Leveraging Biophilia Through Indoor Living Walls
Bio-what? Yes, biophilia is for real! It's the reason a person is naturally and instinctively connected with other living systems. Biophilia is simply the evolutionary tie between people and nature. Biophilia is present in everyday life, even if one is completely unaware of its existence. There is no time like the present to leverage this instinct by planting an indoor living wall and harvesting the many positive outcomes which a living wall delivers.
Research suggests that buildings with living walls and the essential features of preferred nature-type settings are more supportive of human well-being and performance. There are many locations where an indoor living wall can be utilized, but the three most relevant and effective are in the home, workplace, and hospital.
The benefits of developing a living wall in the workplace are numerous. Research suggests that employees exposed to living walls experience a 35 percent reduction in fatigue, and feelings of anger and tension. Furthermore, employee contact with living walls results in enhanced learning, more efficient decision-making on complex tasks and greater use of logical reasoning techniques for problem solving.
For patients in a healthcare facility, a green view promotes recovery. Patients with a green view may recover faster with less complaints of post-operative complications. Family members also are impacted positively by living walls, demonstrating reduced anxiety when exposed to plants in natural surroundings.
Indoor living walls can be built through purchased kits or as a do-it-yourself project. Check websites for instructions on how to purchase or build a living wall. The walls are available in many sizes and usually come equipped with a system for watering and mounting on the wall. There is a wide array of plants appropriate for an indoor living wall. Three plant groups recommended for living walls because of their growth habits, low maintenance, and aesthetic properties are: Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema), pothos (Epipremnum), philodendron (vining and non-vining varieties); and Dracaena: Lemon Surprise, Dorado, Green Jewel and Jade Jewel varieties. The indoor living walls' only requirements are natural light and ventilation.
Historically, living walls have been underutilized in the indoor environment. Recent research promotes the use of indoor walls to improve health and well-being. Technology and products to create indoor living wall systems are evolving rapidly, making indoor living walls a possibility for everyone. Living in a more environmentally-friendly indoor space is increasing the demand for indoor living wall systems. Allow the innate nature of biophilia to improve your everyday life by taking on an indoor living wall as your next home improvement project!
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