Offices choose artificial green walls for one core reason: they deliver the biophilic look that workplaces want in exactly the spaces where living walls cannot survive, which is most offices. Interior walls, corridors and meeting rooms rarely have the light for real plants, and facility managers do not want irrigation systems above electrical services. Artificial panels solve both and cost a fraction to run.
The evidence behind greening a workplace
The business case is not purely aesthetic. A field study led by Marlon Nieuwenhuis of Cardiff University, with the universities of Exeter, Groningen and Queensland, ran three experiments in real commercial offices in the UK and the Netherlands. Published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied in 2014, it found that enriching a bare, lean office with greenery raised productivity by around 15%, alongside improvements in reported concentration, air quality perception and workplace satisfaction. It was the first study of its kind conducted in working offices rather than a laboratory, and it directly challenged the lean, clear-desk orthodoxy.
One honest caveat, because it matters for specification. That research measured live plants, not artificial. What it establishes is that visible greenery in a workspace has measurable effects on how people feel and perform. Artificial panels are chosen where live planting cannot realistically survive or be maintained, which in most office interiors is the practical reality. Treat the research as the case for greening the space, and the panel as the method that works in a windowless corridor.
Where they work in an office
Reception feature walls behind the logo, meeting room accent walls, corridor runs that break up long sightlines, cafeteria and breakout zones, and freestanding hedge dividers that split open-plan floors without construction. Wheeled planters make dividers reconfigurable when teams move, which facilities teams appreciate more than any other feature.
The practical case
No irrigation lines, no drainage, no grow lighting, no horticultural contract, no plant replacement budget. Cleaning is a monthly dust with a microfibre head. Our cost comparison guide runs the five-year numbers against living walls; for most office installs the artificial option costs less in year one than a living wall costs to maintain annually.
Planning the install
Panels are 40in x 40in covering 11 sq ft; measure the wall and divide by 11 as shown in the panel count guide. Per square foot costs are broken down in the cost guide. On drywall, use the screw and plug kits from install parts. For fit-outs subject to fire code, read our fire rating guide and specify accordingly; the same considerations covered in our hospitality spec guide apply to commercial offices.
Style direction
Corporate fit-outs usually run boxwood or laurel looks for a tailored effect; creative workplaces lean tropical and mixed-foliage styles from the green wall range. Style selection within boxwood is covered in the 40x40 boxwood panel guide. Order samples and check them under your actual office lighting; LED color temperature changes how foliage reads. Trade pricing is available for larger projects via our trade program. More guides in the Expert Tips and Guides hub.
Source: Nieuwenhuis, M., Knight, C., Postmes, T., & Haslam, S. A. (2014). The relative benefits of green versus lean office space: Three field experiments. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 20(3), 199-214.