Friday, August 22, 2014

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.

A garden like this consists of plants rooted within a structure that is either freestanding or attached to an existing wall. Some systems utilize boxes or trays that are filled with soil or other materials like peat or coco coir. The trays are planted up and then stacked onto a backing board. Modular movable structures can even be used in the middle of a room. Another system consists of a frame and panels in which plants are grown.

Today there are materials available that retain moisture and nutrients enabling plants to thrive without having to be planted in the ground. A great diversity of plants such as flowering perennials, foliage plants, ground covers and even shrubs and bushes can thrive in this way. A multitude of colors, textures and sizes can thus be used to create real works of art. It is even possible to have customized logos or patterns created.

One of the greatest benefits of such a system is that all plants absorb and clean pollutants from the air. A system like this can contain over a thousand plants, all of which absorb carbon dioxide from the air and filter it, releasing oxygen. This helps to improve conditions for those inside a building, helping keep employees alert. Greenery softens any environment, acting as a tonic to ease stress.

Whether a vertical garden is installed inside or outside a building, it can help to reduce energy costs. In summer, an exterior structure can cool down surfaces and result in a cooler interior. In winter, the system traps air in an insulating layer and prevents heat from escaping and cold air from entering.

Throughout the world, plants have been used on highways and busy roads to reduce noise. A vertical garden can have the same effect. Studies have shown that the leaves of plants reflect, refract and absorb acoustic energy. The reduction of noise pollution in an office is proportional to the number of plants in the room. An exterior structure helps to absorb any noise pollution of the city such as traffic, reducing sound penetration.

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.

Designing and implementing a vertical garden which is aesthetically pleasing and easy to maintain is a complex task. It requires proper planning, an excellent knowledge of plants and creativity. It can be fairly costly to implement but the cost is well worth it for the many benefits it provides.




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