Growing greener

Living walls, also known as vertical gardens or green walls, are more than just aesthetically pleasing, they represent a tangible connection with nature in urban environments, something which is inherently important in the modern working world. In today’s workplace where wellbeing and sustainability have become core strategic goals, living walls are an effective symbol of that shift, offering health benefits, visual impact, and even helping buildings hit green performance targets.

This type of feature is becoming increasingly popular amongst businesses looking to bring their workspace to life. Elliot Thorpe, Director of A Greener London, explains that they are seeing a growth in demand for living walls and biophilic design, saying: “a lot of commercial businesses these days are really trying to incorporate sustainability into their brand and one of the visually aesthetic ways to show this is through living walls”. There is an increasing appetite for greenery and biophilia in our workplaces, this trend is not just aesthetic, it’s being driven by a clear and growing demand for healthier and more sustainable work environments to benefit both the employees and employer.

BENEFITS

Living walls bring nature indoors in a bold and immersive way. Not only are they perfect statement pieces, incorporating biophilic design in this way fulfils the innate human need to connect with nature and delivers meaningful outcomes for those that it surrounds.

Firstly, plants are natural air purifiers. By absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen living walls regulate humidity and remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air. Furthermore, numerous studies have linked exposure to greenery with reduced stress levels, improved mood, and increased focus. It has been shown that internal green wall structures help improve productivity by 77 per cent, reduce sick leave by 60 per cent, and improves general workplace atmosphere by 88 per cent.

Thorpe describes how these air cleaning benefits are not just applicable when discussing internal systems, but external systems as well. They also help to improve air quality by absorbing the pollutants from car emissions, increase urban cooling and encourage biodiversity.

Additionally in terms of benefits to businesses, living walls visually demonstrate a company’s commitment to sustainability, in fact, when integrated with smart building systems, they can contribute to environmental certifications such as BREEAM or WELL Building Standard.

MAINTENANCE

Most green/living wall companies offer their own maintenance packages, including a visit from a technician to ensure the plants are hydrated, healthy and free of disease, and that any irrigation systems are functioning correctly.

While different types of living walls need more TLC than others the key aspects of maintaining a living wall include:

• Irrigation system checks: ensuring that automated watering systems are working properly.
• Pruning and grooming: regular trimming to prevent overgrowth, keep shapes tidy, and remove dead or dying foliage.
• Lighting adjustments: supplementary lighting may be needed to be repositioned or changed as plants grow or lighting needs change.
• Structural checks: making sure that support frames, containers, and drainage components remain secure and watertight.
• Pest control and disease monitoring: indoor greenery isn’t immune to pests, particularly if it’s in a warm office environment.

Interestingly, Thorpe says that in terms of keeping these living features in perfect condition, the living wall systems have an integrated and automated irrigation system, and once these are connected daily maintenance is minimum. He also explains that under 50 per cent of his clients need any form of maintenance at all, demonstrating how durable these features really are.

The extent of maintenance and upkeep needed for a living wall installation depends on the different types. For example:

• Modular panel systems: these need high maintenance due to requiring specialist knowledge to replace panels and risk to plant health if the irrigation system fails.
• Hydroponic living walls: because these don’t require soil, relying instead on a nutrient solution to feed the plants they are dependent on tech systems to maintain.
• Tray or cassette systems: require medium maintenance as irrigation lines can clog if not maintained and water pooling can occur.
• Soil based living walls: low maintenance because plants may establish more naturally and require less intervention.

CONCLUSION

Living walls are a simple, yet very effective solution to incorporating biophilic design into the urban working world. To be kept in the best condition, they must be treated like any other technical building system with a clear strategy for upkeep. When looked after properly, living walls can be a transformative asset in a well curated environment that supports people, planet, and place.