Researchers highlighted the benefits of building-integrated greenery systems for sustainable urban environments.
The BIG4LIFE consortium made a significant impact at the 5th International Conference on Environmental Design and Health (ICED2024), which took place from October 18 to 20, 2024, in Athens, Greece. Organized by the Laboratory of Technology and Policy of Energy and Environment from the Hellenic Open University, the conference featured a series of presentations from leading researchers involved in the BIG4LIFE project, focusing on building-integrated greenery (BIG) systems.
On the afternoon of October 18, Laura Herrera from the Universitat de Lleida kicked off the BIG4LIFE session with her presentation titled “BIG4LIFE (building-integrated greenery): collaborative xeriscaping-based maintenance and monitoring in Mediterranean cities.” Herrera’s presentation highlighted the importance of xeriscaping —landscaping that reduces or eliminates the need for irrigation— in promoting sustainable practices in Mediterranean urban environments.
Following Herrera, Julià Coma, also from the Universitat de Lleida, discussed the “Environmental benefits of BIG systems,” showcasing real-world case studies that monitored and evaluated the impacts of these systems in operation. Coma’s insights demonstrated how BIG systems could enhance urban environments and contribute to ecological sustainability.
Miquel Martí from the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC) presented “Contributions of BIG systems to the well-being of citizens and methods to assess them,” addressing how these systems not only can improv the aesthetics but also foster community well-being.
Additionally, Giulia Mazzucco and Katia Perini, both from the Università degli Studi di Genova, contributed presentations focused on the European Bauhaus perspective and ecological building envelopes, respectively. Mazzucco’s talk, titled “Building-integrated greenery systems: From the new European Bauhaus perspective,” explored innovative design approaches, while Perini’s “ECOLOPES: Ecological building envelopes” delved into sustainable building materials and their applications.
The contributions of the BIG4LIFE partners sparked valuable discussions and collaborations during the conference.