In a recent refurbishment of their Glasgow office, Registers of Scotland have incorporated an innovative green wall and moss panels into the interior design to compliment the areas visual effectiveness, but also to aid with the improvement of the indoor environment.
The non-ministerial government department responsible for compiling and maintaining 18 public registers has offices in both Glasgow and Edinburgh and approached GP Plantscape in the early stages of their Glasgow refurbishment to discuss interior horticultural solutions in line with their focus on staff well-being.
The large open plan space features touch down desks and break out areas where individuals have the flexibility to move around, improving communication. Creating focal office divisions was therefore important to provide privacy for meetings and reduce noise, whilst maintaining the free flow of staff around the office space.
“When we were designing the new space consideration of staff well being was a prime focus but we also wanted to add a bit of ‘pizzazz’ to the office.”
Kevin Stewart, Facilities Manager
A living wall separates touch down desks from the locker space in the centre of the office. Almost 4 metres long and just over a meter high the wall is fitted into a cabinet feature and planted with a variety of green foliage plants to provide a lush finished look. As the plants mature the wall will continue to flourish and become thicker. Each of the panels in the wall itself contains an irrigation system which nourishes the plants between service visits.
The natural green plants complement the white and black décor surroundings contributing to the biophilia in the indoor environment. Biophillia is a significantly researched hypothesis, first introduced by Edward O. Wilson, that suggests humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. Furthermore, research demonstrates that nature-inspired design can have a significant impact on the creativity, productivity and well-being of users of a space.
Moss panels were introduced to shelving units to create partitioning for these innovative break-out spaces. Using a combination of both flat moss and bun moss to provided varying textures in the design the panels were individually sized and created to deliver this stunning finished effect. ‘We are really pleased with the end result. It does exactly what it’s supposed to do. It’s cracking and I really, really like it.’ Kevin comments on the final solution. ‘GP Plantscape provided a professional service from start to finish. the service was top notch through and through.’
