A new sanctuary has evolved within the urban landscape. The beauty of traditional outdoor landscape is now being successfully incorporated within an indoor environment. The trend to bring the design of the landscape into the design of the interior can be seen at large shopping malls, corporate headquarters, and medical facilities. These green oases filled with lush live trees and bushes have become critical elements in the quality of life for people who visit the site or for employees who work at the building. Workers, shoppers and onlookers can find solace in these tranquil indoor settings. For Landscape Architects and those who specify, these environments present a wonderful new business and creative opportunity.

Nowhere are these indoor gardens more appreciated than in Northern cities. The importance of these indoor settings in cold weather cities is especially apparent during winter months. Having the ability to escape to a world of tropical foliage, even for a short while, can contribute greatly to one's peace of mind. The importance of interior landscaping cannot be overemphasized but is often overlooked in favor of exterior plantings. Both areas of expertise should be fully appreciated with practitioners of each discipline working together to achieve harmony.

For those of you who specify, this may present a challenge. Landscape Architects are trained more thoroughly in exterior applications than they are in interiors. This problem can be easily resolved by partnering with an interior scaper who is capable of assisting in the specification work. Working together, a single design concept can be applied to both environments if desired.

Plant Materials For Both Applications

The Medical Arts Atrium Building in Hawthorne, New York, is home to one of the most spectacular indoor gardens in the country. Specimen Scheffelera and Ficus benjamina thrive in the bucolic setting. More than 40 tons of native stone create pathways and water features at the site. The location is a prime example of how the beauty of traditional landscape can be applied to indoor applications.

Material elements such as rock or mulch can be matched for both indoor and outdoor use. A path can begin indoors and be carried through a glass wall or window to the outdoors. Groundcover plantings like English ivy can be used in both environments as well, and exterior pine trees can relate to internal Norfolk Island pine and Podocarpus. Where Pittosporum and Rhododendron are used, Scheffelera arboricola is very similar material. Seasonal flowering plants like Begonias, Azaleas, and Chrysthanthemums work well either way and can be used for both types of applications.

What justifies the creation of these wonderful environments? For one thing, they can improve worker productivity in office buildings or corporations. In addition, plants can also enhance and contribute to the success of retail environments by increasing traffic to the area.

A wide range of design concepts have been utilized in these spaces. Some feature unique specimen varieties which tend to have high impact on visitors. Eleven groves of 40-45' Bamboo were the focal point in one urban garden. Another showcased sixteen perfectly matched 35-40' Washingtonia robusta palms. It would be difficult to create more dramatic settings while using only one plant variety.

More diverse plantings are found in many indoor gardens located within office buildings. Some follow a temperate theme and somewhat reflect the exterior environment of Northern cities. In this respect, nature itself helps provide an easy transition from interior to exterior. Gardens consisting of a diverse pallet of tropical varieties can be particularly refreshing during winter months.

The Wellness Factor

Institutions have become a key market for interiorscapes with major hospitals creating large areas dedicated to atrium plantings. One such facility mirrored an exterior city park located across the street. Designers also installed streetlights within the planter boxes to match those in the park. Another location contains three separate atriums featuring 20-25' Ficus trees. In these areas, patients and their visitors can enjoy a wonderful setting that may also have therapeutic benefits. For those who are confined to their rooms, planter boxes filled with bushes and flowers can be placed directly outside their windows.

Libraries, museums, foundations, and societies are also featuring plants in their new facilities. In one case, a stunning Garden Room was used to join two existing structures with four 20-25 Black Olive trees serving as the anchor plantings, while the perimeter walls are covered with Ficus repens and flowering Clerodendron vines. In addition, museums now offer exhibits that require plantings. Most dramatic are the many butterfly conservatories. These are wonderful showcases for exotic tropical varieties and nectar bearing plants.

Increasing Traffic

Shopping malls continue to be an excellent source of business, although design concepts have changed significantly. Large built-in planter boxes have been replaced with attractive forms of individual planters. The prerequisite Ficus tree is a thing of the past. Specimen palms now highlight many malls around the country. Most recently, one project's focal point took the form of two 300' long by 40' high topiary ivy walls leaving shoppers fascinated by the site. One architectural critic called the location "a carefully sculptured indoor idyll of leafy arbors".

Hotels are also benefiting from bringing nature indoors. Not only do they utilize interior foliage, they are typically heavy users of flowering material. Lobbies, some in the form of atriums, provide the opportunity to utilize large plants with interesting planters. Using concentrations of seasonal flowers has been known to have maximum visual impact. At certain times of the year, interior and exterior florals can even be coordinated to blend in together.

Reason For Interiorscaping

The New York Marriott in Brooklyn demonstrate the immediate impact of indoor landscaping. The setting features lush tropical plantings dominated by Kentia palms at the street level and around the escalator up to the main lobby, where visitors are greeted by 8-10' White Bird of Paradise.

There are many reasons why prospective clients should incorporate live plantings into their interiors. The most obvious reason lies in the aesthetic appeal of green plants and colorful flowers. The initial impact is spectacular and with professional maintenance will remain that way. In addition, particularly in retail and hospitality sectors, the beauty of plants can improve business. Foot traffic increases when potential buyers are comfortable in the environment. When it comes to choosing a hotel, many people make their decision based on the hotel's physical appearance. Think of someone going back to their room on a cold, bleak winter day and walking into a lobby filled with bright colored seasonal flowers. For the cost, few other design elements have such an impact.

Another important reason for interiorscaping is that plants are known to have a calming, soothing, relaxing effect. In studies involving the use of plants in the workplace, Dr. Virginia Lohr of Washington State University found that people were 12% more productive and less stressed when working in an environment that involved live plants. Results of a moderating influence of plants on blood pressure were found in Dr. Lohr's studies and are consistent with other research.

NASA research conducted by Dr. B.C. Wolverton concluded that plants could eliminate 87% of toxins found in indoor air within a 24 hour period. These toxins originate in carpets, furniture, paper products, paints and copy machines to name a few sources. Just think how much healthier an indoor environment can be when well planted.

In upcoming months, much more information will be available about the necessity of interior planting. Just underway is the PLANTS AT WORK initiative which is an effort funded by various segments of the interior landscape industry in North America. Over the next three years, much publicity will be given to the need for and benefits of live plantings in interior spaces. This should enlighten potential end users and stimulate the marketplace for this type of application.

Getting The Right Materials

Plants and decorative containers can be purchased or leased. The lease option is helpful when projects have gone over budget. Obviously, the earlier that plants are discussed in a project timeline, the greater the chance that funds will be available. Early involvement also helps to address issues such as lighting , planting pits, access and water availability. All of these issues can be particularly critical in larger spaces with specimen plants.

As a specifier, the key to success will be formulating the right team. Select a reputable interior landscape contractor to partner with in your presentations to your client. The interior scaper can be a great resource on availability of plants and planters. Most visit nurseries in Florida on a regular basis and maintain relationships with various planter manufacturers. This partnership eliminates unnecessary sourcing. The contractor can also call upon previous experience to solve special problems.