A Comparative Study on the Visual Perception of Traditional Green Facades and Algae Integrated Facades

This study evaluates the visual perception of traditional soil-based green facades compared to modern algae-integrated photobioreactor (PBR) systems within the context of urban Information Technology (IT) parks. While architectural discourse extensively covers the environmental performance of living systems, the aesthetic implications of biological decay remain under-researched. High-prestige corporate environments demand strict visual order, which traditional botanical systems often fail to maintain due to natural life cycles and climatic stress. This research employs a qualitative, secondary data-driven methodology, using a Grid-Based Observation technique to analyse two primary case studies: the Solaris building in Singapore (traditional facade) and the BIQ House in Hamburg (algae-integrated facade). The analysis compares these systems across five visual variables: texture, boundary, dilapidation, regulation, and transparency. The results show that traditional green walls carry high aesthetic risk because patchy biological death communicates institutional neglect. Conversely, algae systems utilize modular containment, allowing observers to perceive the biological material as a dynamic, high-tech building component. The study identifies two primary psychological mechanisms—the “Slime vs. Nature Trigger” and the “Modularity Trigger”—that determine public acceptance. The findings suggest that for corporate environments, modular algae systems offer a more reliable and professional visual identity than traditional soil-based systems.