Constraints
Constraints were received from Virginia Tech Facilities to inform design:
- Project will need to weigh less than building loads, and be able to be safely transported by students, likely using the elevator.
- Maintenance will be conducted by students organizations, minimizing required work would be ideal.
- The vegetated assembly will need to be self-contained, self-supporting, and mobile.
- System should have a maximum height limitation established, with no more than 6 feet of vegetated wall above finished floor suggested.
- System will need to fit in existing doors and openings and be transported without any damage to the existing structure.
- System can be modular, however do not construct more than two mobile units to show proof of concept.
- System will need to fit in existing space and not hinder educational ability of students in the given space, or reconfigure existing class occupancy counts.
- System will need to be placed as to meet building code and health, safety, welfare requirements during installation, and not block egress routes.
- Initial project duration/installation will be up to 2 weeks for measurement purposes.
- Plant selections should conform to the engineering code of ethics requires engineers to "Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public,".
- Plants should be selected for the intended use and to minimize water requirements.
Criteria
Criteria are primarily based on requirements that Virginia Tech Facilities has imposed to ensure a practical and safe design, as well as to create a functional product. These cover stability, design complexity, floor space required, weight, maintenance, aesthetics, and cost.
- Green wall must be able to withstand miscellaneous interactions with the people in the room and not break or fall over.
- Green wall design must be able to be constructed by students with limited access to tools beyond standard shop tools, and consist predominantly of prefabricated parts for replicability.
- Green wall must fit into the space allotted within Seitz classroom 313 without disrupting the learning environment.
- Green wall must be easily maintained by student groups.
- Green wall must weigh less than building loads, and be able to be safely transported by students.
Standards
VT Facilities Design and Construction Standards Manual
- Provides chapters on building and Building Services and goes into detail on standards regarding thermal and moisture protection and HVAC and guidance for a design that will alter air quality and humidity.
- Provides information on how to determine loads and could help the team ensure structural stability of the green wall.
- The green wall will require a certain level of manufacturing; thus, it will be important to incorporate proper protection to minimize the risk of injury.
- Provides acceptable pollutant levels in the air, which will be important to devise a target CO2 concentration goal within the classroom after implementation of the green wall.
