Creating and maintaining a living wall can add genuine benefit to all types of projects. Whether it be a new build full of offices, a stately home, international airport, or 10-story car park, living walls bring a fresh and artistic look to many properties.
But as a developer, architect, or project manager, it can be tricky to know when and where a living wall is best and how they can help bring a project to life. So, to help those seeking expert guidance, here’s when to consider a consultation on your living wall project.
1. The early stages
As global leaders in living wall design, we cannot stress this point enough..
Green infrastructure should be included in your scheme sooner rather than later. This gives the opportunity to maximise environmental gains rather than a box ticking exercise at the end of the project.
So, in order to really maximise the potential of your project, getting an expert on board early on is absolutely key. Here’s why.
When you factor in green infrastructure from the early stages, various project and living wall considerations can be looked at ahead of making costly mistakes.
Did you know that living walls can be used to bypass expensive cladding systems? So, if you’re going to incorporate a living wall, do it early on. Don’t waste time and money designing your building with cladding when a living wall could replace the cladding instead.
2. If your project is complex
Given the nature of construction and the need to meet various regulations and guidelines, some projects will be more complex than others. When you tie this in with the addition of a living wall, expert advice is needed to ensure you get the most from your project.
You may also want to design a living wall for a specific purpose. Whether it’s for meeting biodiverse targets or simply boosting aesthetics, getting an expert involved will give you much more value than just a living wall.
Consulting with an expert will give you the details, statistics, and ammunition needed to provide a meaningful proposal when going through planning. Rather than just proposing a living wall that has no real solution and misses key information, you’ll be well prepared – even when the project is complex.
3. If planning permission looks to be difficult
As a developer looking to construct a new building, obtaining planning permission is no straightforward task. It requires hours of painstaking research, writing, and design.
There are many factors why planning permission may be refused by the council too, even after all that hard work. For example, a negative effect on character and appearance, as well as environmental health are both common reasons for planning permission to be refused.
However, adopting living walls into your plan can help you meet certain criteria and prevent this from happening.
At Viritopia, we understand what planners are looking for. We analyse each project with our clients closely and gain a good understanding of the project and situation at hand. This allows us to ensure a plan is delivered with an effective living wall system.
Our systems offer the perfect solution for those looking to offset developments and achieve Biodiversity Net Gain, without needing to invest in additional land such as ponds and habitat banks.
Why not contact our team at Viritopia today? We’ll let you know how the installation of our living wall systems can be used to ensure long-term project success.
Living wall consultancy from Viritopia
Are you in the early stages of development? Are you looking to capitalise on environmental assets? Are you interested in learning more about living walls? Then look no further. Our team at Viritopia have you covered.
Using over 20 years’ experience designing and maintaining green infrastructure, we form detailed analysis on how a scheme is to meet regulation. We aid a faster planning process and provide you with what’s needed to take your project to the next level.
Get in touch with our expert team today, or learn more about our living wall consultancy right here.
