Located in the heart of Auckland's central business district is a green wall, set up high in the atrium of the Britomart East Complex. In 2014, Natural Habitats lead the way for the green wall industry in New Zealand, with this project being the largest green wall in the country.
While large, this green wall was an ideal lightweight solution to the question of how to differentiate the complex's interior aesthetic. The atrium forms part of the Te Ara Tahuhu walking street, which provides access to Britomart's underground train platform. The green wall covers 120 m2 of the atrium, integrating seamlessly into the building fabric.
The addition of the green walls has improved air quality, acoustics and thermal performance, which has also contributed to the building receiving a Green Building Council 5 star rating. The wall creates a space for natural ecology within a hard, commercial environment while giving office occupants and pedestrians a sense of connection with the environment.
Natural Habitats designed this green wall to be hydroponically fed on harvested rainwater, which feeds a plant palette that thrives in low light conditions. The overall planting design was influenced by the shadows that fall on the wall during the day, with repetition of planting patterns loosely referencing those found in traditional Maori carvings.
Surprisingly, the walls are only 120 mm deep containing Natural Habitat's bespoke planting media. This media sits within panels that are easily fixed into the atrium's facade.
