The materials and building aspects of the design will inform the plants and subsequently the colors that will be available to make compositions. It is important to also consider the species of the plant at the same time while designing a structure or selecting its materials.

Three main considerations are the plant Species and its Climbing Mechanism: holdfasts, tendrils and rootlet plants can be applied directly, twinning vines need secondary structure. The condition of the wall: poorly maintained masonry will be at risk with any kind of material near or on the wall. All masonry and specifically the mortar joints must be in well repair and plants groomed. The orientation of the wall will influence the stress levels of the species, and certain kinds will perform better based on the type of sun or shade depending if this is in the morning or afternoon.

There are two main kinds of masonry including bricks, concrete masonry units, and stone. These two are different in that a brick is typically fired clay, while a stone is cut to shape. Both function in a similar manner for the purposes of the vegetated wall. These walls can have vegetation directly applied, however they must be maintained well. This means mortar and other joints are not eroded, giving rootlets other places to attach other then the main surface.

Rootlets are the most aggressive method of attachment that vines can have on walls. Again proper maintenance of these plants allows them to be fixed directly to the wall. Full vegetated walls with medium are a separate layer from the main building envelope and have internal layers that protect the wall. Due to this fact, the walls that will be considered here are vines on walls in the traditional sense as contemporary walls with many layer do not run into these issues as often.

Walls should also consider: structure, method of climbing, results of moisture, orientation, type of vegetated wall, type of masonry wall, load bearing, dry-stacked or veneer masonry walls, and their maintenance.