Naava Smart Green Walls

With technology imbued into these living walls, the air filtration capabilities of the plants are maximized.

Naava introduces its Naava Smart Green Walls, which provide visual and indoor air quality benefits inside facilities. Available in four models — Naava One, Naava One Slim, Naava Duo (two-sided), and Naava Designer, these living walls can be installed almost anywhere throughout a facility. Depending on model, these are either freestanding or can be attached to a wall. The frames are available in white, black, or custom (Designer model).

Seen here is the Naava One, a freestanding model with a customizable backside (e.g., add a coating and use a whiteboard). These measure 83″Hx32″Wx18″D. They are 140 pounds without plants and water; 480 pounds with the plants and water. The Naava One is suited to purify air throughout up to 645 square feet of space.living walls

The plants used in the Naava products include Philodendron and Asplenium. The company has selected the plants it uses according to NASA’s list of most efficient air filtering plants. The company has tested over 120 different plants species and continues to work towards finding the best plants for these living walls.

The Naava smart green walls do more than depend on the air filtering qualities of the plants they hold. The plants currently in use purify air over a hundred times more efficiently than conventional plants or green walls. The air purification technology used in the system creates demanding living conditions for the plants, which means that only select species pass the test to become Naava plants. The company uses technology based on a space study conducted by NASA, where microbes and their purification efficiency were researched. Active air circulation and an inorganic growth medium are at the core of the process. The growth medium used is ideal for the microbes dissolving impurities in the plants’ roots. This means that the Naava system utilizes the microbes of the plants in the same way as water is treated in wastewater treatment plants.

Remote monitoring of each unit by Naava ensures the plants are being nurtured in a way that maximizes healthy indoor air quality. By monitoring the functions of the living walls, the company keeps track of its watering, for example, to ensure that the pots of the plants are damp enough, which is vital for the plants’ well-being.

Artificial intelligence also predicts and adjusts its functions depending on the air humidity and outdoor air circumstances, in order to optimize indoor air. This is done by adjusting the watering schedule and fan efficiency. There are fans positioned at the top of each Naava unit to ensure proper air circulation to the microbes living in the roots of the plants; the fans then deliver purified air back to the surrounding space. There is a light fixture at the top of each unit, and lighting controls for this fixture means the plants are guaranteed a normal circadian rhythm throughout the year.

After installation in a facility, Naava provides service to the smart green walls to ensure plants are thriving. Water tanks are refilled as a service, or can be performed by in-house facility staff.

Based in Finland, Naava has delivered more than 1,000 of its Naava smart green walls in Europe to companies and organizations, such as Astra Zeneca, City of Stockholm, Forbes, GE, GroupM, Helsinki Airport, Hilton, JCDecaux, and Samsung. The company has now opened a production and showroom facility in New Jersey, along with an office in New York City.

“We are much more creative, smarter and happier outdoors. Still we choose to spend 22 hours a day indoors. At Naava we are reconnecting humanity with nature. We have created future technology that embraces millions of years of nature’s innovation combined with Scandinavian design. Wherever you work should feel like a walk in the park. We make it happen by bringing fresh Nordic forest air and real nature indoors. All you have to do is: breathe,“ said Aki Soudunsaari, co-founder and CEO of Naava.