Living Wall vs Green Wall: Difference and Comparison

Modern house construction mechanism aims to bring aesthetic sense. Innovations are made consistently to make the surroundings of the house look and feel a lot more colourful. What is more interesting is that most of the innovations in the construction industry field have already prevailed in society. 

For some reason, the idea was stopped. One such creative method to make the look of the house dynamic is to allow the plants to grow on the walls. Two main housing concepts come into the picture in this context; the Living Wall and the Green Wall.

Key Takeaways

1. A living wall is a vertical structure consisting of living plants rooted in a growing medium and attached to a wall or other vertical surface.
2. On the other hand, a green wall is covered with plants that may or may not be rooted in soil.
3. While both walls provide environmental benefits, such as improving air quality and reducing heat absorption, living walls require more maintenance and have higher installation costs than green walls.

Living Wall vs Green Wall

The difference between Living Wall and Green Wall is the type of structure in which the plants grow. The Living Wall has a self-sufficient pot system in which the plants grow, while the Green Wall predominantly has climbers that climb along with the structure of the Wall. Though both give a green look, the latter may times cover the walls partially.

A panel of plants covers the Wall to give the building or house space a lush green look. The Living walls are of two major types; Freestanding living Walls and Integrated Wall plants. Both indeed offer the same benefits. Either way, the plants are provided with growing aids that include water, soil, or even stone, depending on the type of the plants.

Green Wall, on the other hand, is of the same concept. However, the plants grow and get attached to the walls. The plants used are mainly climbers. As against the traditional living wall, these plants are well-grown and matured. Maintenance of the Green Wall is easy and is sought after by many families to have lived in the family system.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Living Wall	Green Wall
Structure	The plants are grown in the wall.	The plants grow in a separate medium and the branches of the plant cover the wall.
Coverage	Complete coverage of the wall is possible in this case.	Many times, this design offers partial coverage of the wall.
Reason	Living Walls are designed to keep the environment green, active and a lot cooler.	A green wall is designed to give a green look.
Artificial Cooling system	Living Wall uses it to make the environment cooler.	No such arrangements are made in this case.
Cost	A bit expensive	Less expensive

What is Living Wall?

Living Wall is a modern design and architectural system for the walls of the building. It is a method to cover the walls with green plants, mostly vegetation in the past, to keep the environment lively. The living walls can be of a free-standing structure or a plant-inbuilt wall structure.

The plants in the living wall design have a complete growth set-up in them. It contains water, stone, and soil for its growth. The walls are covered and offer a fabulous green outlook to the place. There are many benefits to setting up living walls, and that is one of the reasons why Living walls are preferred.

The change in climatic conditions and temperatures makes the materials in the wall contract and expand. This eventually damages the building. Setting up a living wall protects the building from such damage. This means to say the building can stay longer with living walls.

The noisy and irritating surroundings can be shielded and made a peaceful place for meditation too. Yes, the living walls shield a lot of noise and are considered soundproof to an extent. A recent study has also shown that the green outlook and setting up of living walls shall also purify the air.

What is Green Wall?

Creating a sort of greenery using a façade is the Green Wall. The plants are allowed to grow on the Wall, unlike the living Wall, where plants are grown on the Wall. The types of plants that are used in this design are the climbers. This shall grow from the ground and weave along the structure set up on the Wall.

Green Walls are called green walls as it is covered with leaves most of the time. There is no such water or soil arrangement made on the Wall for the plant to grow. The plants are rooted at the bottom, and the stems grow over the Wall.

The good news is, setting up a green wall is not a difficult task. You need a trellis system and a climber. At the same time, the main challenge that one might face is due to climatic changes. Yes, the plants tend to dry during summer. Also, unlike the living wall system, a green wall might increase the insect environment in and around the space.

With no extra structural requirement, this type of Wall is preferred as it is cost-effective. But, one must also keep in mind that the maintenance is cumbersome in this case.

Main Differences Between Living Wall and Green Wall

1. The main difference between Living Wall and Green Wall is the plant growth system in the designs. The Living Wall has plants grown on boxes or small tubs on the Wall, while the Green Wall has the plant grown at the ground level, and the branches grow over the Wall.
2. Living Wall has the complete plant growing system connected to it, while Green Wall also has but is not as meticulously planned as the former.
3. Living walls are connected with an artificial cooling system for the house, while Green Wall does not have that setup.
4. The Living Wall is completely covered with plants, and the Green Wall, most of the time, are partially covered
5. Vegetation is possible using Living walls, but it is not done to date using the green wall system.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1364032114006637
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306261916316397