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The Advantages Of Living Green Wall Systems

By Deanne Shepard


Cities are suffering from noise and air pollution as well as lack of greenery. One way to deal with this problem is by utilizing living green wall systems. These are designed to beautify sterile environments and offer a host of other benefits as well. Today they are found all over the world on the exteriors and interiors of buildings, from office blocks to hotels.

These vertical gardens come in many different types and sizes. Some of them are freestanding, modular, movable units that are used just about anywhere, even in the center of a room. Others are attached to an existing wall, consisting of a frame and panels on which the plants grow. Some are made up of many trays or boxes of plants in pots attached to a backing.

These kinds of gardens are at the cutting edge of innovation. The plants are not rooted in the ground and many times soil is not used at all. Plants are able to thrive just about anywhere as long as the roots are receiving nutrients and moisture. Automatic irrigation provides this and porous, lightweight materials are often used instead of soil, making the whole structure light. A great variety of plants from perennials to ground cover are used, enabling the creation of amazing displays of color and texture.

A great benefit of such a system as that it acts like a lung. Pollutants in the air like carbon dioxide are absorbed and life-giving oxygen is released instead. This helps to keep people inside buildings healthy and increases their productivity. Plants are well known to have a calming effect and can help to reduce stress.

A vertical garden can also reduce the energy required for heating and cooling. An exterior structure reduces surface temperature resulting in a cooler interior in the summer months. In winter such a structure provides an additional layer of insulation, reducing the amount of heat escaping and cool air coming in.

Noise pollution is a big factor in urban environments. A vertical garden can make a difference as plants absorb, reflect and refract sounds. Inside an office, the vegetation helps with high frequency sounds and the supporting structure muffles low frequency noise. An exterior system helps with sound insulation against all the noises of the city like traffic sounds.

The features of a vertical garden all act together to reduce the carbon footprint of a building. This is good news in a world where environmental concerns are becoming a priority. Any company that wants to promote their green image can use such a system as a marketing tool. These oases with their abundant foliage are succeeding in bringing back biodiversity into the cities by attracting birds, bees and butterflies.

Having such a vertical garden installed can be fairly expensive as it is a complex exercise requiring planning, creative design ability and in depth knowledge of plants. A reputable company with a necessary competence has to be selected. However, the long term benefits are undeniable and custom designs can be implemented to suit just about any environment.




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