Living Walls and Five Reasons You Should Have One.
A Living Wall can revitalize and invigorate your space. This type of vertical garden brings a fresh and artistic look to the interior of a property. But the benefits of a Living Wall reach well past the physical appearance. Living Walls make people feel better by lowering stress and enhancing productivity.
If you have never considered having a Living Wall in your property, there are five reasons why you should. Let us begin with what a Living Wall is and the benefits it provides.
What is a Living Wall?
A Living Wall, sometimes referred to as a Green Wall or Vertical Garden is a vertical structure built in front of an existing wall or freestanding and then planted with lots of greenery on a medium.
Basic green walls often feature potted plants fed by a watering system, which means the plants are easy to source and replace. It also means that the roots of the plants are constrained, subject to unbalanced conditions and unable to clean air efficiently.
Nedlaw biofilters use two layers of growth media, which allows the root network to grow freely in between. This design creates optimal root exposure to the air flow that is drawn through our system; microbes on the roots are doing the dirty work of eating air contaminants — also known as biofiltration.
Nedlaw Biofilters combine three technologies — biofiltration, phytoremediation and hydroponics — into a unique system designed specifically to deal with issues of indoor air quality.
What benefits does a Living Wall provide?
A living wall is not just a vertical living work of art. It also provides several benefits for both people and the surrounding environment. Living walls become incredible infrastructure — a biological service to your building — when they are given the freedom to become an ecosystem, not just a decoration. Here are five reasons why you should have a living wall in your home or office.
1. Purifies the air
The quality of air is important in any home or commercial space. If air quality is poor or less than optimal, it can have several adverse health effects on people living or working in a property.
These effects include:
Fatigue
Loss of focus
Eye irritation
Sore throat
Dizziness
Poor air quality can also aggravate conditions such as asthma and weaken the immune system.
Living walls do the dirty work and help to improve the quality by converting CO2 into oxygen and by converting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into compounds which the plants feed on.
A Nedlaw biofilter removes these VOCs from indoor air with one pass:
1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene 1,3-Diethylbenzene 1,4-Dichlorobenzene α-Pinene Benzene Cumene Decane (C10) δ-Limonene Ethanol Ethyl acetate Ethylbenzene Formaldehyde Heptane iso-Propyl alcohol (IPA) m+p-Xylene Methyl ethyl ketone (2-Butanone, MEK) Naphthalene Octane (C8) o-Xylene p-Cymene Styrene Toluene TVOC
2. Living Walls make you feel better
Living Walls allow us to stay connected with the nature while we live our indoor lives. This phenomenon is known as Biophilia, or the human’s subconscious desire to connect with the environment and outside world.
Time and time again, research has shown that plants have a positive effect on the way people feel. Plants offer instant stress relief by calming the environment around us. They reduce noise and eliminate pollution. They help to create a feeling of vitality and create happiness.
This is crucial in both a residential and a commercial environment. People want to feel healthy and happy in their dwellings. In an office, when people feel good and comfortable, they are less likely to become ill and take time off sick as well as be more productive.
3. Living Walls improve productivity
Whether you are working at home or in the office, a good level of productivity is essential to the survival and growth of any business. A great way to improve productivity in your home or office environment is to create a green space.
For instance, having a living wall in an office can provide the following productivity benefits.
Enhanced mood.
Improved learning.
Higher levels of innovation.
More efficient decision-making.
Improved problem-solving.
4. Comfortable Temperatures
Interior Living Walls increase the airflow, balance humidity levels, and reduce air temperature. The result of this is an environment that is significantly cooler during summer months.
At Nedlaw Living walls, we offer an alternative fresh air source; so rather than drawing air from outside which needs to be heated or cooled, our Biofilters help you bypass that requirement. Connecting the Biofilter to the HVAC system creates the most efficient system, adding only a very small draw to pull the air through the wall. That said, we build many Biofilters with on-board fans that can also pull air through the system. In return, our Living Walls effectively reduce ambient temperatures and energy consumption.
Living Walls improve brand reputation
You only have one chance to make a first impression. Creating an impressive and welcoming office space can have a huge impact on how your brand promotes its green image.
Installing a living wall can:
Create a welcoming environment.
Freshen and revitalize the environment and make it a healthier place to visit and work in.
Portray the brand as environmentally conscious.
Incorporating a biophilic approach to office design has become a common theme in corporate environments to provide workers with a sense of calm, decrease the rate of illness, improve productivity and creativity at work, improve emotional health, and leave us with a more positive outlook and better mood. As we return to life and work post-pandemic. The way we look at the places we live, play, and work will never be the same. We now have an opportunity to make the necessary changes to improve the office environment so employees will choose to return instead of working at home. Improving air quality is essential and improving the health and wellbeing of those who spend their days in offices are more important than ever.
Nedlaw Living Walls May 2021