The Hotel B3 Virrey in Bogota, Columbia is one of a kind. Paisajismo Urbano completed this vertical eco-system on March 1, 2012. The hotel is has vertical garden that is eight stories high and contains over 25,000 plants (55 species). The façade grows year around and requires very little maintenance.
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- Hotel Gaia. Photo by John Smith.
The project involved much research and planning. This system allows local species to self-pollinate. The hydroponic vertical eco-system also carries biological nutrients and a pest repellent that is recycled though the remotely controlled irrigation system.
The façade has not only transformed the streetscape, but the community it sits in. The Hotel Gaia-B3 has become quite popular in Bogota and has turned into its own tourist attraction. The living wall has boosted the local economy with people coming from all over.
One of the huge benefits of the wall is its insulating factor. The wall reduces the building electricity load, and scrubs the polluted town air. The wall acts as a buffer from the intense heat of the day and the cool air at night.
One of the neat factors of the façade is the way Paisajismo Urbano planned the layout. As with most vertical and living walls the look is always changing. Paisajismo Urbano took the wall one step further and actually created patterns and designs with the plants to add more visual connection.
Material Strategies 