Living Walls and Vertical Gardens

Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Wesst Corporation was recently awarded Silver LEED Certification in part through the use of indoor plants, only the second project to do so in the U.S.
Credit for the use of live plants indoors was given under LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a third party rating system offered through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Points were awarded in the category of Innovation in Design, under LEED.

Wesst Corporation living wall

According to Studio Southwest Architects and the LEED Consultant Halcom Consulting, key points cited in the submittal were live plant’s ability to filter VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds), uptake carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, and release fresh oxygen into the atmosphere. The Plant type and percentage of the installation along with VOC removal characteristics with milligram per hour removal properties for formaldehyde, Xylene and ammonia were cited within the LEED submittal. Green Plants For Green Buildings (GPGB.Org) extensive library of resources back up the research and findings in the submittal. The 420 Sq Ft bio-filtration wall measures 17 ft by 24 feet high and was installed by NedLaw of Canada. The “Bio” wall is fully integrated into the buildings air handling system.

The credit award supports the argument that human beings need to feel connected to the natural environment in order to enjoy a sense of psychological, physical and social wellbeing.  Biophilia directly confronts the issue of aesthetics and our evolved sense of beauty. The patterns, forms, textures and colors of nature provide abundant models that can be used in building and product design to enhance their aesthetic appeal, not just their functionality and efficiency. Incorporating this natural sense of beauty into a building makes them not only greener in the environmental sense, but also greener in a human sense.

Biofilter Greenwall

Unlike Australia’s ‘Green Star’ green building rating system, the current USGBC LEED system does not yet offer a specified direct credit for the inclusion of live plant applications. Within the current LEED section titled “Innovation in Design” it is possible for plants to be part of a specially developed use. For more information on the many health and environmental benefits of using living plants indoors visit www.gpgb.org or contact Joe Zazzera at  joe@Plantsolutions.com

From Studioswarch, the architects who designed the wall:

It is widely recognized that plants in the workplace offer more than just aesthetic value.  In fact, research science and studies have shown that in addition to improving indoor air quality they help reduce stress, enhance employee attitudes, and increase productivity.

Shary Adams, a principal at Studio Southwest who is the architect for the WESST incubator, explained, “This is the first installation of this kind of wall outside of the Northeastern United States.  In addition to being better for the environment in the building, the wall could potentially create energy savings because it will reduce the amount of air that needs to be cooled in the summer by more traditional means.”

Called the Naturaire living wall, it measures 17 feet wide by 24 feel tall and resembles a decorative vertical plantscape that contains a wide range of foliage and flowering plants specifically selected for Albuquerque’s climate and the building.  Actually however, the plant wall is an integrated part of the air handling system for the building.  Air is actively drawn through the wall of plants, then highly specialized biological components degrade pollutants such as formaldehyde and benzene into harmless constituents of water and carbon dioxide.  The clean air is then distributed throughout the space by a mechanical system.

“The Naturaire living wall is the result of more than 14 years of research and is truly a model for blending art and science to deal with real problems of indoor air quality in an attractive and sustainable way,” Adams said.