NEDLAW Living Walls has completed the installation of a three metre by eight metre living wall at Loyalist College in Belleville, Ontario. The installation is part of a new student lounge linking the College’s main building with its Sustainable Skills, Technology and Life Sciences Centre that is appropriately called the Link Lounge.
“We were very excited to be part of this project which will have a positive impact on student life on campus,” says Chris Johnston, Marketing and Sales Lead with NEDLAW Living Walls. “A living wall fits in perfectly with the kind of environment and use of the space associated with the new lounge.
April Chamberlain, Vice President of Student Life with Loyalist College Student Government, says the inspiration for the project of which the living wall is a part came from the students themselves. “We regularly survey the student population of the College regarding their experience here. As part of our 2008-2009 survey, students indicated a desire for more quiet space and a place to relax and the living wall is a part of creating that space.”
While the living wall is most obviously recognized for its contribution to the aesthetics of the new lounge, which was built by Ball Construction, NEDLAW’s Johnston says the wall will also enhance the students’ on campus experience by contributing to improved air quality.
“Traditional methods of improving indoor air quality include bringing ‘fresh air’ in from the outside and conditioning it through heating or cooling, depending on the time of year. Our living walls bring natural outdoor air cleaning processes inside and use interior plantscapes and a patented air biofilter system to effectively remove many common indoor air contaminants. As a result, our living walls improve both the aesthetics and the physical environments of the facilities in which they are installed.”
The living wall in the lounge is made up of approximately 345 plants and seems to have the approval of the students. According to Jason Sonser, a first year radio broadcasting student at Loyalist College, the newly installed living wall adds a fun dimension to the school environment. “Plants greatly enhance the environment created in the new lounge and the fact that they also work to clean and improve air quality is a great way to demonstrate the College’s interest in and commitment to green initiatives.”