As people and organizations become more and more interested in "green" technologies, or simply try to naturalize their living and working spaces, the concept of biowalls has begun to come into its own.

Also known as "living walls" or "green walls", biowalls can be set up to be decorative, such as the example pictured above utilizing mostly epiphytes, can be planted with food crops, or with the proper selection of plants, become a "living air filter" that is part of the building.

The basic concept is quite simple:
 

1. Vertically mount the EcoWeb™ panels to a waterproof wall or structure.  The material is flexible, so can be easily formed around irregular structures, but sturdy enough to only require attachment at fairly wide intervals.

2. Plants are prepared by removing the soil or other potting media from the root mass.  Once established, they will be growing hydroponically.

3. The plants are mounted on- or inserted into gaps cut into the EcoWeb™ panels.

4. Water/nutrient solution is pumped from a collection basin to the top of the panels, where it is distributed over the width of the panels via a perforated trough or pipe.  Many applications recirculate the solution continuously, while others utilize timers to control the watering cycles.

5. The solution trickles down through the EcoWeb™ panels, watering and feeding the plants, while maintaining an open, airy root zone environment.

6. The plants' root systems with infiltrate the panels and firmly anchor themselves.

The liquid trickling through the EcoWeb™ panels draws fresh air through the material as well, or in "active" systems, fans or blowers are employed to draw air through the panels.  As the air travels though the planted zone, its exposure to the roots of the plants and the mycorrhizal fungi that inhabit them can effectively remove volatile organic compounds from the air

We have a movable, stand-alone version operating in our home as a prototype for future production and sales.  The photo below shows the unit (without its decorative wooden top), newly planted with ferns and tropical foliage plants.

The prototype was designed for folks with tropical birds like parrots, which prefer pure, humidified air, and has a 20 gallon reservoir,  and a two-layer, 40" x 24" EcoWeb™ growing panel supported by a perforated grid. The reservoir contains a submersible pump and heater to maintain the water temperature at 70°, and the top has a small fan to draw air through the panel, where it is purified and humidified.  The decorative wooden top can include a high-output T5 fluorescent fixture, if needed.

As an example of the same technology on a larger scale, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation installed a three-story biowall in a new building in Morristown NJ  Click here to see a brief video clip about it.