Consider A “Living Wall” For Your Next Office Refurbishment

We already know that indoor plants and other greenery can really make a huge difference in terms of office productivity and employee wellbeing. However,one unique way of integrating this greenery into the bones of your office space is to include an incredible living wall as part of your nextoffice refurbishment.

What Is A Living Wall?

Although it might sound like something from a horror movie, a living wall is simply a design technique which sees the cultivation of vertical plants. Thanks to modular vertical planters, you can encourage a range of plants and foliage to cover all, or part, of the wall of your office space. This is increasingly becoming a common form of office refurbishment in public areas, such as waiting rooms and receptions.

Living walls are not only a great way to integrate nature into your office space, but they can also create a unique statement piece that can really transform any office design. They are also extremely well-suited for external walls, and can really help any building to stand out from its neighbours and create a much smoother, natural transition between a sleek, modern building and the natural environment.

How Are Living Walls Created?

There are several different ways that these living walls can be created, and the most common involves the use of panels which allow the plant to grip and grow on a vertical scale. You can easily purchase panel kits to allow a quick and easy form of office refurbishment, but for the best results you should include a unique vertical growth as part of your office design. With modular planting panels, which make the most of planting cells to retain the plant's medium and a self-contained irrigation system, these walls will need very little in the way of maintenance after they've been installed.

What Are The Benefits Of A 'Living Wall' In The Office Space?

The major benefits of a living wall are much the same as those associated with traditional greenery. For example, living walls can be used to:

• Reduce Stress – Introducing greenery and plants to your working environment can help to reduce stress and a range of other emotions associated with it, including anger, depression, anxiety and fatigue.
  
• Increase Productivity – A range of tasks are easier to complete when greenery is present. Cognitive tasks and concentration are all made much easier, which can give a range of benefits to productivity. If your office relies on a great deal of computing work, then research has suggested greenery could improve work by as much as 10 – 15%.
  
• Reduce Sickness And Absence – By including living walls and plants into your office environment, you can work to reduce absenteeism by as much as 50% and reduce minor illnesses by 30%.
  
• Clean Air – Air quality can easily be improved within an office space by introducing plants. Greenery takes CO2 out of the air and replaces it with clean oxygen, as well as reducing the amount of dust and harmful bacteria in the air.
  
• Increase Creativity – Plants have been seen to increase creativity by as much as 15%. One theory suggests that the presence of greenery suggests that there is edible fruit nearby, thereby relaxing and calming us.

Living walls also offer one major advantage of traditional plants and greenery; they are incredibly striking and can really make a difference on the office's overall aesthetic. When it comes to modern office designs, you really should consider making the most of a self-sufficient living wall to create a positive and unforgettable atmosphere.

Choose Oaktree Interiors For Office Refurbishment And Living Wall Installation

Here at Oaktree, we understand how important plants and greenery can be to the effectiveness and overall culture of a modern office. You need to take advantage of the varied benefits supplied by greenery, including living walls, if you want to make the most out of your office space and your employees.

For more information on our expert office refurbishment services, get in touch with our professional team today on 0845 474 3556. Alternatively, you can email any questions or concerns that you have to our team and we'll get back to you as soon as we can!