Celebrating Green Wall Day 2022 With Insights Into This Growing Industry

Anna Roochove takes a look at the beauty and the benefits of living green walls......

15th February is #GreenWallDay – a celebration of vertical gardens all over the world to mark the birthday of Stanley Hart White.  He was a Landscape Architect and professor of landscape architecture at the University of Illinois from 1922-1959.  

‘White called his invention "Botanical Bricks" and developed prototypes in his backyard in Urbana, Illinois. Stanley's brother E.B. White documented the invention in his 1937 letter to Katherine S. White, writing, “I guess everyone has crazy brothers and sisters. I know I have. Stan, by the way, has taken out a patent on an invention of his called ‘Botanical Bricks,’ which are simply plant units capable of being built up to any height, for quick landscape effects, the vertical surfaces covered with flowering vines, or the like. He thinks that the idea has great possibilities for such things as world fairs, city yards, indoor gardens, and many other projects. I think perhaps he has got hold of something, and have written him for more information. He certainly deserves a break.” 
Stanley refined the vertical garden typology with his patent for the "vegetation-Bearing Architectonic Structure and System (1938)" in which he outlined the scope for a new field of vegetation-bearing architecture.’
Wikipedia

Where Are Living Walls Specified?

This example uses the Scotscape Fytotextile system which houses 49 plants per square meter.  Simple to install and plant up on-site it is a perfect living wall system for landscapers to specify in their projects where clients would like that beautiful splash of ‘green’.

The living wall revolution doesn’t end with residential installations, commercial business understand the value of living walls, installing them in office interiors has been proven to improve the air quality of the office and also help workers to be more productive and happier!  When you have happy staff, this has a big economic impact on business, reducing staff turnover and sick days.  
 
 

This infamous living wall is a Biotecture system – specified at the head offices of Centrica – it cuts a beautiful swathe of green through the centre of an otherwise grey office space

Retailers have also joined the Living Wall trend, with sustainable retailers such as Marks and Spencer incorporating both living walls and green roofs on their stores to reinforce their image and to support more sustainable buildings and boost localised biodiversity.
 

This beauty at M&S Simply Food in Oswestry shows how living walls can beautify buildings immeasurably!  This is an ANS Global system and is one of many across the M&S estate of stores. 

One of the first M&S stores to feature a living wall was in Sheffield – it also has a living roof installed recently by green roof and living wall installation experts Pritchard and Pritchard. 
 

What Are The Benefits Of Living Walls?

• They bring a welcome boost to biodiversity and support the bees
• They minimise the urban heat island effect
• They help improve localised air quality
• They insulate buildings – reducing energy costs and co2
• They demonstrate the green credentials of business
• They improve interior air quality of office spaces, supporting biophilic design principles
• They look fantastic!
• Perfect for urban gardens where floor space is poor
• Living walls bring with them acoustic benefits, deadening sound to make localised space feel more ambient.

Urban Greening Factor

In London it is now essential for planners and developers to specify urban greening solutions as part of their projects.  The Urban Greening Calculator encourages the specification of green walls, green roofs and considered landscaping content to enable plans to be passed.  This legislation will hopefully roll out across the UK soon. 

If you have clients who would like to jump onto the living wall trend, give us a call for guidance – we are happy to assist. 

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