Natmural Make: Life Green Again. Vertical Garden Solution

Abstract

Nowadays, a lot of people spend most of their days in closed buildings: offices, apartments or hospital rooms. Vertical gardens create an opportunity for modern people to experience the nature indoors. Additionally, they clean the air, insulate rooms and improve mood along with concentration. The aim of this project is to design a concept of an ecological, easy to use and aseptic vertical garden that could be installed in a hospital and in consequence, in any other indoor space. The project uses methodology of research-based design that applies methods such as prototyping and user research through questionnaires, observations and design probes. Employees from a restaurant, an office and a hospital were interviewed. Interviews showed that their work is stressful and the environment they are working in is too loud. Further participatory study, during which potential users were taking care of designed vertical garden prototypes for a week, proved that people enjoy observing and interacting with plants and the form of vertical gardening is appealing to them. The final prototype is constructed with bamboo pole and biodegradable, aseptic nonwoven material. It incorporates two plants species: Snake plant and Spider plant that are safe for people with allergies and they were proved by NASA to efficiently clean the air from harmful substances. Optional automatic watering system for the garden was designed. It is controlled by mobile application. In the end, goals of the project were achieved. The prototype of the vertical garden is easy to use, ecological and risk of bacteria is low