In Gróska's new building at Vatnsmýri, you can see a unique and magnificent Green Wall that has attracted much-deserved attention. EFLA was involved in the project in many ways and was responsible for, amongst other things, plant cultivation, piping design and control equipment.
Gróska's building has four floors, as well as basement parking, and on the first floor of the building, there is a reception area for guests, providing various services. The flowery Green Wall is located in the reception area and completely transforms the building.
The smart and accessible control system
The Green Wall was custom-made and designed for Gróska's building. EFLA was involved in selecting equipment and operating systems and was in charge of the piping design. It is a Green Wall with a specially made stone wool substrate (Grodan), commonly used in greenhouse cultivation. Built into the wall are special irrigation hoses that convey fertiliser and water with great precision and are controlled by a fertiliser mixer and control computer. The control equipment is accessible through a unique app for smartphones, and the system notifies administrators if a failure/deviation occurs in the system. It ensures that it is possible to prevent damage to the building and the fragile vegetation.
Pre-cultivation of 2,100 plants in two months
EFLA's employees were responsible for the pre-cultivation of the plants, which are of 9 species, a total of about 2100 pcs, in good cooperation with the Agricultural University of Iceland. The cultivation took about two months and took place at the University's premises at Reykjar in Ölfus. After pre-cultivation, the vegetation wall was moved, in units to Gróska's premises. The installation of the wall was carried out under the direction of Norwegian experts in Green Walls, and EFLA employees took part in the installation process, which took only two days.
The plants were selected for their characteristics and tolerance
According to Magnús Bjarklind at EFLA, there are many aspects to consider when choosing plants for Green Walls. "Plants need to have certain characteristics and tolerance to the conditions in which they live. It takes a lot of experience and knowledge to pair species and create patterns to form texture, shape and colour, as was done in Gróska”. Asked about the benefits of having Green Walls he says "The number of Green Walls has increased substantially in recent years and they are often located in prominent places where they attract attention and usually have a positive effect on their environment. Green walls have various characteristics, such as a positive effect on indoor environmental conditions, e.g. humidity and acoustics. Besides, various studies show that plants can purify the air and reduce pollution."
Minimum waste-water
It is interesting to note that almost no water leaves the Green Wall into the drainage system. The system provides constant humidity and is maintained in the stone wall substrate, suitable for the root system of the plants and little or nothing beyond that. The system uses about 80 litres of water per day, but the wall is about 40 m2 in size, and the total number of plants is about 2100 pcs. Based on this, the water use is about 42 ml per plant per day.
Experience and specialised knowledge
EFLA has extensive experience in the design, maintenance and installation of Green Walls, and will be involved in maintaining the Green Wall in the future. That includes monitoring fertiliser irrigation, vegetation lighting and plant pruning, which is executed every 7-8 weeks.
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