Office Green Wall | Landscape Design and Construction
What are living green walls?
Living green walls are panels of plants, grown vertically using hydroponics, on structures that can be either free-standing or attached to walls. Living green walls are also referred to as vertical gardens, green walls, living walls or ecowalls.
What are green walls made of?
Landscape Design and Construction, Living green walls are comprised of plants that are inserted into a growing medium and then places on the wall of buildings and properties to provide greenery and the benefits of plants, but using a minimum of horizontal space.
An Ambius Green Wall is made up of various proprietary systems which are assembled in pieces on a structure which holds the plants and their respective growing mediums to the wall. Some of the Green Walls created by Ambius also include a system that allows the plants to be watered automatically.
Ambius Living Green Wall products use a variety of plants in their creation, based upon clients needs and a number of factors that go into installing and maintaining them.
How do green walls work?
Green walls are constructed much the same way actual walls are. They are built with a skeletal structure that is hung with sections containing the plants and flowers that will make up the Green Wall. As for the way the green wall functions itself, a lot depends on the type of Green wall system installed. Some green walls have hidden pipes which will provide a self-watering mechanism to keep the plants healthy, while others require hand-watering.
As for how the benefits of Green Walls impact your business, that comes from the living plants themselves. Plants naturally take in carbon dioxide and other pollutants and then expel fresh, clean oxygen. Green walls also help dampen noise and provide benefits connected to biophilic design: the concept that people work better and feel better when they have access to nature inside their places of work.
Green walls contain a large amount of plants in a relatively small space, horizontally. By using the walls and extending upwards, the plants, providing the maximum benefit, are installed without reducing space on the floor.
When was the living green wall invented?
Landscape Design and Construction – The idea for living green walls was first patented by Stanley Hart White in 1938, however it is Patrick Blanc’s name that resounds through the industry. After creating one of the most famous green walls at the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris, he was designated the godfather of the ‘vegetal wall’, sparking a revolution in sustainable architecture.
Now known as green facades, plants have probably been growing on buildings since the first stone was laid. Living green walls are the next generation, differing from climbing plants like ivy, as they are intricately planned collections of plants held in a structure away from the building.
These miraculous structures bring nature back into urban environments. As the concrete jungle expands and pollution rises, the application of living green walls stands to reverse this trend. Incorporating carefully chosen selections of plants into cutting edge design, living green walls have been devised to help restore the natural balance.
What are the benefits of living green walls?
As we run out of green space in cities, living green walls can turn urban spaces back into something natural and beautiful. They can also improve air quality and provide health benefits.
When are green walls used indoors?
Green walls are used indoors for companies and properties that want to create a unique decorative space. A green wall is a great option for any business that wants to enjoy the benefits of plants but has concerns about the floor space involved. Green walls add color and a unique design element to lobbies, meeting rooms, hallways and reception areas.
Green walls make a powerful visual statement to clients and potential customers. It also provides all of the documented benefits of plants to buildings and the work environment. A Green wall incorporated into a biophilic design plan can help improve creativity, reduce absenteeism and presenteeism and other workplace concerns.
How do green walls help the environment?
Green walls help the environment in the same ways that plants help the environment. Plants help clean the air. They help reduce noise pollution because they have noise reduction capabilities. They reduce the amount of carbon monoxide in the air and filter out pollutants by breathing them in and then exchanging them for clean, fresh, clear oxygen.
How do living green 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 décor, 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.