Is vertical landscaping good for every type of business, or are they best for certain industries only? While you may not see a living green wall at your local big box store this year, plenty of hotels, hospitals, restaurants, and corporations are getting in on this earthy trend.
Patients, patrons, and employees at these establishments enjoy clean air, comfortable temps, and an enhanced sense of calm year round. Here are seven spots around the world with spectacular green walls.
1. Etsy Headquarters, NYC
The company that revolutionized the market for independent artisans providing one of a kind goods certainly has one of the best green walls of any business. Their vertical garden totals right around 360 square feet. As a result, the Brooklyn-based HQ received a Living Building Challenge Petal Certification.
2. LinkedIn Headquarters, San Francisco
Is there any business that’s more dedicated to business than LinkedIn? When it comes to networking and social media, there really isn’t. If you ever have the opportunity to visit their headquarters in California, you’ll notice that they’ve eschewed stuffy boardroom vibes in favor of a main space focused on art and creativity. Part of this is a stunning natural display courtesy of green walls.
3. Rubens Hotel, London, UK
The luxury accomodations at the Rubens won’t surprise you, given its proximity to Buckingham Palace. But you might be left agape by the enormous exterior green wall boasting roughly 10,000 herbaceous plants. The hotel cites benefits such as sustainability and environmental support of pollinators when discussing their stunning green display.
4. Hotel Modera, Portland, OR
The hip, Gwyneth Paltrow-approved Hotel Modera has what seems to be endless attractive qualities - pizza, a game room, and eco-friendly everything, including the entrance. Yes, the first thing guests are welcomed by when approaching the Modera is a remarkable 600 square foot green wall featuring vincas, wintergreen, huckleberry, Solomon’s Seal, and much more.
5. Luxottica, NY
As the world’s preeminent eyewear company, Luxottica’s offices can get pretty chaotic. To counter this, Sagegreenlife engineered and installed a massive green wall in their New York offices. Nearly 500 square feet of vertical greenery soothes stress, minimizes noise, and keeps the air clean.
6. Arnas Civico, Palermo, Italy
Cancer treatment centers can be incredibly stressful and sad places to visit - unless their design inspires the groundedness and peace we want patients to feel as they battle their disease. The Arnas Civico hospital in Italy has added impressively-executed interior and exterior green spaces to create an atmosphere that encourages visitors to take a deep breath.
7. Padrinos, Mexico City
Cities can be a hotbed of pollution, and Mexico City is no exception. If you seek respite from sooty exhaust and oppressive noise, visit the mind-blowing green display at Padrinos seafood restaurant. The high-end eatery is considered one of the best in the area, due in part to the environment they’ve created with plants.
While we’re strategizing ways to improve various aspects of our business, it helps to examine what kind of feeling our spaces give off. If you want to show your staff and clients you’re on the cutting edge of environmentalism while imbuing the area with a sense of calm, green walls are the way to go.