Living walls

All about Living Walls

Living walls use vertically cultivated greenery to lend a striking visual appeal to building interiors and exteriors. A variety plants can be fitted into the comparatively small space of the green walls, creating unique urban environments that are pleasing to the eye, are capable of muting sounds and purifying the air, and are known to have a positive impact on visitors and building inhabitants. Such living walls can be installed in areas with natural light as well as windowless spaces with artificial lights.

Green walls are irrigated with a hidden hydroponic system, and take up minimal horizontal space. They are made up of a framework structure that can either be made to stand free or can be attached to a building wall. The plants that form the living walls are grown in containers with growing media, and these plant sections are assembled in a framework to create a green wall. The plants are watered with direct irrigation or with drip irrigation that circulates the water and minimizes wastage.

Maintaining living walls can be tricky as it is essential to ensure that the plants receive the right amount of water; over-watering can cause them to rot and under-watering can cause them to wither. The green wall plants also need to be inspected on a regular basis for plant diseases and pests. Plants that outgrow their containers or designated space in a living wall have to be trimmed, and dead plants have to be replaced.

Plant species are selected on the basis of the design and utilitarian purpose of the green wall, as well as the climate of the particular region. Indoor green walls, which are subject to artificial lighting and temperature controls, can accommodate exotic plants without any trouble, but local plants are generally favored for outdoor green walls. Living walls that are intended to be green all year round can be designed with evergreen and perennial plants.

Company Spotlight: Nedlaw

Nedlaw offers living walls that have full-sized plants growing in two layers of a resilient and long-lasting proprietary growth medium. This type of green wall allows for sufficient air circulation through the root systems of the plants, which, in turn, promotes efficient microbial bio-filtration to purify the air. Building interiors are specifically intended to benefit from these green walls. The purified air from the living walls can be directed to a designated interior area or distributed around the building through the HVAC system.

To install these living walls, Nedlaw considers each project on an individual basis and takes into account the size of the proposed green wall, the desired plant species, the required waterproofing, the irrigation system installation, the base water basin installation, the desired air handling and circulation, the available water and power supplies, and the available or required lighting.

Green walls require ongoing maintenance after installation, and, with Nedlaw living walls, this involves pruning plants as needed, dealing with any pest infestation, replacing dead plants, and replacing any damaged parts. Nedlaw undertakes a year long maintenance after the green wall installation, and thereafter offers a fee-based maintenance service or offers maintenance training in living walls to clients and any of their appointees.

The best Living Walls brands on Archello

Architects, interior designers, and homeowners, who are interested in installing green walls can use our product selector to discover the right green wall solution for their needs. Please get in touch to discuss customized living walls that can be designed to your unique specifications.