Design with meaning: How office living walls reflect your brand

A strong visual identity is more than visuals on a page. The spaces you create say just as much about who you are. Living walls bring your values to life, turning workplaces into daily statements of sustainability, wellbeing and identity.

Living walls in the workspace

Living walls, also known as green walls or vertical gardens, are panels of live plants grown vertically on structures that can be freestanding or attached to walls. These installations can bring the natural world indoors, turning bare office walls into thriving, living ecosystems.

But office living walls aren’t just about aesthetics. In the workplace, they serve a powerful multifunctional role. Research shows that access to greenery can ease stress, life mood and boost productivity. Living walls also filter air, produce oxygen and create healthier indoor environment for everyone.

Unlike traditional design features, such as paint, art or signage, living walls are dynamic and alive. They change subtly with the seasons, grow over time and bring a tactile, sensory experience to the built environment. More than decoration, an office living wall makes a statement that your company cares about wellness and creating meaningful spaces for their people to thrive.

Connecting green design with brand identity

Living walls offer a unique way to bring your brand identity to life. By combining thoughtful design with natural elements, they create immersive brand experiences that go far beyond traditional décor.

Here is how office living walls can align with your brand:

• Colours and plant selection: Choosing plants with foliage that reflect your brand’s colour palette.
• Design patterns: Geometric layouts, flowing lines or symbolic patterns that reflect your visual identity.
• Storytelling: Use plant textures, shapes or native species to tell a story about your company’s roots, purpose or future vision.

Why biophilic branding works:

• Emotional connection: Humans are naturally drawn to nature. Incorporating greenery into your workplace design fosters feelings of calm, trust and creativity.
• Psychological benefits: Living walls can reduce stress, increase focus and contribute to a sense of wellbeing.
• Authenticity and alignment: When your environment reflects your mission, whether it’s innovation, sustainability or wellness, it reinforces your brand in a tangible way.

Living walls aren’t just beautiful, they are brand assets. They make your values visible for people to connect with them.

Sustainability on show

Living walls are more than design, they are living proof of sustainability in action. Unlike reports or pledges, they provide a daily, visible reminder of your commitment. They support this by:

• Improving air quality by filtering pollutants and producing oxygen levels
• Supporting indoor climate regulation by helping to control temperature
• Contributing to local biodiversity, especially when native or pollinator-friendly species are used

From a business standpoint, living walls can also help support broader environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. They demonstrate proactive steps toward improving workplace wellbeing and reducing environmental impact, two areas often highlighted in ESG reporting.

For certified B Corps or companies working toward that status, green walls visibly align with the B Corp mission of using business as a force for good, especially in areas like workplace environment, ecological impact and transparency.

For companies that have made sustainability pledges or are working toward net-zero or carbon-neutral goals, incorporating an office living wall is a meaningful way to turn ambition into action.

Designing for brand alignment

An office living wall is more than a beautiful backdrop. It can embody who you are. With thoughtful planning, it can become a strategic brand asset.

Align with your brand values

Office living walls can be tailored to reflect specific themes or traits of your brand:

• Innovation: Use clean lines, bold plant contrasts or geometric layouts to create a modern, forward-thinking aesthetic.
• Calm and wellbeing: Choose soft textures, trailing greenery and cool-toned plants to create a soothing, mindful environment.
• Nature and authenticity: Opt for native or seasonal plant species that reflect your connection to the natural world.
• Growth and development: Use plant arrangements that evolve over time or include climbing plants to symbolise ongoing progress.

Think strategically about placement

To make the most impact, consider where your living wall will live within the office:

• Reception areas create a bold first impression
• Breakout or wellness spaces reinforce your commitment to employee wellbeing.
• Open-plan offices or collaborative zones can use living walls as soft dividers that improve focus and air quality.

For maximum visibility, position the wall where foot traffic is high, or where it naturally becomes a focal point, like behind a front desk, along a hallway or as a backdrop in meeting rooms or shared workspaces.

From vision to reality: Office living walls in action

When it comes to office living walls, the impact goes beyond concept. They are already transforming workplaces across the UK. From boosting sustainability credentials to enhancing employee wellbeing, here are a few real-world examples of how businesses are putting green design into action with Viritopia:

88 Wood Street, London

In the heart of London’s financial district, the 88 Wood Street project demonstrates how living walls can deliver both environmental and architectural impact. Viritopia designed and installed a striking multi-story green wall in the building’s central atrium, a space visible from every floor.

 Its integration into a BREEAM-rated building also aligns perfectly with the client’s sustainability objectives, making it a bold statement of their environmental values and a daily reminder of the benefits of biophilic design.

1 New Street Square, London

Sustainability was at the heart of this project. Viritopia designed and installed an expansive office living wall that contributes directly to the building’s environmental targets, supporting air purification and biodiversity while making a bold visual statement about the company’s green values.

27 Mortimer Street, London

Here, the goal was to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the workplace while promoting biophilia. The result? A stunning living wall that adds texture, vibrancy and calm to the space, offering employees a connection to nature in the middle of the city.

SEGRO, Auriol Drive

Designed with a focus on creating a welcoming, green-first workspace. This installation reflects the brand’s emphasis on sustainability and innovation. It is a great example of how living walls can align with both practical environmental goals and brand storytelling.

These projects show how office living walls can be more than a design feature, they can be a strategic tool for expressing purpose, enhancing brand identity and contributing to broader ESG and wellbeing goals.

Bring your office to life with Viritopia

At Viritopia, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Every living wall we create is tailored to reflect your company’s unique identity, values and sustainability goals. Whether you are aiming to reduce your carbon footprint, boost employee wellbeing or make a bold brand statement, we help bring that vision to life.

Ready to explore how a living wall can transform your workspace? Book a consultation and discover what’s possible when your office design meets your mission.