Greenwalls work exceptionally well at minimising the effects of the concrete jungle associated with urban infrastructure, while improving social and economic value, a paper from Urrestarazu attests. Mark Paul, Founder of The Greenwall Company and former Horticulturist of the Year has installed over thousands of square metres of greenwalls over the past 10 years and more and more companies are going green, with inquiries up 20% on last year.
Mark shares his thoughts on Greenwalls in a working environment, and how they are beneficial for all, “When a business takes a step in wanting to improve their corporate responsibility strategy by installing greenwalls, whether they are inside or outside vertical gardens or greenroofs, they have the potential to bring social, environmental, and even financial benefits (think of increased productivity which comes with an elevated mood) for companies.
“The concept of green in a world of grey is immediately uplifting in an urban jungle world. Think about your mood elevation when you receive flowers or you walk into a garden abundant with greenery, it’s not just the amenity, in the case of a garden, plants convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen, so it makes complete sense that you feel you can breathe better and suddenly feel more alive,” said Mark.
Mark believes that urban greening initiatives such as greenwalls in the workplace are a great way to not only reclaim the built environment but also achieve the ecological goals of cities, while reducing the negative side effects of urbanisation. While there are various configurations of office set ups - from the somewhat outdated cubicles to the open plan office - it can be asserted that greenwalls in working environments are nothing but beneficial and offer a more positive, elevated mental experience.
The benefits of Greenwalls are:
- Purifies air
- Noise level reduction
- Increases employee wellbeing
- Increases productivity and innovation
- Reduces ambient temperature and energy costs
- Improves brand reputation
- Improves biodiversity
“When you list out the benefits greenwalls can provide it really makes good business sense. If you’re thinking about adding some greenery into your office space, I highly recommend you consider living greenwalls as an option versus potted or artificial plants,” adds Mark.