
What is a Biowall and what purpose does it serve?
Biowalls are walls that have been covered with living plants. There are 2 different types of biowall.
There is a felt system which places plants into felt which has been backed by a waterproof layer, which is designed as the means of growing the plants. With this system, as the plants grow, their roots grow downwards which stabilizes them. Another different kind of biowall is called a panel system. This is comprised of soil which is packed into plastic bags. Plants are then put into this soil. They are fed and watered by an attached irrigation system.
Biowalls are used not only on a buildings exterior but also on the interior of buildings as well. They provide many benefits when used in an office or home environment. The reason for this is the plants ability to purify the air. Although they do not replace the need for a traditional HVAC system, they can be used to work well alongside one.
They are of great benefit for use on the exterior of building as well, especially in cities and urban areas. Concrete walls and surfaces reflect heat, which makes urban areas feel a great deal hotter than they should be. This not only produces excessive heat levels in the summer months, but the air quality is greatly reduced. This effect is referred to as the Urban Heat Island (UHI). When biowalls are placed in these types of areas, UHI effects can be reduced.
As we can see from this brief overview, a biowall can be a welcome addition to a space. What other benefits are there to biowalls? We will consider this in future articles.