Low-maintenance green walls purify indoor air

The living walls use NASA technology to absorb airborne toxins and release filtered air

Spotted: Using air filtering plants, a ‘green wall’ system developed by Helsinki-based Naava, provides indoor spaces with clean air and the physical and psychological benefits of living and working near greenery. Grown in an inorganic growth medium, the plant walls are nonallergenic and their roots achieve maximal biofiltration effectiveness in dissolving impurities in the air.

Smart, connected, and extremely low maintenance, the living walls are freestanding or attached to a wall, and Naava’s service team provides regular on-site checks. In the winter, service calls are generally more frequent to help the plants thrive in tougher conditions. A small row of fans circulates the filtered air throughout the space, and owners can choose from a design guide to create personalised pieces of living green furniture.

Connected to the cloud and monitored by artificial intelligence (AI), the plant systems receive light, water, and nutrients exactly when needed, with amounts varying as conditions change. Each plant wall cleans up to 57 per cent of harmful chemicals in the first pass of air through the system. After that, the ongoing filtration continuously improves air quality.

Green walls are becoming a more common method of beautifying indoor spaces while improving health, and alongside those innovations, Springwise is also spotting applications using similar technologies outside. Plant canopies in France are helping to reduce urban heat islands, and plant-covered noise protection barriers clean outdoor air, reduce noise, and increase habitat space for wildlife.