BRESLAU, ONTARIO – Nedlaw Living Walls, the world’s premier living wall biofilter company, has won the 2016 Green Roof and Wall Award of Excellence from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (www.greenroofs.org) for the 2,400 square foot biofilter at the Edmonton Federal Building. Dr. Alan Darlington will be receiving the award, in person, at the Cities Alive 14th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference on November 3rd, in Washington D.C.
Nedlaw Living Walls designed and built the living wall for the new Edmonton Federal Building lobby, under the direction of architectural firm, Kasian. As an architectural landmark and one of Canada’s best examples of art deco style, the Federal building recently underwent an extensive revitalization project. According to Esther Rivard-Sirois, Architect AAA, MRAIC, LEED AP BD+C, MArch, GRP, Project Architect & Sustainability Lead at Kasian, "The green wall at the Edmonton Federal Building is a great addition to the public space. It heightens the senses and brings life to the pavilion. It complements the architectural tree-like wooden beams in the pavilion and creates a warm and inviting natural environment all year long".
The two-storey living wall biofilter covers multiple sides and incorporates a water feature making it the defining focal point in the newly added lobby area. At 2,400 square feet, this is the largest known indoor air biofilter and it provides much more than an aesthetic feature. The biofilter is a working element of the building’s mechanical system. The wall draws in dirty air, removes pollutants and returns clean air to the space, thus improving air quality. According to Dr. Alan Darlington (the technology’s founder), "This biofilter actively removes pollutants from the air, generating over 1,500 cfm (700 litres per second) of virtual fresh air. That’s enough 'fresh' air to supply two thirds of the needs of over 150 people. And this virtual fresh air is generated using up to 90% less energy than conventional air treatment systems".
By supplying clean air at a fraction of the cost of traditional HVAC systems, this biofilter lowers energy costs to improve building performance. The living wall also contributes to the humidity levels of the atrium space. As such, the living wall system adds points to the LEED Gold certification goal.
