Living walls consisting of hanging plants or vines are often used in urban spaces, but researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Barcelona are currently developing a new type of ‘biological concrete’ that can capture rainfall and create living walls of moss and fungi, bringing  buildings one more step closer to being eco-friendly.

Conventional “living walls” often need special gardening wire frames for vines or moss to latch onto; the ‘biological concrete,’ however, allows the growth of plants and other organisms right at its very surface through a biological layer that stores rain water and provides a moist environment for algae, fungi, lichen and mosses to thrive. The concrete layer is also able to absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and act as an insulating material and a thermal regulator.

Image via Gizmag

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Barcelona