In today’s corporate world, biophilic design has evolved from a trendy office aesthetic into an essential element of workplace wellbeing. At Growing Roots, we love spreading plant love by finding creative ways to bring nature indoors, transforming not just the appearance of a workplace, but its overall atmosphere and employee experience.
When it comes to bringing vertical greenery into your office space, two popular options stand out: moss walls and living walls. Both bring the beauty of nature indoors but offer different benefits and characteristics. Let’s explore which might be the perfect fit for your space, helping you create a more vibrant, productive workplace environment.
Understanding Moss Walls
Moss walls are vertical installations created using preserved real moss. The preservation process renders the moss dormant while maintaining its natural appearance and texture. At Growing Roots, we create customized moss wall installations that make a significant impact in your space, bringing the calming beauty of nature to your office environment.
Moss walls offer several wonderful advantages for office environments. Since the moss is preserved, these walls don’t require watering, sunlight, or pruning – making them perfect for busy offices. They’re practical solutions that provide immediate visual impact while requiring minimal ongoing attention, allowing you to focus on what matters most – your work and your team.
Even smaller moss installations provide excellent sound absorption properties, perfect for phone booths, small meeting rooms, or areas where noise reduction is valuable. The versatility of moss types (reindeer moss, flat moss, pole moss) and ability to dye them in different colors allows for creative expression in your installations, similar to the systems developed by our partner Architectural Supplements Inc. (ASI).
Understanding Living Walls
Living walls are systems designed to support living plants in a vertical format, typically including growing medium, irrigation systems, and carefully selected plant varieties. At Growing Roots, we love creating manageable living wall installations that are perfect for offices wanting to incorporate more dynamic green elements into their spaces – and we can work with you to find a solution that fits your budget.
Unlike moss walls, living walls change and grow over time, creating a dynamic, ever-evolving natural feature. They actively improve indoor air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, while filtering common indoor pollutants – one of the many benefits of plants in the workplace. Living plants also naturally release moisture through transpiration, improving humidity levels in dry office environments.
Studies from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have shown that exposure to living plants can help employees recover from stress and reduce anxiety more quickly than environments without natural elements. Even modest installations can contribute to these benefits, with research showing up to 15% increases in creativity and 6% boosts in productivity.
Making the Right Choice for Your Office
When deciding between moss walls and living walls for your office space, consider these key factors:
Maintenance considerations can guide your decision. Moss walls are ideal for offices without dedicated plant care staff or ideal growing conditions, requiring virtually no ongoing care. Small living walls thrive with regular attention, and our maintenance services can handle this seamlessly, ensuring your green installation remains vibrant and healthy year-round.
Environmental conditions in your office matter too. Moss walls work beautifully in any low-lighting condition and don’t require specific temperature or humidity levels. Living walls flourish with good light and consistent temperatures, creating a micro-ecosystem within your workspace.
Design goals should also influence your choice. Moss walls provide a consistent, textural look with rich design possibilities. Living walls offer a dynamic, evolving appearance that changes and grows alongside your business. Both options can be customized to reflect your brand identity and aesthetic vision – and we pride ourselves on finding solutions that work for businesses of all sizes and budgets.
Plant Walls for Every Office
At Growing Roots, we believe that biophilic design should enhance every workplace. That’s why we create thoughtful installations that deliver significant benefits while complementing your existing space and workflow.
We love helping clients explore the possibilities of moss walls and living walls. For example, a custom moss wall installation in a reception area creates an immediate impression on visitors, while a small living wall in a conference room brings energy and life to your collaborative spaces. Many of our clients have found that these installations become cherished focal points that both employees and visitors appreciate.
One of our most popular options is what we call “moss wall portraits” – framed moss installations that function like living art pieces. These smaller-scale installations require minimal wall space, can be moved as needed, and deliver many of the biophilic benefits while serving as a beautiful artistic element in your space.
Embracing Biophilic Design
When it comes to biophilic design, we firmly believe that the impact of bringing nature indoors is what truly matters. A thoughtfully designed moss installation or living wall can deliver significant psychological and environmental benefits when properly placed and maintained.
Research consistently shows that biophilic elements like plant walls increase productivity and creativity while enhancing employee wellbeing. These benefits stem from our innate connection to nature and can be achieved through intentional, thoughtful incorporation of natural elements.
Whether you choose a moss wall, living wall, or a combination of both, Growing Roots is committed to creating beautiful, healthy interior environments that enhance your workplace. Our approach begins with understanding your specific needs and space, then creating solutions that bring nature indoors in meaningful ways.
Office Plant Care Services with Growing Roots
Ready to explore how moss walls or living walls could transform your office environment? Contact us today for a consultation. We’ll help you determine which option best suits your space, helping you create a workspace where both people and plants thrive together.
Visit our project gallery to see examples of our moss and living wall installations, or learn more about tips for caring for your interior plants to understand how these natural elements can transform your workplace environment. Together, we can spread plant love throughout your office space!
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