The results are in, and boy are they conclusive: Working with plants around is good for you.
Workplaces as varied as car dealerships and hospitals and corporate parks are embracing green walls, putting living plant systems in their lobbies, offices, showrooms, and more. These vertical plant displays are connected by panels and fed hydroponically, making them almost entirely self-sufficient. Panels can be boldly dramatic, spanning an entire wall, or smaller affairs featuring just a touch of greenery. Their customizable nature is good news for small spaces, large spaces, and every size in between. Design flexibility aside, green walls are also sought after for the many benefits they bring to a retail or corporate space.
First things first: we all know that plants are healthy additions to our residences. Studies show that just a few of them, for instance, can have a huge impact on indoor air quality, reducing VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) significantly. A large living wall system can have an even broader effect, curbing dust, removing carbon dioxide, and eliminating other pollutants from an entire workplace.
This detoxifying helps minimize the risk of SBS (Sick Building Syndrome), which translates to healthier employees, fewer missed days, and an overall sense of well-being in the work environment. And speaking of employee comfort: green walls also assist in regulating the temperature. Since plants don’t store energy but reflect it, they help keep a space cool during summer and insulated during winter. This means more energy savings for a business or company, leading to additional benefits like LEED credits. Another advantage to green walls? They absorb sound. A well-placed living wall system can be a kind of noise-cancelling feature, allowing everyone in an office space especially to be more productive.
The biggest benefit to installing green walls in a work environment may be related to less measurable effects. Having plants as a prominent piece in a workplace creates an emotional connection, inspiring the kind of feelings that only nature can. The look of them in an entry or lobby area has the potential to impress clients and to make a place of business memorable. Study after study points to how living with plants promotes well being; it follows that working around them would offer the same advantage.
