INNOVATION
Green shades for tight urban spaces
Many side streets in the West End, with the potential to become ‘amenity spaces’, lack the scope for in-ground trees and planting
– whether due to limited space or the presence of underground
services. The green shades developed by SingularGreen could solve this issue, creating a pleasant space with the added benefit of a reduction in temperature on hot days.
SingularGreen’s shades regulate temperature and humidity in bustling streets
H eatwaves across Europe are on the rise, with 57% more people exposed to them between 2010 and 2019 than the previous decade. In cities, extreme heat is particularly damaging as it adds to the urban ‘heat island effect’, which can prove deadly to vulnerable people. Trees are often used to mitigate urban heat as water vapour released from their leaves has a cooling effect. However, not all areas are suitable for tree planting. Aiming to solve this problem is SingularGreen, a Spanish leader in urban greenery that recently developed ‘green shades’ – canopies covered in vegetation that cool the urban environment. Currently in the pilot phase of development, the shades have been installed in a 1,200 square metre area in Valladolid, Spain in a project designed by Jordi Serramia Ruiz, Hugo Riquelme Ortega, and Lorena González Ciller. Designed to be lightweight and easily installed, the shades are suitable for tightly packed spaces where it is impractical or impossible to plant trees
shade they provide. And through evapotranspiration – whereby water evaporates from soil and plant surfaces and is exhaled by leaves – they also cool the surrounding area. What is more, the plant species used are carefully selected to maximise absorption of both CO2 and air pollutants. For commercial streets and historic city centres, the shades can be anchored to building façades following a preliminary study that ensures that the anchorages meet regulatory and structural requirements. Alternatively, for spaces like city squares where there are no surrounding buildings, the shades can be implemented via a proprietary system of vertical and horizontal supports. Although the green shades are not yet ready for direct sale, SingularGreen is open to collaborating on specific projects.
or add other forms of greenery. The awnings reduce the temperature directly beneath them through the
Green shades – or canopies covered in vegetation – are suitable for outdoor spaces where it is otherwise difficult to plant trees and so mitigate extreme heat. They regulate temperature and humidity without requiring extra space, which means that narrow and bustling shopping streets that are otherwise exposed to the sun can benefit from the cooling effect of greenery. The shades also provide protection from rain during the winter.
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