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The concept of the so-called "Vertical Garden" or "Living Wall" is reasonably well established in architecture.
In principle it involves cladding an exterior wall with plants in an integrated, self-sufficient system that requires little or no maintenance or external input.
The theory is that the plants provide an efficient layer of insulation that keeps the temperature ambient in summer and reduces heating costs in winter.
In addition such constructions reduce the impact of a building on its environment in that they reduce the reflection of heat and light from the outer facade.
How effective they actually are is another question...
The internal vertical garden in contrast has remained largely a curiosity reserved for staircases and large vestibules.
What, to our knowledge, doesn't exist is the vertical garden as room divider. Or at least not as a genuine, self-sufficient vertical garden.
That may soon change.
At Salone Satellite 2013 Brooklyn based designer Danielle Trofe is presenting her Live Screen living wall concept.
Back at DMY Berlin 2012 we wrote about Green Lamp by Zuzanna Malinowska, a concept that excited us because of the ease with which it allowed plants to be integrated into office environments.
Live Screen is similar in that presents a system that allows anyone to establish a growing, breathing room divider without having to worry too much about watering and/or feeding the plants.
Aside from the environmental benefits of having plants in an office context, plants also provide natural acoustic benefits and all without creating solid, light interrupting walls.
At this juncture we can't think of any negative aspects.
While we really, really like the technology and thinking behind Live Screen, we can't admit to be any real fans of the realisation and visual appearance of the work.
For us it just looks too heavily styled, too forced, too artificial. And not particularly something we'd want in our office. Far less our flat.
For us it needs to be softer, needs to think a little less about itself and more about the plants. Potentially also a system that offers a little more flexibility and individuality in the organisation depending on the exact requirements.
That may however just be us.
And regardless of the general reaction to the physical appearance, the concept and technology is certainly something worth developing and we hope that Danielle is the given the opportunity to do just that, because we can see great potential for such a system
