Living wall biofilter turns 10

Living wall biofilter turns 10

Sep 10, 2014  | Architecture 

Living wall biofilter turns 10
(Photo by: Diamond Schmitt Architects)

Architect Birgit Siber, Principal at Diamond Schmitt Architects, discusses the first decade of the living wall biofilter.

These installations of tropical plants are a sustainable design response to creating a healthy indoor environment and lowering a building’s carbon footprint.

“Bringing significant plant life indoors has universal appeal that resonates with people on a primal level, hence the psychological benefit,” says Siber. “But the real beauty is that it works on so many different levels, reducing the energy needed to treat outdoor air, providing fresh oxygen, creating acoustic absorption and white noise from the gravity water flow and a compelling visual aesthetic, not to mention a powerful symbol of green design.”

In this 25-minute presentation given at Doors Open Toronto, Siber looks at many examples of the system invented by Dr. Alan Darlington and introduced commercially by Diamond Schmitt, ranging in size from two stories to seven stories tall across a range of building types.

Via Diamond Schmitt Architects
Image,video ©: Diamond Schmitt Architects