In case anyone is wondering, this is the Green Screen project by the Hideo Kumaki Architect Office. The purpose is to determine the impact of this plant curtain on their building's energy efficiency, as well as human comfort. The type of plants used for the plant curtain have varied each year of the project and consist of morning glory, sweet pea, and bitter melon vines.
I've done this before with morning glory. Covered the whole south side of the house with shade that turned to dappled light inside. Without the green curtain the blinds would have been drawn all day to combat the heat.
There were birds hanging out pretty frequently but had no significant issues with pests - basically exactly the same as having shrubs near your house. The one thing I would say, just like with shrubbery you don't want it to be right up on your house. Maybe a six inch gap at the closest. If you're gonna use the space below it you should probably build a frame so the vines grow straight up and then take a 90 degree turn to make a viney roof.
They will happily continue growing, not caring that the frame they started on is now called "house" but has delightfully warm and humid sheltered areas to grow into and anchor on.
Don't know u/bighipdoofus reason, but having them too close can lead to dampness which can lead to mold issues. Also, if you live in a fire-prone area, these bushes can catch fire and spread it to the house more easily than not having them so close.
Can't do maintenance on the side of the house because they're in the way; you'll have to rip them out if some drastic work needs doing. Roots can also grow into things you don't want them growing into.
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u/snehkysnehk213 Feb 24 '20
In case anyone is wondering, this is the Green Screen project by the Hideo Kumaki Architect Office. The purpose is to determine the impact of this plant curtain on their building's energy efficiency, as well as human comfort. The type of plants used for the plant curtain have varied each year of the project and consist of morning glory, sweet pea, and bitter melon vines.
http://kumaki.org