Unpacking Factors Behind Green Wall Adoption in Sustainable Buildings

This study investigates the critical factors influencing the adoption of green walls within the construction sector. With a growing emphasis on sustainable building practices, understanding the factors that shape the adoption of innovative solutions like green walls is crucial. A notable research gap exists in identifying and assessing the critical factors influencing green wall adoption. To address this gap, a systematic literature review was conducted to identify and evaluate the main 12 critical factors. To gauge the perceived importance of these factors, a quantitative survey was administered to 163 industry professionals with diverse roles in green wall projects in Hong Kong. The study unveiled insights into the relationships and groupings among critical factors using inferential statistical analyses and an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). The findings emphasise the multi-dimensional nature of green wall adoption decisions. From the EFA results, five components for the classification of identified factors were obtained, including “installation challenges”, “economic and adoption”, “economic and cost guidelines”, “structural and environmental”, and “fungal and pest infestation”. Of all the factors grouped in these clusters, "Maintenance Expenses" emerged as the most critical one. This research contributes to guiding decision-makers, practitioners, and policymakers in navigating the complexities of green wall adoption and the advancement of sustainable building practices.