Live It Up with Vertical Gardens
Living walls, green walls, vertical gardens, plants on walls — the terminology is as diverse as the grow systems used to achieve the lush look of foliage increasingly being designed into the architecture of the built environment. Whether sprucing up the side of a building, providing privacy in a backyard, refreshing interiors of homes and offices or contributing to green building certification, this trend of transforming blank walls into canvases for living art is “growing” in popularity.
Vertical Gardens date back to ancient times — presumably to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, where tiered stone terraces were adorned with elaborate vegetation complete with irrigation fed by a nearby water source. Modern day, the first green wall system was invented by University of Illinois Professor Stanley Hart White in 1938. Dubbed “botanical bricks”, this green wall application did not become popular until French botanist Patrick Blanc designed the first vertical garden in 1988 for the Museum of Science and Industry in Paris. Blanc’s innovations inspired others to discover ways to incorporate nature into unused space — vertically.
Since then, a wide variety of green wall configurations have entered the market, providing considerable options such as soil systems using trays, planter boxes, felt pockets, modular panels and custom-designed structures. Alternatively, there are hydroponic setups that use special grow mediums and trellis systems where plants with vining habits are sown in the ground instead of on the wall. Despite the diverse structural choices, watering works pretty much the same way — via drip irrigation. Smaller living walls can be hand-watered, but larger ones are automated. A timer and pump are installed and affixed to plumbing lines with water sourced directly from a spigot or a recirculating water reservoir. The timer is set on a specific schedule dictated by the indoor or outdoor climate, the type of plants and the framework supporting the vegetation.
When designing a facade or fence bearing vegetation, find out what will best serves the customer’s needs by asking some key questions:
1) What problem does the client need to solve with their space? Privacy, camouflage, branding, wellness, aesthetics, increase property value, contribution to a healthier environment, protection of the building?
2) What does the space look like? Size of desired facade, location, exterior or interior surface, free-standing or attached, sun and weather exposure, interior lighting requirements, will there be a design or logo? These answers will help you determine the appropriate plants and layout to create a living work of art that will thrive and satisfy.
3) What is the budget? Many customers don’t know how to answer this question, so get a range if possible. Knowing this number will help you narrow down the systems as costs can vary substantially depending on the location, framework and client’s goals.
4) Access to water and power? If water and power are not available, additional costs could be expected.
5) Who will maintain the green wall? Someone must be designated to care for the living wall to ensure that all components are fully functional and the plants are happy in their new environment. Ongoing plant care is imperative! It does not take much effort, but consistency is key to ensure that living walls thrive so that our industry can enjoy a stellar reputation, consistent growth and continue incorporating nature into the built environment.
While each green wall system offers positive features, solid specifications, and expert engineering, not all structures are created equal with regard to the unique requirements of individual installments. Take photos. Take measurements. Ask questions. Once you are confident, fully understand the site and what your customer wants to accomplish, then narrow down the options to those that will provide a successful long-term vertical garden solution.
“The practice of designing buildings with nature in mind is called biophilic design and it’s valued by building owners,” explains Mary Golden of Green Plants for Green Buildings. “WELL Building Institute’s 2016 survey of building owners found that 79% of building owners perceived increased occupant satisfaction, which leads to retention; 73% of building owners were able to increase building leasing rates; and 62% of building owners experienced an increased building value.”
Biophilia refers to the innate instinctive bond between humans and other living things. When plants are incorporated into the places where people work and live, studies suggest that those people are happier, healthier and more productive. Where buildings have replaced greenspace, implementing plants on the exterior of buildings improves air-quality, cools the high temperatures created by brick, reduces noise levels, reduces energy costs and offers an aesthetically pleasing palette of plants.
When searching for ways to merge hardscapes with plants in commercial or residential settings, green facades present multitude means of solving problems with nature making space more enjoyable, more private and more beautiful. From greenwalls to green fences, we are only limited by imagination, and of course, budgets. However, employ a bit of creativity and ingenuity and most any indoor or outdoor space can come alive with plants and thrive.
To learn more about living walls visit https://greenplantsforgreenbuildings.org/
Or read the detailed Living Walls Whitepaper
