Imagine seeing a building with exteriors that are painted with monochrome and mundane colors. Right opposite that building is a building with lush green walls and an inviting decor. Which one would you prefer living in or even visiting, for that matter? Definitely the green one, right? There’s something about lush greenery that can bring an earthy and friendly element to even the most robust, drab, and monochrome man-made structures. Green walls are one such addition that can liven up your premises.
What are Green Walls?
If you don’t know what green walls are, let me tell you that green walls are panels of plants grown vertically on free-standing structures or walls of buildings. These walls are peculiarly used in buildings of commercial spaces such as shopping malls, offices, hotels, theatres, restaurants and the entertainment industry. Green walls are installed indoors and outdoors on the side of buildings.
Origin of Green Walls
The idea of living walls was patented back in 1938 by an American professor of landscape architecture named Stanley Hart White. But it was the French Botanist Patrick Blanc who has been credited for popularizing the concept of green walls with his stunning creations at Musee du Quai Branly in Paris. His creations eventually led to a famous and sustainable revolution in architecture that involved green walls.
Green walls allowed the architects to take advantage of the beautiful plant life, nature, and living systems and establish them as a part of their décor. These green walls have several famous names, such as vertical gardens, living walls, plant walls, living green walls, and eco walls. They have the extraordinary power of turning monochromatic gray structures into beautiful and captivating architectural pieces.
Let’s have a glimpse into some benefits of installing a green wall.
Benefits of Green Walls
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Improves Air Quality
The substrates and vegetation of the live green walls can improve the quality of the circulating air as it absorbs pollutants and fine dust floating in the air. The bigger the wall or plant, the more the filtration provided. The green walls also possess the ability of self-cleaning that happens through the fall of leaves during autumn. There are great benefits to both living and artificial! -
Adds to the Décor Value
Most of the décor pieces require a considerable amount of floor space, leaving you with a shrunk space. The best thing about plant walls is that you can add a vast expanse of lush green décor to your commercial space without compromising on the floor space. These green walls are lively, viable, and can be used in various designs and colors. A well-designed wall with a lush green color or vibrant colors, and textures and improves the design and detailing of your structure several notches. Green walls can have a concrete pattern with flowing lines or shapes. Or, artistically free flowing and visually appealing to the abstract eye. -
Normalizes temperature fluctuations
A vast expanse of a green wall or plant wall can protect your building or structure from extreme temperature fluctuations, fissures, cracks, and UV radiation from the sun. The green walls assist in cooling during the torrid heat of summers and help reduce energy costs. -
Enhances Mood and Performance
Having a green wall is a wise investment because if you own a space which people frequent, it will undoubtedly enhance the mood of your visitors. Greenwalls are expressive art, and art therapy. If you install a green wall in the workplace, it can significantly impact the performance of your employees. It creates an enjoyable space for kids, adults, and the elderly alike.
Type of Green Walls
There are three main types of green wall systems. They are as follows:
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Panel or Modular Systems
In the modular or panel system, the plants are grown in the panels themselves. They can be used as required, whether it is indoor or outdoor. It involves installing plants that are cultivated in advance and thus add a lot of greenery and visual pleasure as soon as they are brought into the system. -
Tray Systems
In this system, the plants are grown off-site and then are inserted into the required wall. This provides the scope of creativity and flexibility in designs. Commonly used indoors, the tray system is much cheaper than the panel system. Each tray comes with a capacity to hold water for its respective plant, which keeps each plant hydrated without having to compete with other plants for water. -
Free Standing Walls
These walls are plant walls or green walls that can be used indoors and outdoors, just like the panel systems. They work best as room dividers, space dividers, or on-demand partitions that help segregate your space into different sections. They are best for large commercial areas. A simple yet easy product option is Autograph's 103" x 51.75" Boxwood Roll. Available for Outdoor or FireSafe use.
Which are the best plants for green walls?
It is essential to understand that each green wall is different from the other. This is because of the never-ending diversity of the plants and greenery available in nature (and now in stores too!) It entirely depends on where you wish to install the green wall.
Here are some examples. You can use a moss wall for your commercial spaces such as offices or restaurants. You can use an artificial fern wall mat for your shops. It can be a mixed pine wall for your malls and resorts. It can be a simple long green wall for a café or a hangout spot for the youth or children. Faux boxwood foliage, simple yet still remains a popular green wall option. Plant decorators are able to mix various types of foliage for green walls, including succulent plants, flowering foliage, ferns, moss, greenwall grasses, boxwood or others. Other options of decorating are using one type of foliage such as flowers to create a greenwall pattern. Autograph’s rose mats and hydrangea mats are colorful and beautiful additions for weddings and special event greenwalls! Even with Boxwood or Grasses, there’s a variety of grasses and boxwood leaves to choose from and create a visually gorgeous greenwall garden! Incorporating natural components like our foam wood panel rolls or FireSafe black river rock sheet adds color and texture.
When designing a beautiful green wall add some hanging plants or picks for added dimension. Autograph Foliages has small ferns, greenery picks, herbs and other plants.
However, these are just suggestions, and it ultimately depends on your preference. Some other factors that can impact your choice are the geographical area, indoor or outdoor usage, size of the installation, and the light setting available in the target space.
When you have the proper knowledge and a trusted source for installing a green wall, you reap a lot of good out of the decision. Whether it is for home usage, building exteriors, parks, offices, malls, casinos, restaurants, schools, or cafes, green walls always deliver!
It is best to purchase and install green walls from a trusted source which offers a wide variety of options and understands your requirement well. At Autograph Foliage, you can find different sizes, colors, and types of plant green walls on our website; design greenwall for indoor use with Fire Retardant option, or for Outdoor use including Polyblend Outdoor or Limited UV. So, what are you waiting for? Go Green, get shopping!