Lighting Assessments for Living Walls

Lighting assessments for Living Walls

To enable successful interior landscaping projects the Smartscape team carry out full lighting assessments of the proposed location for a living wall or planting installation.

This beautiful living wall which we installed in the reception area of the renowned global engineering firm Arup is a great example of where and why lighting assessments are of prime importance.

The project is located some way from natural light. Interior planting brings with it particular demands to ensure that optimum light levels are provided for planting installations that flourish.

For Plants to photosynthesize correct light must be delivered

The full spectrum of visible light travels through a prism, the wavelengths separate into the colours of the rainbow and each colour provides a different wavelength. Violet light has the highest energy, frequency and vibration and the shortest wavelength of visible light. Beyond the visible spectrum, ultra-violet is an even shorter wave and higher frequency and energy, in fact its energy so high it can burn our skin very quickly and kill bacteria. The wavelengths of light are measured in lumens, and the light that falls on a surface is measured as lux.

Plants absorb a set of wavelengths from the light spectrum particularly from the red and blue parts of the spectrum range. The light absorbing molecules within plants are Chlorophyll a. cholorophyll b and carotenoids. Green Light penetrates deep into the leaf and can drive photosynthesis more efficiently than red light. The Green and Yellow wavelengths play a crucial role in growth beneath the plant canopy.

A lighting assessment enables mapping to be produced to ensure that correct grow lights are specified to support a healthy living wall installation

This lighting specification for the Arup Living wall demonstrates the colour spectrum required for the wall topography enabling correct lighting specification to be made.

For interior planting installations that thrive, please do not hesitate to contact us, we are a happy to assist.

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