Vertical is the new horizon

Abstract

With the large-scale expansion of the built environment, the amount of vegetation present in those regions encroached upon by development has correspondingly decreased. In an era where building upwards is quickly replacing the practice of building outwards, a considerable amount of vertical surface area is available for the integration of vegetation within new or existing architecture. The parking deck, viewed by many as a necessary evil in today’s automobile-driven society, is one structure that possesses tremendous potential towards the implementation of such a strategy. Via a general analysis of current vertical gardening practices and specific case study applications on the University of Georgia Campus and within downtown Athens, Georgia, this thesis explores the manner and degree to which vertical gardening technologies can and should be integrated into (and onto) existing parking structures – and all structures, for that matter – as a means of improving their appearance and function within the greater landscape.