MARGRET Bioshade. Quantification of building greening in shading and climate resilience

Green roofs are one of the most promising measures for counteracting climate change in an urban context using nature-based solutions. Shading, evaporative cooling, rainwater retention, reduction of summer heat buildup, and mitigation of the heat island effect are just some of the positive properties attributed to them. In contrast to static, inorganic building components, however, quantifying and standardizing dynamic, organic plant components is much more difficult. In particular, the slow increase in functionality during the first years of growth poses major challenges for time-limited research projects. As part of the MARGRET R&D service (2023-2025), the project consortium constructed and planted five different facade greening systems and a roof greening test stand, which were measured in detail using a facade test box equipped with comprehensive sensor technology. The innovations in this follow-up project lie in the presence of almost fully grown, large facade greening elements and a roof greening system in excellent condition, the comprehensive measurement equipment, and the consortium's concentrated expertise and focus on innovative questions in three areas: • To what extent does vertical greening act as natural window shading? • Which functions of roof greening and to what extent can these be measured as climate resilience measures? • Which microclimatic effects of vertical greening on outdoor spaces can be measured? The project aims to provide reliable, quantitative data so that in the future, building greening can be better used as a CO2-neutral, recyclable structural solution against urban overheating and its effects can be better understood. This will enable targeted planning of its use and make cost-benefit analyses comprehensible and feasible.