Biophilic design and living walls have become increasingly more common place as businesses are realising the extensive benefits the natural environment and elements have on their employee’s work ethic and productivity.
The awareness of biophilic design has skyrocketed and now leading design and construct companies are now referring to it as an expectation within the working environment, whether it be a commercial office, hotel or restaurant.
Currently, employees are expecting the inclusion of biophilic design within their workplace, even it is an element as simple has greater natural lighting, or a living wall or living mural. Employees are gravitating to office environments that offer this, making such businesses key competitors in the market place.
An aesthetically beautiful and impactful design element that is now being incorporated into many buildings and offices are the inclusion of living plant walls within their structures.
Green wall construction can be scaled to any size, making it an excellent alternative to traditional imagery and artwork on a bare wall, and provide remarkable health benefits to employees. According to NASA researchers, certain plants can remove benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene, xylene and ammonia from the air; chemicals that are linked to health effects such as headaches and eye irritation.
The unique features of a living wall can be utilised both inside and on the outside of a building and can come with its own set of challenges. A key challenge that is associated with living walls is simply gravity. The plants must be nurtured and watered, and naturally the water will run downwards to the floor or ground. A clever design implementing a living wall will consider the plants and the behaviour of the water itself, ensuring the care system is designed accurately and is perfectly sealed.
Living walls are beautiful, sophisticated and make a statement in any design, particularly in a working environment, but they are just one of the many ways in which biophilia can be included into the design in order to promote greater morale, productivity, attraction and retention.
