Indoor plants: microclimate provided by the urban jungle style

microclima proporcionado pelo estilo urban jungle

Abstract

Ornamental plants provide essential environmental resources, economic, social and aesthetic benefits for human well-being, even influencing mental health. Grown more and more for decorating indoor and outdoor environments, and in some cases even for consumption, they have gained even more prominence in recent years, through the so-called Urban Jungle style, which consists of including plants and rustic elements linked to nature, concentrated in environments. The research aimed monitoring the air temperature and relative humidity of Andar 43 (urban jungle), in comparison to a conventional unit, both located in the Mirante do Vale building in São Paulo, on the same floor and solar orientation; in order to assess the influence of vegetation on the indoor microclimate. Informations about the monitored units was collected and measurements were taken with Data Logger Hobo UX100-023 and finally, a comparative analysis was carried out. Results indicated a maximum decrease of 3.25 °C and an average of 0.5 °C in the indoor air temperature, and also an increase in the maximum relative humidity of 23.28% and an average of 5 .78%, which is desirable for climate of São Paulo. This confirms that indoor vegetation can result in a decrease in energy consumption for air conditioning, in the case of buildings in cooling needs, especially during the summer.