greening. |
SED-IA Architects [21] | This international architects’ office in Taipei features a composite ceiling with planting troughs. Passiflora edulis is planted under fluorescent lights, growing horizontally across the ceiling grid. | The office’s indoor temperature of 25 degrees Celsius is ideal for growing passion fruit. Gardening can also help employees relax during busy periods. | The embedded fluorescent lights above the plants may cast shadows from the leaves and troughs to the workspace below. Additionally, the planting device for upward-growing plants is primarily suited for climbing plants growing horizontally, limiting its use for ornamental, vegetable, and functional plants on ceilings. |
Pasona Tokyo headquarters [22] | The company grows edible crops, vegetables, and ornamental plants using indoor office ceilings, floors, and walls, employing both soil and hydroponic methods. | The headquarters building showcases a green corporate image and is a model for urban greening demonstration and education. | The spray irrigation soil-based farming system increases humidity, attracting pests and mildew that can harm office environments. Additionally, it raises electricity consumption and carbon footprint, making it impractical for most offices and homes. |
Device | Introduction | Advantage | Disadvantage |
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Down Under Pot [23] | The pot has two openings. The large opening makes it easy to place a mature plant facing upwards in the container, and then cover it with soil and compact it. After waiting about a week, allow the plant roots to grasp the soil in the pot, then hang the pot upside down. |
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New Improved Hanging Tomato Planter [22] | This soil-based planter comprises a frame and nonwoven fabric, with a bottom hole for downward plant growth. A container positioned above this planter can store 1 gallon of water. This container utilizes capillary matting, enabling water to gradually infiltrate the soil beneath through capillary action. |
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Sky Planter [24] |
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Share and Cite
Kuo, C.-G.; Chiu, C.-W.; Chung, P.-S. A New Approach to Expanding Interior Green Areas in Urban Buildings. Buildings 2025, 15, 1965. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15121965
Kuo C-G, Chiu C-W, Chung P-S. A New Approach to Expanding Interior Green Areas in Urban Buildings. Buildings. 2025; 15(12):1965. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15121965
Chicago/Turabian StyleKuo, Chyi-Gang, Chien-Wei Chiu, and Pei-Shan Chung. 2025. "A New Approach to Expanding Interior Green Areas in Urban Buildings" Buildings 15, no. 12: 1965. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15121965
APA StyleKuo, C.-G., Chiu, C.-W., & Chung, P.-S. (2025). A New Approach to Expanding Interior Green Areas in Urban Buildings. Buildings, 15(12), 1965. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15121965