IMPLEMENTATION OF VERTICAL GREENERY SYSTEMS IN BUILDING PROJECTS IN MALAYSIA

Authors

  • Hafez Salleh Centre of Building, Construction & Tropical Architecture (BuCTA), Faculty of Built Environment, UNIVERSITI MALAYA, MALAYSIA
  • Lai Fung Ying YONG & MOHAMAD FAIZ, SDN BHD, MALAYSIA
  • Mahanim Hanid Centre of Building, Construction & Tropical Architecture (BuCTA), Faculty of Built Environment, UNIVERSITI MALAYA, MALAYSIA
  • Zulkiflee Abdul-Samad Centre of Building, Construction & Tropical Architecture (BuCTA), Faculty of Built Environment, UNIVERSITI MALAYA, MALAYSIA
  • Nor Azlinda Mohamed Sabli Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA, MALAYSIA
  • Norazian Mohamad Yusuwan Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA, MALAYSIA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v23i38.1813

Keywords:

Vertical Greenery System (VGS), Sustainable Development, Environmental Quality, Energy Consumption, Indoor Air Quality, Architectural Features

Abstract

Rapid real estate development in Malaysia has led to the depletion of green areas, resulting in various environmental issues, some of which may have irreversible consequences. To address and mitigate these negative impacts, sustainable development practices that prioritize environmental concerns are essential. Vertical Greenery System (VGS) has emerged as a promising solution to enhance the environmental quality of dense urban areas in a sustainable manner. However, despite its potential benefits, VGS implementation remains limited in Malaysia due to system-related challenges and low public awareness. This paper aims to evaluate the application of VGS in Malaysian buildings and identify the primary obstacles to its widespread adoption. To gather insights, a comprehensive survey was distributed to 118 construction professionals and tenants of VGS-equipped buildings, examining multiple aspects of VGS such as energy consumption, indoor air quality, cost-effectiveness, property value enhancement, noise reduction, fire safety, architectural features, and their overall effects on occupant health and well-being.  The data was analysed using descriptive statistics and Factor Analysis and revealed key VGS attributes, challenges to implementation in Malaysia, potential solutions and critical barriers to wider adoption. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, planners, and building professionals in devising strategies to effectively integrate VGS into Malaysian cities.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alexandri, E., & Jones, P. (2008). Temperature decreases in an urban canyon due to green walls and green roofs in diverse climates. Building and Environment, 43(4), 480-493.

Chen, Q., Li, B., & Liu, X. (2013). An experimental evaluation of the living wall system in hot and humid climate. Energy and Buildings, 61, 298-307.

Chiang, K. (2009). Vertical greenery for the tropics: National Parks Board.

Dunnett, N., & Kingsbury, N. (2008). Planting green roofs and living walls: Timber Press. Portland, OR.

Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2010). Multivariate data analysis (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ Prentice Hall.

Hanna Golasz-Szolomicka and Jerzy Szolomicki (2019). Vertical Gardens in High-Rise Buildings – Modern Form of Green Building Technology. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 603 022067.

Heindri, N., Dewi, O. C., Putra, N., Flynn, A., Hanjani, T., & Rahmasari, K. (2024). Vertical Greenery Systems as Microbial Air Quality Filters for Community Houses Located Near the Landfill Site. International Journal of Technology, 15(5), 1361–1379. https://doi.org/10.14716/ijtech.v15i5.6958

Johnson, J., & Newton, J. (1993). Building green: a guide to using plants on roofs, walls and pavement: The London Ecology Unit. London.

Köhler, M. (2008). Green facades—a view back and some visions. Urban Ecosystems, 11(4), 423-436.

Kontoleon, K., & Eumorfopoulou, E. (2010). The effect of the orientation and proportion of a plant-covered wall layer on the thermal performance of a building zone. Building and Environment, 45(5), 1287-1303.

Koyama, T., Yoshinaga, M., Hayashi, H., Maeda, K.-i., & Yamauchi, A. (2013). Identification of key plant traits contributing to the cooling effects of green façades using freestanding walls. Building and Environment, 66, 96-103.

Lipczyńska, A., Kaczmarczyk, J., & Dziedzic, B. (2024). Effect of indoor green walls on environment perception and well-being of occupants in office buildings. Energies, 17(22), 5690. https://doi.org/10.3390/en17225690

Malys, L., Musy, M., & Inard, C. (2014). A hydrothermal model to assess the impact of green walls on urban microclimate and building energy consumption. Building and Environment, 73, 187-197.

Manouchehri, M., Santiago López, J., & Valiente López, M. (2024). Sustainable Design of Vertical Greenery Systems: A Comprehensive Framework. Sustainability, 16(8), 3249. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083249

Moravej, M., Swinbourne, C., Hall, R., & Kenway, S. (2025). Vertical green systems (VGSs) and on-site storage for stormwater management. Water Research, 281, 123560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2025.123560.

Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric Theory (Second ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Pérez, G., Coma, J., Martorell, I., & Cabeza, L. F. (2014). Vertical Greenery Systems (VGS) for energy saving in buildings: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 39, 139-165.

Pérez, G., Rincón, L., Vila, A., González, J. M., & Cabeza, L. F. (2011). Green vertical systems for buildings as passive systems for energy savings. Applied Energy, 88(12), 4854-4859.

Salleh, H., Ying, C. K., Hanid, M., Abdul Samad, Z., Mohamed Sabli, N. A., & Syed Khuzzan, S. M. (2022). Development of guidance for the adoption of circular economy in construction and demolition waste management. Planning Malaysia, 20(24). https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v20i24.1216

Šuklje, T., Medved, S., & Arkar, C. (2013). An experimental study on a microclimatic layer of a bionic façade inspired by vertical greenery. Journal of Bionic Engineering, 10(2), 177-185.

Taib, N., & Prihatmanti, R. (2018). OPTIMISING BALCONY FOR GREEN SPACES: APPLICATION OF EDIBLE BIOFAÇADE ON URBAN HIGH-RISE SETTING. PLANNING MALAYSIA, 16(8). https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v16i8.541

Wang, X., Gard, W., Borska, H. et al. (2020). Vertical greenery systems: from plants to trees with self-growing interconnections. Eur. J. Wood Prod. 78, 1031–1043. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00107-020-01583-0

Wong, N. H., Tan, A. Y. K., Tan, P. Y., Chiang, K., & Wong, N. C. (2010a). Acoustics evaluation of vertical greenery systems for building walls. Building and environment, 45(2), 411-420.

Wong, N. H., Yong, A. K. T., Tan, P. Y., Sia, A., & Wong, N. C. (2010b). Perception studies of Vertical Greenery System in Singapore. 136(136), 330-338. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000034

Yusof, M., & Johari, M. (2012). Identifying green spaces in Kuala Lumpur using higher resolution satellite imagery. ALAM CIPTA, International Journal on Sustainable Tropical Design Research & Practice, 5(2), 93-106.

Downloads

Published

2025-10-16

How to Cite

Salleh, H., Ying, L. F., Hanid, M., Abdul-Samad, Z., Mohamed Sabli, N. A., & Mohamad Yusuwan, N. (2025). IMPLEMENTATION OF VERTICAL GREENERY SYSTEMS IN BUILDING PROJECTS IN MALAYSIA. PLANNING MALAYSIA, 23(38). https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v23i38.1813

Issue

Vol. 23 (2025): PLANNING MALAYSIA JOURNAL : Volume 23, Issue 4, 2025

Section

Article

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 Unported License.

Copyright & Creative Commons Licence

eISSN: 0128-0945 © Year. The Authors. Published for Malaysian Institute of Planners. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.

The authors hold the copyright without restrictions and also retain publishing rights without restrictions.

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >>