How to become a Living Wall Installer

Living Wall Installer

Creating and installing vertical green spaces

What do Living Wall Installer do?

A living wall installer specialises in creating vertical gardens, often called green walls or living walls. Their work involves designing, constructing, and maintaining walls covered in vegetation. Living walls can range from small indoor installations to large outdoor structures.

A living wall is a structure covered with vegetation that grows vertically rather than horizontally. It incorporates plants into the design of a wall using soil, hydroponic systems, or other mediums for plant growth. These walls can be installed indoors or outdoors and are often used for aesthetic appeal, environmental benefits, or even functional purposes like improving air quality and insulation.

Living walls come in various designs, from modular systems with pre-planted panels to custom-built installations. They can feature flowering plants, ferns, succulents, mosses, or even edibles like herbs and vegetables. Aside from their striking appearance, they’re known to reduce noise pollution, lower temperatures in urban areas, and boost mental well-being.

Living walls can be found in a variety of settings, both indoors and outdoors.

In outside urban areas living walls are often used to beautify cityscapes or reduce urban heat. They may be found on the sides of buildings, car parks, or along streets and roads. Residential spaces sometimes feature green walls as a design element or as a way to maximise greenery in compact spaces.

Living walls may also be found in indoor spaces such as office buildings where they can help improve the look and feel of a space and improve indoor air quality. In commercial spaces such as shopping centres, hotels, and restaurants, they can create a sense of luxury and calm, and connection to nature.

Places like airports, schools, libraries, and hospitals use green walls for their calming and eco-friendly impact.

Installing living walls is a growing area of horticulture and landscaping activity especially in urban areas where sustainability and green infrastructure are becoming more important. The demand for living walls is on the rise.

If you want to become a living wall installer, you’ll need a mix of technical, creative, and practical skills.

 

Horticultural Knowledge is  essential. Understanding plants, their growth patterns, and maintenance needs is crucial for creating sustainable green walls.

 

  • Design Skills: A good eye for aesthetics and the ability to plan layouts that are both functional and visually appealing.
  • Construction Skills: Familiarity with tools, materials, and techniques for installing structures that support living walls.
  • Irrigation Systems: Knowledge of how to set up and maintain irrigation systems to ensure plants receive adequate water.
  • Problem-Solving: The ability to troubleshoot issues like plant health, structural stability, or irrigation problems.
  • Physical Stamina: The job often involves lifting, climbing, and working in various weather conditions.
  • Teamwork and Communication: Collaborating with clients, architects, and other professionals to bring projects to life.

Roles include living wall installers, designers, and maintenance specialists. There is the demand for practical skills such as carpentry, plumbing, and irrigation, as well as traditional horticulture and landscaping knowledge.  Knowledge and understanding of horticulture and construction drawings may also beneficial.

 

With ongoing training you could advance to project management or design roles. This expanding sector also offers opportunities to work on prestigious projects across the world – especially in urban centres.

Living Wall Installer Projected Earnings

£26,000 -£35,000

Skills & Atributes Needed

  • Horticultural Knowledge
  • Pest and Disease Identification skills
  • Technical and Engineering Skills
  • Communication Skills
  • Teamwork
  • Problem Solving Skills

Careers you may also find interesting…

Not sure which career would suit your personality?

Career Quiz Finder

Find Out Which Landscaping Careers would suit you best and learn about the full variety of industry occupations.
Drainage Engineer
Drainage Engineer
A drainage engineer designs, implements, and maintains systems to manage water and wastewater, ensuring efficient flow, preventing flooding, and protecting infrastructure and the environment. …
garden centre assistant
Garden Centre Assistant
A garden or plant centre worker assists in managing the store and looking after all the horticultural elements of the business….