Closing Water Cycles in the Built Environment through Nature-Based Solutions: The Contribution of Vertical Greening Systems and Green Roofs
David Pearlmutter,
Bernhard Pucher,
Cristina S. C. Calheiros,
Karin A. Hoffmann,
Andreas Aicher,
Pedro Pinho,
Alessandro Stracqualursi,
Alisa Korolova,
Alma Pobric,
Ana Galvão,
Ayça Tokuç,
Bilge Bas,
Dimitra Theochari,
Dragan Milosevic,
Emanuela Giancola,
Gaetano Bertino,
Joana A. C. Castellar,
Julia Flaszynska,
Makbulenur Onur,
Mari Carmen Garcia Mateo,
Maria Beatrice Andreucci,
Maria Milousi,
Mariana Fonseca,
Sara Di Lonardo,
Veronika Gezik,
Ulrike Pitha,
Thomas Nehls
Affiliations
David Pearlmutter
Department of Geography and Environmental Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Beer-Sheva 84990, Israel
Bernhard Pucher
Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Water Pollution Control, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
Cristina S. C. Calheiros
Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Novo Edifício do Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
Karin A. Hoffmann
Chair of Ecohydrology and Landscape Evaluation, Institute of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Ernst-Reuter-Platz 1, 10587 Berlin, Germany
Andreas Aicher
Bauhaus Institute for Infrastructure Solutions, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Goethe Platz 7/8, 99423 Weimar, Germany
Pedro Pinho
cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes FCUL, Edifício C2, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Alessandro Stracqualursi
Department of Planning, Design, Technology of Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Flaminia, 72, 00196 Rome, Italy
Alisa Korolova
Faculty of Architecture, Riga Technical University Kipsalas, Str. 6, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia
Alma Pobric
Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, University of Sarajevo, Add. Zmaja od Bosne 33-35, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ana Galvão
CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Ayça Tokuç
Department of Architecture, Dokuz Eylul University, Campus of Tinaztepe, Buca İzmir 35160, Turkey
Bilge Bas
Department of Civil Engineering, Istanbul Bilgi University, Santralistanbul, Kazim Karabekir Cd. No: 13, Istanbul 34060, Turkey
Dimitra Theochari
MERA Landschaftsarchitekten mbB, Griegstraße 75, Haus 24b, 22763 Hamburg, Germany
Dragan Milosevic
Climatology and Hydrology Research Centre, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Emanuela Giancola
Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency in Buildings Unit, CIEMAT, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Gaetano Bertino
Alchemia-Nova GmbH, Institute for Innovative Phytochemistry & Closed Loop Processes, A-1140 Vienna, Austria
Joana A. C. Castellar
Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain
Julia Flaszynska
Faculty for Architecture and Planning, Technical University of Vienna, Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Vienna, Austria
Makbulenur Onur
Department of Landscape Architecture, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon 61080, Turkey
Mari Carmen Garcia Mateo
MCG Research & Innovation Sustainability Architecture/Urban Planning, Zarandona, 30004 Murcia, Spain
Maria Beatrice Andreucci
Department of Planning, Design, Technology of Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Flaminia, 72, 00196 Rome, Italy
Maria Milousi
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Koila, 50100 Kozani, Greece
Mariana Fonseca
Associação CECOLAB, Collaborative Laboratory towards Circular Economy, R. Nossa Senhora da Conceição, 3405-155 Oliveira do Hospital, Portugal
Sara Di Lonardo
Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems-National Research Council (IRET-CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Veronika Gezik
Faculty of Management, Comenius University in Bratislava, Odbojárov 10, P.O. Box 95, 82005 Bratislava 25, Slovakia
Ulrike Pitha
Department of Civil Engineering and Natural Hazards, Institute of Soil Bioengineering and Landscape Construction, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Peter-Jordan-Strasse 82, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
Thomas Nehls
Chair of Ecohydrology and Landscape Evaluation, Institute of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Ernst-Reuter-Platz 1, 10587 Berlin, Germany
Water in the city is typically exploited in a linear process, in which most of it is polluted, treated, and discharged; during this process, valuable nutrients are lost in the treatment process instead of being cycled back and used in urban agriculture or green space. The purpose of this paper is to advance a new paradigm to close water cycles in cities via the implementation of nature-based solutions units (NBS_u), with a particular focus on building greening elements, such as green roofs (GRs) and vertical greening systems (VGS). The hypothesis is that such “circular systems” can provide substantial ecosystem services and minimize environmental degradation. Our method is twofold: we first examine these systems from a life-cycle point of view, assessing not only the inputs of conventional and alternative materials, but the ongoing input of water that is required for irrigation. Secondly, the evapotranspiration performance of VGS in Copenhagen, Berlin, Lisbon, Rome, Istanbul, and Tel Aviv, cities with different climatic, architectural, and sociocultural contexts have been simulated using a verticalized ET0 approach, assessing rainwater runoff and greywater as irrigation resources. The water cycling performance of VGS in the mentioned cities would be sufficient at recycling 44% (Lisbon) to 100% (Berlin, Istanbul) of all accruing rainwater roof–runoff, if water shortages in dry months are bridged by greywater. Then, 27–53% of the greywater accruing in a building could be managed on its greened surface. In conclusion, we address the gaps in the current knowledge and policies identified in the different stages of analyses, such as the lack of comprehensive life cycle assessment studies that quantify the complete “water footprint” of building greening systems.
