What to Consider Before Adding a Plant Wall to an Office
In recent years, living walls have become a highly popular addition to offices all over the world. As biophilic design became a major trend in office design, companies started looking for ways to bring a little bit of the outdoors inside and that often involved plants.
In addition to being nice to look at, studies have shown that keeping plants in the office can have many other benefits to offer. In one study by the University of Exeter, researchers found that plants can help boost productivity. Another study from 2020 found that even keeping small plants within sight while working can help reduce stress levels. In the 2015 Human Spaces Report, researchers found that people who reported working in spaces with natural elements had higher wellness scores than those who work in spaces without those elements. Also, plants can help make an office more attractive to new talent.
Whether it’s a living green wall or a wall created with artificial plants, plant walls can be an incredibly striking and beautiful addition to any office. They can also work well in a very wide range of spaces, both large and small. But before you get started with your plant wall, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
Lighting
If you’re interested in using live plants in your plant wall, proper lighting is crucial to keep the plants in good health. Whether you’re putting plants into the ground or into a plant wall, it’s important to make sure the plants you choose will work well with the amount of light they’ll be getting. For example, some types of plants thrive in areas with lots of light throughout the day while others can be burned by too much direct sunlight.
If your plant wall will go in an area near windows, be sure to think about how much light comes in through those windows. But if you don’t get much natural light, that doesn’t necessarily mean a plant wall is out of the question for you. Not only can artificial lighting be used to support plant growth, creating a plant wall with artificial plants can be another option to consider. If choosing artificial plants, keep in mind exposure to natural daylight can cause artificial plants to fade over time. Look for artificial plants with UV protection to make sure your plant wall will look great for years to come.
Watering
Another key thing to consider when creating a plant wall using live plants is the fact that they need moisture to live. An irrigation system can be installed to help automate the watering process so that nobody needs to worry about hand watering the plants as needed. However, it’s important to make sure that the materials surrounding the wall, such as flooring, will be able to handle exposure to moisture if an irrigation system malfunctions and floods.
Care & Maintenance
If you’re trying to choose between using live or artificial plants for your plant wall, consider the level of maintenance you’d like. While watering is something that can be automated with an irrigation system, remember that live plants will require some degree of ongoing maintenance like occasional pruning, removing brown leaves, and replacement of plants that have died off. You’ll also need to think about ongoing maintenance needed for the system that supports a living green wall, such as routine inspections of irrigation systems and replacing light bulbs that provide light to the wall. Artificial plant walls will require much less ongoing maintenance. While artificial plants have a higher initial cost, the overall maintenance is minimal, only requiring dusting. You will be surprised how many artificial options that are out there and how realistic they can look.
Adding a plant wall to an office can require a lot of careful planning. The team at Premier Construction & Design has experience creating a wide range of spaces for companies in the Metro Detroit area, including spaces that feature plant walls. When you’re ready to get started, contact us so that we can learn more about your project.
