Green Walls (Also known as Vertical Gardens) are one of the latest trends and yet it is one of the oldest. Maybe you have grown a vine or ivy on a fence or trellis?
It is the perfect solution for almost any garden – inside or outside and with minimum space requirements.
Evergreen plants on vertical walls can be a boon for city dwellers who do not have much space. Of course they are also suitable for gardeners with large, traditional gardens.
You can grow indoor plants as living walls by creating a tapestry with beautiful color and texture.
Live walls decorate the living room with fresh green while they filter the air pollutants. In cold climate in winter, houseplants add a much needed moisture in the interior, when the furnace dries out the air.
Vertical gardens are becoming more popular in hotels and office buildings as living walls. Although the vertical gardens may need a frequent watering, they provide a good air circulation.
We are specialist designing and implementing Live Walls, no matter the size or if you need it indoor or outdoor, we are ready to assist you.
What are the visual benefits of living walls?
Our modern society is all about image and nothing beats nature for beauty. A well-designed, flourishing green wall can drastically improve a building’s appearance, adding color and texture that won’t go out of fashion.
Each wall is specifically designed, using different varieties of plants which can vary in color, growth and flower to create living art, rather than a lawn on the side of your building.
Buildings are adversely affected by changing temperatures that cause materials to expand and contract, which over time leads to deterioration, cracks and fissures.
Exterior living walls give buildings protection, not just from temperature fluctuations but also by diverting water away from walls during heavy rain and providing protection from UV radiation.
Apart of Visual benefits Live Walls hide other benefits:
- Improve air quality.
- Reduce energy costs.
- Reduce noise levels.
- Increase the property value.
- Are good for staff morale.
How do Living Walls improve air quality?
Ever since the industrial revolution, modern advancements have increased air pollution. In built-up areas, polluting gases and particulate matter are turning our air toxic, but we can utilize nature to reverse the damage we’re causing.
As children, we learn that plants naturally remove carbon dioxide and produce oxygen rich air. However, it’s less well-known that they also filter the air around them by absorbing and cleaning pollutants. This natural effect is multiplied by the sheer number of plants in living green walls.
A recent study into the effectiveness of green infrastructure for improving air quality in urban street canons (the gaps between large buildings), found living green walls can have a big impact. These gaps are hotspots for harmful pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, but living green walls have been shown to reduce levels by 40% and 60% respectively.
It’s not just pollutants outside that are a cause for concern as there are plenty of toxins inside that can adversely affect our health too.
Sick building syndrome is an issue of modern times. Buildings and offices are filled with invisible toxic fumes, from the furniture to the decor, that are silently choking us. This is of particular concern with the increasing number of people working indoors; a reported 80-90% of North Americans spend a significant period of the day inside.
Countless toxins are leeching from our indoor environment, such as formaldehyde, VOCs, trichloroethylene, carbon monoxide and benzene to name just a few. It’s long been known that adding office plants can improve the indoor air quality and interior green walls do just that, but on a much bigger scale that can benefit building inhabitants.
Can Living Walls reduce energy costs?
The build-up of urban environments has caused a worrying side effect. Termed the urban heat island effect, research has found that metropolitan areas are considerably warmer than rural areas. This increase in temperature has a negative impact on the environment; from increasing energy demands in the summer to air pollution and emissions.
Living walls help to offset this problem by providing shade from the effects of direct sunlight. Also, unlike brick or concrete, plant surfaces don’t store up solar energy but reflect it. Both interior and exterior walls help to actively cool the air in summer by a process called evapotranspiration, reducing the need to cool the building.
But the advantages of green walls don’t end with summer. The panels, including the growth media, insulate the building and reduce energy costs for heating the building in winter as well.
How do they help to reduce noise levels?
Plants have long been used to reduce noise levels on freeways and other noisy roadways across North America and Europe. Living walls expand on this idea. Vegetation naturally blocks high-frequency sounds while the supporting structure can help to diminish low-frequency noise.
As the use of green walls increases, this could significantly change in urban environments. Eradicating the din of the hustle and bustle we’ve had to adapt to.
Do they increase the property value?
The U.S. Green Building Council developed the LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) as an internationally recognized green building certification system to help transform the design, construction and operation of buildings. Both commercial building- and home-owners can gain LEED credits, by satisfying certain green criteria.
The installation of living walls, either inside or outside, secures LEED points for low water usage, which can help companies show their dedication to sustainable and eco-friendly solutions. This in turn helps to increase a property’s value by giving a positive perception of a modern building with an improved carbon footprint.
Are living walls good for staff morale?
Just being close to plants can have a positive impact on an individual’s well-being. Indeed, studies have shown that even seeing nature in the work environment can increase job satisfaction. The installation of a cutting-edge structure like a live wall also sends a message to employees that they are employed at a company that is concerned with providing them with a enjoyable work environment.
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