The use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process in Determination of the Design Solution for Vertical Gardening

Abstract

The researches cover the methodological basis for formation of vertical gardening (landscaping) of building facades in the concept of landscape architecture, ecology of vertical gardening, green construction technologies and measures aimed at the improvement of the energy efficiency of buildings. The ‘Tree of Objectives’ is substantiated, which determines contemporary fields of development of green facades. For the first time, a methodology for choosing variants of the project design and technology solution of vertical gardening is proposed. In the work, multi-factor landscape ecological analysis is used; the analytical method of system analysis – the Analytic Hierarchy Process – is discussed. The author of the method is Thomas L. Saaty (USA), who represents the structure of a practical decision as a hierarchy, with further decomposition of the problem into more simple elements, and further, in the processing of the sequence of judgments of a decision maker on the basis of comparing elements to each other two at a time. In result, the intensity of interaction between elements in the hierarchy is described, and then, the judgments are expressed numerically. The method includes the procedures of synthesis of multiple judgments, of obtaining priority ranking of criteria, and finding alternative solutions. The proposed method for evaluation of a group of factors is universally applicable and can be easily used in practice, and also is the basis for preliminary selection of urban environment factors for creation of a comfort environment in the course of realization of landscape ecological properties of vertical gardening. The use of the system analysis method allows solving the analytical problem of choosing a design solution for vertical gardening system.