If you’re green and you know it, show it off–making your sustainable building standards visible has more benefits than you may think.
As businesses increasingly prioritize sustainability and wellness in their built environments, achieving LEED and WELL Building certifications has become a mark of distinction.
However, many of the features that contribute to these certifications remain unseen—improvements in air quality, energy efficiency, and water conservation are vital but not always visible to employees, clients, and visitors. This is where moss walls serve as an elegant and tangible representation of a company’s commitment to sustainability, providing an immediate visual and sensory impact that reinforces LEED and WELL standards.
Moss Wall by The Fat Plant Society for Hill’s Pet Corporate Headquarters
The Visual Impact of Green Walls
A company’s environmental initiatives should be more than just a checklist—they should be experienced. Green walls, particularly preserved moss walls, create an immersive, biophilic design element that instantly communicates a space’s dedication to sustainability and well-being. Unlike traditional artwork or wall coverings, moss walls engage multiple senses, offering texture, depth, and a natural aesthetic that softens interiors and enhances workplace ambiance. Their organic patterns and vibrant green hues provide a direct connection to nature, aligning with the biophilic principles encouraged in WELL Building Standard guidelines.
According to Dr. Stephen Kellert, a pioneer in biophilic design,
The integration of natural elements into interior spaces can significantly enhance psychological and physiological well-being.
-Stephen Kellert
Studies, such as those published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, indicate that biophilic design elements, including moss walls, improve mood and cognitive function.
How Moss Walls Support LEED and WELL Certifications
LEED Certification:
Moss walls contribute to several key LEED categories, including:
- Sustainable Materials: Preserved moss requires no soil, irrigation, or additional energy inputs, making it an eco-friendly choice that reduces a building’s overall water and energy footprint.
- Indoor Environmental Quality: LEED prioritizes interior environments that enhance occupant well-being. Moss walls help absorb sound, reduce stress, and contribute to overall workplace comfort without emitting VOCs or allergens.
- Innovation in Design: LEED awards points for innovative design strategies that enhance sustainability. A moss installation serves as a creative and impactful way to reinforce a company’s green building efforts.
Two men stand on ladders while installing a large moss wall at a corporate office.
WELL Building Standard:
Moss walls directly support WELL’s mission of fostering healthier spaces by enhancing multiple categories:
- Mind & Comfort: The presence of nature indoors has been proven to reduce stress and improve cognitive function. Moss walls bring a natural element into the built environment, fostering mental well-being.
- Acoustic Comfort: Offices and commercial spaces benefit from moss walls’ natural sound-dampening properties, improving focus and reducing noise pollution.
- Air Quality: Unlike living walls, which may require misting or irrigation that can introduce mold or allergens, dormant moss is hypoallergenic and requires no maintenance while maintaining the aesthetic and biophilic benefits of greenery.
A 2020 study published in Building and Environment highlights how biophilic elements, including preserved moss, contribute to healthier and more sustainable workplaces by reducing employee stress and enhancing cognitive performance. Additionally, a report from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) states that “visual connections to nature are among the most effective design strategies for promoting well-being in the workplace.”
Moss Map by The Fat Plant Society for Heart to Heart International
A Visible Commitment to Green Building Standards
Moss walls not only enhance indoor environments but also serve as a statement piece, a striking reminder of a company’s commitment to sustainability. While LEED and WELL certifications are typically acknowledged with plaques or documentation, a beautifully integrated moss wall brings these values to life, making them an integral part of daily workplace interactions.
By incorporating moss walls into their commercial spaces, businesses can transform their sustainability efforts from abstract concepts into tangible, visible design elements that inspire employees, clients, and visitors alike. In an era where environmental responsibility and wellness are becoming central to corporate identity, moss walls stand as a compelling, low-maintenance, and highly impactful way to showcase a dedication to LEED and WELL Building Standards.
Enhancing Your Green Brand
It will be no surprise that many consumers make their purchase decisions (large and small) based on the stated environmental impact of the product or service. Clients often make decisions based on the sustainability practices of a company and increasingly, consumers make purchase decisions based on the environmental practices and seek to identify themselves with companies that are green-compliant and demonstrate a concern for the planet.
Green branding and marketing (environmental advertising, and green word-of-mouth) and green psychological benefits (warm glow, self-expressive benefits, and nature experience) moderate the relationships between customer value, attitude towards the green product and green purchase intention.
In marketing terms, ABC refers to Attitude-Behavior-Context.
This theory assumes that people act consistently with their expectations from specific actions because we like to make purchase decisions that align with our values. In recent years and especially in the face of climate change, we have seen significant increases in Americans putting their dollars where their values lie so there is a lot to be gained as environmentalism and care for our natural environment returns to the forefront of our concerns.
So greening your space with sustainable moss and other greenery is an investment worth making. There is a significant, positive impact in the form of brand value, traffic, revenue, recruitment, retention, and of course productivity amongst all team members.
It’s a means of demonstrating those LEED and WELL certifications which will remain the right thing to do and it’s an investment in your well-being and that of your team.