What is a green wall?

A green wall is a supported vertical structure that has different types of plants or other greenery attached to it. These vertical structures are often attached to an internal or external wall and planted in a growth medium consisting of stone, soil or water. Green walls differ from green facades as outdoor green facades often take longer to grow and are harder to maintain as they are rooted into the ground.

What is a living wall for office indoor?

Living walls for indoor offices consists of panels with plants and moss. When being displayed these panels are attached to a growing medium and then placed on the walls of buildings, or attached to a freestanding structure to provide greenery and the benefits of plants in an office. These walls are designed to provide green benefits, as well as bring the trend of biophilia and natural influence into your building, all while using a minimum amount of horizontal and vertical space. Living green walls are also known as vertical gardens, green walls, living walls or eco walls.

What is the difference between Living Walls and Preserved Green Walls?

Living walls are comprised of real living plants that require soil or substrate and water in order to survive, thrive and grow. Preserved green walls do not consist of living plants. Instead these plants are harvested at their most vibrant and beautiful status and are preserved in natural chemicals that keeps them in a perfect condition for an extended amount of time. This means that the plants found in preserved green walls require no maintenance to keep their bright, vibrant colour and perfect condition. Also they help to save you money when compared to living green walls as they don’t require water, supplements or pesticides to maintain their evergreen status. Another difference between preserved green walls and living walls is that the first ones need to be kept out of direct sunlight as the preserved plants are not alive prolonged contact to sunlight will only cause their vibrant colour to dull and fade lessening the impact that the preserved plants make and their perfected image.

What are the Benefits of a living wall?

There are plenty of benefits to having a living wall within your office. Living walls can seriously improve the health of your employees and the air quality within your office, as living walls reduce airborne mold spores and bacteria by up to 60%. This can reduce coughing by 37%, fatigue by 30%, along with reducing countless other symptoms. Living walls also have sound proofing qualities, as the plants help to naturally reduce and block high frequency sounds, and the supporting structure can help to reduce low frequency noises. Green walls can act as a natural insulation for your walls, helping to better regulate the temperature within your office. Living walls also help to increase employee morale and reduces absenteeism within the workplace, while also increasing creativity by 30% within your workforce.

How Long does a living wall last?

Green walls are a fairly new technology therefore it is difficult to make a definitive claim as to the lifespan of a living wall. The hardware that supports the plants can last up to 25 years, however the lifespan of the plants within the framework is much harder to determine as the plants can grow up until their roots run out of space and will not be able to grow any larger within the space. So reasonably these plants could last for anywhere between 5-10 years before they need to be replaced if kept in the right conditions. If the foliage is not crushed and the wall is kept in an environment where humidity is kept under 70%, then these plants have a greater chance of reaching a higher life expectancy. If you have a tray system where plants can be taken in and out they will only last year before they need to be replaced.

Do you have to water a living wall or green wall?

Water base living walls require water to survive, although moss based walls require a minimum amount of it. If this the case, these living green walls are designed with an irrigation drip system which maximises the water used, and are set up using an automated system that times the watering in order to minimise water usage. Each wall is made up of different plants so the amount of water needed to keep the plants healthy varies depending on the contents of the wall. Outdoor walls require less water than ones indoors. Walls in direct sunlight also require more water, and succulent based walls require the least amount of water to stay healthy. Recirculation irrigation systems are the most effective way to water these walls as they reuse water repeatedly, pumping water from top to bottom, until there is none left and the tank need to be refilled.
Glycerine based indoor living walls instead, don’t require water and they are maintenance free. They extract the indoor moisture as part of their own self maintenance process.

What are green walls made of?

Green walls are made of pre-vegetated panels or integrated fabric systems that are fixed to a structural wall or frame. Modular panels that make up the walls can consist of polypropylene plastic containers, geotextiles, irrigation systems, a growing medium and vegetation. Plants are directly rooted into the structure and growth medium of the living walls. There is a large and diverse range of plants that this system can support including ferns, low shrubs, perennial flowers, moss and edible plants. Depending on the system of the manufacturer units are either pre-grown in a greenhouse prior to installation or planted onsite once installed. Most companies tend to gravitate towards tropical plants as they can thrive in more humid climates where natural light is harder to come across, but any plant that the system structure can support can be grown as part of your living wall.

Why should I invest in a living wall?

Nothing attracts attention like the unique artistry created from stunning living plants. A well designed flourishing green wall can drastically improve a building appearance, adding colour and texture that will not go out of fashion. They automatically draw your eye to them and add interest and excitement to your space drawing visitors to your office, as well as helping to add commercial value to your property. Living walls can also save you money in the long run as they help to clean the air which improves the health of your employees, ensuring that they are sick less often and reducing employee sick days. They also help to reduce energy costs as the plants act as natural humidifiers and air conditioners. By balancing the levels of humidity in the office and naturally cooling the air in the summer and acting as natural insulation during the winter, these walls help to reduce costly heating / cooling bills within your office.