Last updated: November 2021
A green wall of 73 square metres was constructed on the building of the Federación de Entidades Empresariales Privadas de Cochabamba (FEPC, the Federation of Private Business Entities of Cochabamba) (Ref. 1). The vertical ecosystem comprises over 3000 plants of 35 species and is considered the first vertical garden to have been created in Bolivia (Ref. 1). The green wall is considered to have 'beautified' the city of Cochabamba, but is also considered to "contribute... effectively to the preservation of the environment" (Ref. 2).
Vertical Garden System: Paisajismo Urbano® Patented System
https://paisajismourbano.com/blog/2013/04/19/jardin-vertical-confederacion-de-empresarios-privados-bolivia/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green walls or facades
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change mitigation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
The Executive Committee of the FEPC sought the implementation of this nature-based solution along with the construction of their new office "under the conviction that the future vertical garden would become the main hallmark of the future "house of entrepreneurship", and that the inclusion of the green wall would give "faithful testimony to [FEPC's] commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, the community and the environment" (Refs. 2 & 3). In addition to eliciting aesthetic appreciation, installation of the green wall was intended to "to improve air quality, which is a matter of concern for the people of Cochabamba, turning it into a real lung in the middle of the cement" (Ref. 3). Ref. 6 further highlights that "The objectives [of the project] are environmental and the benefits are many for the users of these buildings and the population in general", however further detail is lacking on this.
It was intended that such an area of living vegetation would improve air quality through filtering out harmful gases, heavy metals and 'powder', and by producing oxygen (Ref. 2).
Implementation activities
The idea for the nature-based solutions was presented in 2010, after which "the Executive Committee [of the FEPC] bet with everything to materialize this ambitious project without sparing efforts or resources" (Ref. 2). The Spanish company “Paisajismo Urbano” was subsequently hired, after which the founder, Ignacio Solano, "selected a wide range of plants native to the central valley of Cochabamba" (Ref. 2). Both "wild and cultivated plants with different shapes and figures [we]re erected in a harmonious combination of green tones", and a hydroponic system comprised of a geomembrane of substrates and nutrients installed to support the plants on the vertical facade (Ref. 5). The building and its green wall were inaugurated in April 2013 (Ref. 4).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change mitigation:
- Implement solutions to help reducing energy consumption or support the use of sustainable energy resources
- Install vertical or horizontal artificial surfaces that help with carbon storage and cooling
Main beneficiaries
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Business association or network
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The company, ARCO CONSTRUCTORA F&T SRL, "presented to the Board of Directors of the FEPC the constructive design of the new building" in 2010, with the design including the green facade (Ref. 2). The Executive Committee of FEPC subsequently spear-headed implementation of the building and its green facade (Ref. 2).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
No
Financing
Total cost
€500,000 - €2,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Unknown
Type of funding
- Unknown
Non-financial contribution
No
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Improved mental health
- Other
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
No
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No
References
1. Paisajismo Urbano (n.d.). Muro verde Confederación de Empresarios Privados. Torrellano: Paisajismo Urbano. Source link [accessed 15/11/21];
2. Federación de Entidades Empresariales Privadas de Cochabamba (n.d.). Primer Jardín Vertical De Bolivia. Cochabamba: Federación de Entidades Empresariales Privadas de Cochabamba. Source link [accessed 15/11/21];
3. Los Tiempos (2016). Paisajismo urbano en Bolivia. Cochabamba: Los Tiempos. Source link [accessed 15/11/21];
4. La Patria (2013). Empresarios de Cochabamba instalan el primer jardín vertical de Bolivia. Cochabamba: La Patria. Source link [accessed 15/11/21];
5. Opinión (2013). Estrenan innovador edificio ecológico. Cochabamba: Opinión. Source link [accessed 15/11/21];
6. Ultimas Noticias de Bolivia (2013). Edificios verdes mejoran calidad del aire en Cochabamba. Cochabamba: Noticias de Cochabamba. Source link [accessed 15/11/21];
7. Paisajismo Urbano (n.d.). Muro vegetal estabilizado: Employers' Confederation, Cochabamba. Torrellano: Paisajismo Urbano. Source link [accessed 15/11/21]; and
8. Solano, I. (n.d.). Ignacio Solano. Torrellano: Paisajismo Urbano. Source link [accessed 15/11/21].
2. Federación de Entidades Empresariales Privadas de Cochabamba (n.d.). Primer Jardín Vertical De Bolivia. Cochabamba: Federación de Entidades Empresariales Privadas de Cochabamba. Source link [accessed 15/11/21];
3. Los Tiempos (2016). Paisajismo urbano en Bolivia. Cochabamba: Los Tiempos. Source link [accessed 15/11/21];
4. La Patria (2013). Empresarios de Cochabamba instalan el primer jardín vertical de Bolivia. Cochabamba: La Patria. Source link [accessed 15/11/21];
5. Opinión (2013). Estrenan innovador edificio ecológico. Cochabamba: Opinión. Source link [accessed 15/11/21];
6. Ultimas Noticias de Bolivia (2013). Edificios verdes mejoran calidad del aire en Cochabamba. Cochabamba: Noticias de Cochabamba. Source link [accessed 15/11/21];
7. Paisajismo Urbano (n.d.). Muro vegetal estabilizado: Employers' Confederation, Cochabamba. Torrellano: Paisajismo Urbano. Source link [accessed 15/11/21]; and
8. Solano, I. (n.d.). Ignacio Solano. Torrellano: Paisajismo Urbano. Source link [accessed 15/11/21].
Green facade on the FEDC Headquarters
https://paisajismourbano.com/blog/2013/04/19/jardin-vertical-confederacion-de-empresarios-privados-bolivia/
Green facade on the FEDC Headquarters
https://paisajismourbano.com/blog/2013/04/19/jardin-vertical-confederacion-de-empresarios-privados-bolivia/
Installation of green facade on the FEDC Headquarters
https://paisajismourbano.com/blog/2013/04/19/jardin-vertical-confederacion-de-empresarios-privados-bolivia/
Installation of green facade on the FEDC Headquarters
https://paisajismourbano.com/blog/2013/04/19/jardin-vertical-confederacion-de-empresarios-privados-bolivia/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the UNA global extension project funded by the British Academy.