How can living walls and vertical gardens support biodiversity and ecosystem services?

In my experience with living walls and vertical gardens, I’ve found these systems to be transformative for both aesthetics and functionality. For a recent project, we installed a vertical garden on a corporate office’s interior wall, using a hydroponic system to optimize space and enhance the office environment. The vertical garden not only improved air quality but also created a vibrant, green focal point that boosted employee morale. We carefully selected a mix of low-maintenance plants and integrated an automated irrigation system to ensure easy upkeep. This project demonstrated how living walls can creatively utilize vertical space, contributing to both environmental sustainability and interior design.

Alright, folks, buckle up because we’re diving into the green revolution. Let’s talk living walls and vertical gardens, the superheroes of urban jungles. Picture your boring, concrete wall suddenly transforming into a lush, buzzing ecosystem. Bam! It is an instant jungle gym for bees, butterflies, and maybe even the occasional lost pigeon. These vertical gardens don’t just look pretty; they’re Mother Nature’s multi-taskers, boosting biodiversity by providing homes and snacks for urban wildlife. Plus, they’re like the planet’s HVAC, cooling buildings, filtering air, and soaking up rain. So, slap one on your building, save the world, and maybe make your neighbour jealous.

In a recent project, we installed a living wall in a hotel lobby, which highlighted how these systems work effectively in practice. We began by designing a robust support system using a metal frame that securely held the plants and growing medium. For the growing medium, we chose a combination of coco fiber and rock wool, which provided excellent water retention and support for the diverse plant selection. We implemented an automated irrigation system that delivered water and nutrients evenly throughout the wall, reducing maintenance while ensuring consistent plant health. To manage excess water, we integrated a drainage system that collected runoff and prevented waterlogging.

Plants and even images of plants bring the patterns of nature to the indoors. These biophilic patterns offer calming effects and a sense of the outside being inside. Also water fall sounds can enhance the experience.

The living walls enhance biodiversity by offering habitats and food sources for various species, while also increasing plant diversity. They contribute to improved air quality by filtering pollutants, dust, and carbon dioxide, and help mitigate the urban heat island effect by providing natural cooling. These systems can reduce noise pollution, creating quieter and more peaceful urban spaces. On a personal level, living walls and vertical gardens significantly enhance aesthetic appeal, transforming bland spaces into vibrant green areas. This visual appeal can uplift mood, reduce stress, and foster a greater sense of well-being.

My colleagues at Swegon have researched green walls and their contribution to controlling humidity indoors alongide energy recovery air handlers. See: https://blog.swegon.com/en/relative-humidity-in-the-indoor-air-impact-on-indoor-air-quality

Ensuring the sustainability of materials and practices used in living walls is vital. I opted for recycled materials for planters and energy-efficient irrigation systems in a green building project, which involved careful sourcing and planning. Environmental impact and sustainability focus ensures long-term ecological benefits. Designing living walls that can withstand local climate extremes (heat, frost, wind) is crucial. I worked on a project in a temperate region where we used hardy plant species and protective measures to ensure the wall's resilience against weather variations. Climate and weather adaptability ensures the longevity and stability of living walls.

While living walls and vertical gardens offer environmental benefits, including potential improvements in biodiversity, they also come with significant challenges. Their high maintenance requirements, including frequent watering, fertilizing, and pest management, can be demanding. Additionally, these systems often have a considerable embodied carbon footprint, making them less ideal from a sustainability perspective. They might not always be the most practical choice for green buildings, especially when considering long-term environmental impact and maintenance burdens. Balancing their benefits with these challenges is crucial for making informed design decisions.