What is the vegetated assembly being used for? What could it be used for? Why is it used that way? Is it the only way it could be used? these are general questions into aesthetic and performative functions of these assemblies.

As with vegetated assemblies and their tectonics, performance lies in the location, usage, and maintenance of the assembly. Location: Interior or the Exterior of the building or other structure can lend itself to a type of use. Usage: interior uses are often more for decoration, as the main performance-based functions of a vegetated system are found in stormwater retention and shading of the building. Maintenance: Decorative plants often need more pruning and watering than performance species. this is species based.

Moving from decorative and tectonics, there is also performance.

Performance often has to do much with the place or the site, climate and micro-climates. Site can change the appropriate qualities of the design in terms of both human and non-human design factors. for example zoning requirements can begin to influence different requirements for performance. For example zoning can include other considerations of value systems such as LEED.

Performance is not tied to these requirements, but instead should be beyond them, treating them as metrics and criteria, but not deciding processes for design. These questions of performance can be begin to influence tectonics as a vernacular or as local materials that become a part of the building envelope. The more pragmatic question of performance is the cost of a vegetated walls. This often drives the project, however the level of vegetated wall can drastically change this question.

The point is that performance should be balanced with decoration as much as possible.