A Study on the Development of Planting Design Guidelines for Outdoor Space of Apartment for Increased Carbon Absorption

As interest in carbon absorption increases to respond to the global climate crisis, the environmentally friendly design of exterior spaces of apartments, which account for 63.5% of all residences in Korea, is required. In this study, a planting design guideline for increasing the amount of carbon adsorption in the space outside apartments was developed. This is meaningful in suggesting a planting design strategy according to the type of space with the aim of presenting a realistic solution to respond to the climate crisis and carbon output in the domestic construction industry. A carbon calculator was used for the calculation of carbon absorption for trees, and previous research data was used for shrubs and flowers. Based on the laws and regulations related to the exterior space of apartments and design guidelines for each construction company, major landscape spaces were extracted and categorized into central plazas, peripheral forests, waterfront spaces, play and exercise spaces, and small gardens. Apartment complexes in Seoul and the Seoul metropolitan area among the 2021 and later winners of the ’Livable Apartment Award’ were selected, and the carbon uptake of landscape trees by space was calculated for more than 1,000 apartments. Based on this, a guideline for planting by space was prepared to increase carbon adsorption. As a result of applying the planting guidelines to the sample target site, the carbon adsorption amount increased by about 5-63% compared to the existing design, and it converged toward the target carbon adsorption amount. This was determined by confirming that the amount of carbon adsorption could increase when planting guidelines were applied. This study is significant for establishing design guidelines by summarizing the carbon absorption data of landscape trees, but it is necessary to secure data on all landscape materials, not just trees, for future carbon reduction design in the landscape field. By presenting practical planting data and design guidelines that can improve carbon absorption in the design and construction of exterior space planting in apartment complexes, this study is significant as basic research that can be utilized as indicators and guidelines for future carbon absorption-related design and is expected to contribute to climate change response in urban environments.