Ignacio Solano

Last updated
Ignacio Solano
Ignacio Solano.jpg
Born (1977-06-17) 17 June 1977 (age 46)
Occupation(s)Landscaper and botanical investigator
WorksDefinitive Guide of the Vertical Garden

Ignacio Solano Cabello (born 17 June 1977) is a Spanish biologist and landscaper who designs and builds green walls. [1]

Contents

He is the author of the Definitive Guide of the Vertical Garden.

Biography

Ignacio Solano is the founder of the company Paisajismo Urbano, [2] which designs and builds green walls, green facades, green roofs and other kinds of bioconstruction.

He has traveled in Latin America and the western Indian Ocean to study ecosystems.

In 2010 Solano studied mycorrhizal fungi in Madagascar which led to a green wall technique based on fungi and bacteria [3]

With his technology, more than a hundred projects have been developed all around the world. [4]

In 2012 he began teaching courses on vertical gardening. [5]

In 2016 he published Definitive Guide of the Vertical Garden.

Patented system

Ignacio Solano is author and owner of the patented system f + p for gardening facades. In turn, he is the inventor of the concept of Vertical Ecosystem, which includes vertical gardens and plant facades that have been developed with this system.

Vertical Ecosystems are based on the conception that vertical gardens resemble the natural ecosystems in their composition and in the way they function (especially those composed by epiphytes). They are composed of different plants that comprise the natural ecosystems, and so they resemble the relationships between the plants and the natural microorganisms. Therefore, conventional gardening concepts can not be applied for vertical gardening. In the words of Solano, "making a vertical garden is not just putting plants on a wall." [6]

Ignacio Solano's patent corrects and perfects the concept of vertical garden designed by French landscape architect Patrick Blanc. The result is a hydroponic system, in which is used a phytogenerant material, the texture, porosity and absorptive capacity of which are suitable to perform the function of substrate. The system is fully automated, and environmental factors, water chemistry and the status of the plants are monitored by automation control. An automated irrigation system continuously supplies the water and micronutrients the plants need.

These improvements enhance the environmental benefits of vertical gardens: generate oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, trap dust and heavy metals, serve as thermal insulation (saving on air conditioning in buildings) and reduce noise pollution. [7]

Ignacio Solano has shown that his system works, not only because of all the vertical garden projects he has carried out in Spain and in the world, but also because the students in his courses have made vertical gardens with his system.

There are a number of benefits associated with installing our gardens in cities. These are some:

• Reduction of the risk of floods, since they retain a good part of the rainwater

• Enabling disused urban spaces

• Low water consumption, thanks to the use of a closed circuit

• In the case of these ecosystems, they do not attract or allow the proliferation of insects and bacteria, since this system provides a biological repellent.

• Multiple health benefits

and reduce your discomfort

Projects

Research

Much of the knowledge of Ignacio Solano on plant behavior and relationships between species comes from his experience as a researcher in jungles around the world. In 1998 he made his first trip to Mexico, and since then has gone through different ecosystems. In his travels he is dedicated to find out how plants behave under different conditions and to collect small samples of species.

Ignacio Solano, Reunion Islands NachoSolano1.jpg
Ignacio Solano, Reunion Islands

Highlights his studies of epiphytes plants of tropical understory, as well as the discoveries made in the jungles of Madagascar (2017), Chocó jungles (2015), Forests of the Bolivian Chapare (2014), Selva Lacandona (2014), among other, which allowed him to develop a formula based on microorganisms that ensures the survival of the vertical gardens. [14]

The last expedition that Ignacio Solano carried out was in the jungle of Panama in 2019, where he went in search of a mysterious frog.

It is one of the most difficult frogs to find. Ignacio Solano traveled the whole country in search of this peculiar little frog.

Publications

In addition to his two published books, Ignacio Solano has collaborated on the book 'Multifunctional Urban Green Infrastructure' edited by Editorial Agrícola Española with the creation of a chapter.

He was responsible for writing chapter 8, entitled 'Vertical Ecosystems: The Value of Fieldwork', which is included in the first part of the work, called Functional Activities.

Ignacio Solano, has had various appearances in different very relevant and important media outlets, but also in magazines such as National Geographic in 2018. This appearance in such a relevant magazine was for the construction of the largest vertical garden in the world located in Colombia.

Awards and honours

Interviews and press

Europe's largest Vertical Garden created by Ignacio Solano Europe's largest Vertical Garden.jpg
Europe's largest Vertical Garden created by Ignacio Solano

Ignacio Solano has been working with Vertical Ecosystems since he began, appearing in the press and in numerous television interviews.

Here we can see some of them:

Specialized Conferences

Television Appearances

Press Appearances

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Province of Alicante</span> Province of Spain

Alicante is a province of eastern Spain, in the southern part of the Valencian Community. It is the second most populated Valencian province. Likewise, the second and third biggest cities in the Valencian Community are located in this province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest gardening</span> Agroforestry food production system modeled on woodland ecosystems

Forest gardening is a low-maintenance, sustainable, plant-based food production and agroforestry system based on woodland ecosystems, incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegetables which have yields directly useful to humans. Making use of companion planting, these can be intermixed to grow in a succession of layers to build a woodland habitat. Forest gardening is a prehistoric method of securing food in tropical areas. In the 1980s, Robert Hart coined the term "forest gardening" after adapting the principles and applying them to temperate climates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elche</span> Municipality in Valencian Community, Spain

Elche is a city and municipality of Spain, belonging to the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community. According to 2014 data, Elche has a population of 228,647 inhabitants, making it the third most populated municipality in the region and the 20th largest Spanish municipality. It is part of the comarca of Baix Vinalopó.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palmeral of Elche</span>

The Palmeral or Palm Grove of Elche is the generic name for a system of date palm orchards in the city of Elche, Spain.

Serranía de la Macarena is an isolated mountain range located in the Meta Department, Colombia. It was named after the Virgin of Hope of Macarena. The mountains are separated by about 40 km (25 mi) at their northern extreme from the East Andes. The range is orientated from north to south and is 120 km (75 mi) in length and 30 km (19 mi) wide. The highest peak reaches 2,615 m (8,579 ft) and is the highest point of the Orinoquía Region. The first national reserve in Colombia was established in the central part of the mountain range in accordance with a Congressional Law promulgated in 1948. The status of National Natural Park was designated in 1971 and the protected area encompasses 6,200 km2 (2,400 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spanish garden</span> Style of garden or designed landscape

A traditional Spanish garden is a style of garden or designed landscape developed in historic Spain. Especially in the USA, the term tends to be used of a garden design style with a formal arrangement that evokes, usually not very precisely, the sort of plan and planting developed in southern Spain, incorporating principles and elements from precedents in ancient Persian gardens, Roman gardens and Islamic gardens, and the great Moorish gardens of the Al-Andalus era on the Iberian Peninsula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madrid–Levante high-speed rail network</span>

The Madrid–Levante high-speed network is a network of high-speed rail lines that connects Madrid with the Mediterranean coast of the Levante Region, specifically with Castilla-La Mancha, the Valencian Community and the Murcia Region autonomous communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carros de foc</span> Street theater company

Carros de Foc is a street theater company with its headquarters in Alicante (Spain). Their unique traits in the shows are the Giant Mobile Sculptures that are combined with different artistic disciplines in order to create surprising shows. The Company has represented Spain in different Street Theater Festivals around Europe and Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vertical ecosystem</span>

A vertical ecosystem is an architectural gardening system developed by Ignacio Solano from the mur vegetal created by Patrick Blanc. This new approach enhances the previous archetype of mur vegetal and considers the relationship that exists between a set of living organisms, biocenosis, inhabiting a physical component, biotope. The system is based on the automated control of nutrients and plant parameters of the original wall, adding strains of bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi and interspecific symbiosis in plant selection, creating an artificial ecosystem from inert substrates. The system was created in 2007 and patented in 2010.

La Verdad is a daily newspaper based in Murcia, Spain. It is the largest newspaper of the Murcia province as well as of the Albacete province. During its existence it had presence in the Alicante province, being discontinued from the Land of Valencia in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gardening in Spain</span>

Gardening in Spain reflects the different styles of Spanish art, including influences from Roman, Islamic, Italian, French, and English gardens. Modern Spanish gardening emphasize gardens and their surroundings, focusing heavily on both urban horticulture and landscape architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luis Barcala</span> Spanish politician

Luis José Barcala Sierra is a lawyer and the current mayor of Alicante, Spain since 19 April 2018.

In the run up to the 2019 Spanish local elections, various organisations carried out opinion polling to gauge voting intention in local entities in Spain. Results of such polls for municipalities in the Valencian Community are displayed in this article. The date range for these opinion polls is from the previous local elections, held on 24 May 2015, to the day the next elections were held, on 26 May 2019.

Frutos María Martínez is a Spanish sculptor and painter. He lives and works in Alicante, Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prensa Ibérica</span> Spanish media company

Prensa Ibérica Media, S.L., or simply Prensa Ibérica, is a Spanish mass media company owned by Javier Moll. It primarily owns regional newspapers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartagena Botanical Garden</span> Botanical garden in Cartagena, Colombia

The Cartagena Botanical Garden is located in the hills above Cartagena, in Turbaco, Bolívar, Colombia. It stretches over nine hectares, of which three hectares are natural tropical dry forest and six hectares are dedicated to botanical collections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parks and gardens of Barcelona</span> Parks and gardens in Barcelona

The parks and gardens of Barcelona cover an area of 2,784 hectares. Its management depends on the Municipal Institute of Parks and Gardens of Barcelona, a body under the Barcelona City Council. Since the 19th century —and especially in the 20th century— Barcelona has been committed to the development of green areas in the city, and is currently one of the European cities with the most roadside trees. In 2001 the Institute of Parks and Gardens received ISO 14001 certification for the conservation and management of green spaces and public roadside trees.

References

  1. Ignacio Solano (2011). "Patente "sistema para el ajardinamiento de fachadas"".
  2. Diario Información (2014). "Jardines verticales de Elche con destino a todo el mundo".
  3. Diario Vasco (2011). "Patenta un "cóctel de bacterias" para alargar la vida de jardines verticales". Archived from the original on 2014-05-12. Retrieved 2016-10-04.
  4. "Medio centenar de jardines verticales de Ignacio Solano".
  5. La Política (2012). "Promueven los jardines verticales".
  6. Spend In Magazine (2016). "Jardines verticales".
  7. "Green Roofs Healthy Cities North America Organization". Archived from the original on 2016-10-01. Retrieved 2016-10-04.
  8. VeoVerde (2014). "Paisajista reconocido trabaja en el jardín vertical más grande de Uruguay".
  9. Hora 12 Noticias (2015). "En Medellín está el jardín vertical más alto del mundo".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. La Patria (2013). "Empresarios de Cochabamba instalan el primer jardín vertical de Bolivia".
  11. EcoSectores (2012). "Paisajismo Urbano instalará el jardín vertical más grande de América".
  12. "Ecosistema vertical en la ciudad de Quito/Paisajismo Urbano/Greenstar".
  13. "Paisajismo Urbano: jardín vertical del Centro comercial de Armenia en Colombia".
  14. Diario Información (2011). "Las "habichuelas mágicas" del siglo XXI".
  15. El Mundo (2009). "La Cámara entrega sus premios en la Noche de la Economía Alicantina".
  16. Profesionales Hoy (2011). "Éxito rotundo en la entrega de los I Premios Garden".