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  • VERTICAL ECOSYSTEM: Demonstration of a vertical hydroponic garden prototype with a greywater recycling station

VERTICAL ECOSYSTEM: Demonstration of a vertical hydroponic garden prototype with a greywater recycling station

VERTICAL HYDROPONIC GARDEN IRRIGATED WITH RECLAIMED WATER

  • Grey water recycling station (ERAG)
  • Vertical hydroponic station
  • Implementation of Nature-Based Solutions

While vertical gardens rise as a key pathway towards decreasing buildings’ environmental footprint and creating healthier urban environments, one-third of the world’s population is facing “high” or “extremely high” water stress. Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Portugal, Greece or Italy are currently facing challenges to expand and maintain urban green infrastructure due to the shortage and lack of water resources.

Integrating nature-based solutions in the built environment and more specifically in residential and commercial buildings depends not only on the availability of water resources to maintain green infrastructure, but also on a paradigm shift where buildings will become more autonomous following decentralised approaches.

This transformation into “green buildings”, taking advantage of refurbishment and renovation processes in existing buildings, represents a huge opportunity to apply decentralised and innovative approaches such as circular economy, nature-based solutions or hydroponic farming.

From BIOAZUL, together with Biotonomy AB, we have designed and built an innovative prototype consisting of a greywater recycling station and a vertical hydroponic garden, characterised for lower water consumption than conventional vertical gardens.

This innovative technology included elements for automated and telematic management through phyto-irrigation with nutrient control, minimizing human intervention in its maintenance.

This prototype has been installed and tested in a real and operational environment, counting with the support and commitment of the 4-star Hotel Mariposa located in the Soho district of Malaga (Spain), offering its facilities for this purpose.

results

  • Demonstration and validation of an innovative solution to integrate nature-based solutions in dense urban environments and buildings applying a circular economy approach (treating and reusing greywater generated on-site).
  • Design and implementation of a prototype consisting in two modules: a greywater recycling station (treatment capacity of 400 litres/day) to irrigate a 100 m2 vertical hydroponic garden with 2,500 plants of 18 species, tested in a real and operational environment, the façade of a 4-star hotel located in Malaga.
  • Additional value though environmental, economic and social benefits to the pilot building and the neighbourhood (i.e., zero freshwater consumption, oxygen production and CO2 absorption, filtration of dust and harmful gasses, temperature regulation, noise reduction, increase of biodiversity, and aesthetic value).

consortium

Bioazul (Spain)

Biotonomy (Sweeden)

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PROJECT DATA

Status: Finished

Contract nº: 440

Duration: March 1, 2022 – August 31, 2022 (6 months)

Budget: 60.000€

Contact person: Gerardo González (ggonzalez@bioazul.com)