Saturday, June 18, 2011

Mur Végétal








Vertical walls were introduced by Patrick Blanc, a French botanist, about 30 years ago. It's a living wall containing a cold frame, waterproof panels, an automatic irrigation system, lights, plants and other special materials.

A local Vancouver company is building and installing these systems. greenovergrey.com

They describe the system briefly :


" The frame is built in front of a non existing wall and attached at various points; there is no damage done to the building. Waterproof panels are mounted to the frame; these are rigid and provide structural support. There is a layer of air between the building and the panels which allows the building to 'breath'. This adds beneficial insulating properties and acts like rain screening to protect the building envelope. "

These walls have built in irrigation systems and are grown in a soil less medium. There is also material that is used to distribute water and food to the plants and air purification device. I would love to know what these mysterious materials are. The companies that provide this service keep the materials on the low down. It's definitely a whimsical and artistic use of plants.

Flora and Fauna is working on a few prototypes.  Stay posted to see what we have in store!

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