The sight of extensive greens always makes a nature lovers heart beat with excitement. Add a patch of beautiful greens to the interiors of any building, the building looks more alive and friendly. Now throw in a wall covered with your favorite greens. The effect does sound amazing. This is the latest trend a lot of interior designers are following these days. The addition of the “Green Wall”, a wall covered with plants and moss, lends a vertical dimension to the closed interior spaces.
The latest such addition is in New Zealand, in Britomart East Complex, Auckland. Apart from being a Green Wall, it is also the largest of New Zealand’s living walls, its height extending to nearly three storeys. Natural Habitats, the landscaping design company behind the creation has more such creations to its credit, but this being the largest in the country is an achievement.
Let us try and understand how this massive structure stands three storeys tall. It is 120 mm thick and comprises of 60 custom made trays or panels with a variety of foliage growing in it. They are fitted with a flat tray guttering system and an intricate irrigation system running through it which is remote controlled. Light sensors also line the panels to supplement the arrangement when the lighting is not adequate. The wall uses an inert medium which supports growth instead of loose soil.
The species picked are both seasonal and exotic. The wall is adorned with a variety of species of creepers, ground covers and ferns. They are low in maintenance and light requirements and shed minimum leaves and flowers so as to not stain the tiles lining the floor.
Green walls or living walls add a third dimension to the greenery within the closed interiors. With open spaces decreasing because of the increasing demand for built spaces, adding a green wall makes up for the loss of the green lung. They help create maximum greenery within minimum floor area. They contribute to improving the quality of air that we breath and increase the aesthetic appeal for the space. In tropical climates, it also helps regulate the air temperature making it a couple of degrees cooler increasing the efficiency of air conditioning.
With landscaping becoming an important component of construction these days, green walls are a good way of supplementing the shrinking greens. While the installation costs a little more than what a garden or green patch would take, the investment is worth the cost for the treat it is to the eyes.
Via: Designdaily
