Benefits of a Living Wall

Biodiversity

Design of living walls can be tailored to bring significant biodiverse value with specific plant species, including native and pollinator planting. Natural substrate is the foundation from which we design for biodiversity.

Planning & Regulation

Solve regulatory challenges and planning conditions by designing the living wall to hit environmental targets. Living walls also help to achieve building standards such as BREEAM and WELL.

Investment Value

Science proves that people are drawn to spaces with natural features. On several retail projects, it was noted that footfall increased as a direct result of our living wall work. Not only giving return on investment, this makes a building financially attractive.

Air Quality

Soil is able to capture particulate matter and gives us greater design flexibility in our living walls, allowing us to select species that hold air purification properties.

Health & Well-being

People working in an environment with plants were 12% more productive and less stressed than those who worked in a space without natural features. Workspace design has direct effects on employee performance and well-being.

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Check upcoming sessions for our CPD on The Importance of Green Infrastructure and How to Design for Longevity.

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Why our living walls?

Increased environmental value

Using a natural substrate means we have greater flexibility in plant selection, meaning we can create habitats for bees, burrowing insects and encourage natural colonisation. We specifically select living wall plants that fulfil the project objectives.

Top fire rating

We’ve achieved the highest possible fire rating for a living wall, which means our living wall system can be integrated into nearly all buildings. Take a look at our guide in the Reports section which makes the regulations around fire and greenery a lot clearer.

Natural substrate

Soil is an eco-system in itself: catering for burrowing insects, absorbing and filtering particulate matter, allowing greater design flexibility, biodiversity and improved air quality. Our organic soil substrate also includes green waste, and we do not use any harmful chemicals to keep our living walls healthy.

Dense coverage and creative design

Our modular living wall system gives us huge scope for creative design and ensures dense coverage with 96 plants per m2. Designed to allow root migration, this means the plants can grow healthily with a longer lifespan.

Exterior living walls

Exterior Living Walls

Realise buildings that actively improve urban biodiversity and air quality, and solve environmental regulatory challenges such as Biodiversity Net Gain and Urban Greening Factor. Where space is at a premium a living wall is the perfect solution to provide ecological benefits and create a long-term environmental asset.

Interior living walls

Interior green and living walls

Bring the outside into your interior designs and create biophilic internal landscapes that improve the health, well-being and productivity of the people. Not only do they enhance the feel of spaces as living pieces of art, green walls also restore our innate human connection to nature.

Living Wall Case Study London Wall Place

We found Viritopia a safe pair of hands for a very high profile project where the green walls were a very significant component and failure wasn't an option.

Jessica Beattie

Senior Landscape Architect at SpaceHub Design

Featured living wall case study

WHO HQ

Modernizing their Swiss headquarters, the refurbishment of the WHO campus in Geneva involved over 100m² of living walls.

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WHO HQ

Featured case study

Dukes Court

Creating a contemporary public plaza and commercial amenities, Woking Borough Council are working to transform this quarter of Woking town centre’s business district.

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Dukes Court
Dukes Court

Featured case study

National Grid

National Grid’s commitment to sustainability meant that they wanted something extraordinary for their new car park; now finished, it has literally come alive!

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National Grid
National Grid

Featured case study

Bird Street

This scheme is London's first sustainable smart street.

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Bird Street
Bird Street
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Our living wall process

Consultation

Site survey with value analysis

Design

Concepts and indicative plant palettes

Production

Planting and establishment at the nursery

Installation

Pre-grown modules installed with drainage and irrigation

Maintenance

Fortnightly or monthly, with a full horticultural husbandry visit annually

Watch and listen to Gary Grant on the benefits of living walls.

As we commence our 3rd living wall with Viritopia the sensible design approach and pattern of working is becoming clear and the value added by their expertise and advice in the detailed decisions relating to species selection and each installation is vital. Viritopia have helped us maximise the effectiveness of what we are trying to do and in doing so have created beautiful outcomes.

Chris Medland

OneWorld Design Architects

Answering everything there is to know about Living Walls