Living walls: a growing trend
We don’t question the feeling of wellbeing that comes with taking a walk in the woods or sitting in the garden under a tree. It’s instinctive. Being surrounded by the natural world helps us to relax, breathe, and become more connected with our senses and feelings. Plants fulfill an ancient, profound need. ‘Love of living things’ or Biophilia, named in 1984 by Dr. Ed Wilson, a Harvard Biologist, describes our natural human affinity for nature. This primal psychological phenomenon crosses all cultural and geographic lines. Further study by Dr. Stephen Kellert, asserts that this intrinsic connection plays a central role in our capacities to think, feel, communicate, create, and find meaning in life.
I spoke with Nicolas Rousseau, president and general manager of Bynature, a company that specializes in Biophilic design. I was standing in front of a living wall that his company had built in the center of a busy Interior Design show. ‘Plants bring much to our lives,’ he said. ‘We instantly feel at peace with plants surrounding us.’ I didn’t need much persuasion. I was rooted to the spot as the lush living plants worked their magic.
‘We need plants in our concrete urban environment,’ he noted. I think we all agree. Architects, designers, artists and city planners are taking note of the importance esthetically and physically of green space. Today commercial buildings, offices, shopping malls and public spaces are locking into the growing trend. And what about our own homes? Rousseau’s company has easy care solutions to creating living walls that can be built in a hallway, living room, kitchen, anywhere inside. Go large or small with Bynature’s fine product line that provides a choice of installation methods. Build a wall or a picture, choose a new light fixture that is filled with plants, include a living bench and table. www.bynaturedesign. ca. Their designs are inspiring.
The most affordable of Bynature’s designs uses Felt Pockets to create green walls and vertical gardens of any shape or size by combining multiple pockets together. There is a list of plants on their website that they offer. Pothos, tradescantia and schefflera appear on the kitchen wall.
The collection of preserved plants includes ferns and mosses that provide a