Michael Furbish sees life these days in shades of green “the darker the better.” After all, pale imitations and downright imposters of green products deluge the country—but Furbish is “the real thing.”
Though straw bale walls, solar and geothermal radiant HVAC systems, and living roofs are his standard fare, Furbish is especially excited about two innovative technologies catching on in the mid-Atlantic region: living wall biofilters and vegetated retaining walls.
Living Wall Biofilter
Living Wall Biofilters
Engineered by the Ontario-based Air Quality Solutions, living wall biofilters are porous interior walls planted with an array of lush, easy-to-care for plants. For the most part, living walls incorporate such standard tropical houseplants as ficus, hibiscus, philodendron, ferns, schefflera, and peace lily. The plants grow hydroponically, without dirt, “in a structural media that allows air to pass through.” The cascading greenery acts as a giant “air filter.” In fact, an approximately 110-square-foot wall can filter the air for a 7,500 square foot building. How does it work? Toxins and harmful VOC’s pass naturally through the plant’s root mass and are metabolized into nutrients. “The plant does this elegantly,” says Furbish, who explains that the plant breaks down and processes the toxins until they simply do not exist anymore. This is far preferable, he notes, to store-bought filters that must be disposed of in a landfill or toxic waste dump. Many owners and managers of commercial buildings are becoming captivated by this beautiful way to clean the air though there are not yet many residential applications. Furbish hopes this will change in the near future as the cost of the biotechnology comes down.
Vegetated Retaining Walls
An alternative to heat-producing concrete retaining walls often used in both commercial and residential settings, the vegetated variety is comprised of structural “modules” filled with a wide variety of plantings chosen specifically for each site. For example, says Furbish, sedums and vines are a good planting choice for a low-maintenance green space without high quality soils. To cultivate the look of a natural habitat, native non-invasive plants and grasses could be planted. “The plant palette is wide open,” says Furbish. Benefits can include cooling down the “heat envelope,” managing storm water run-off, and creating a friendly “green” space that is tranquil and soothing to the eye. Furbish notes that vegetative walls are becoming popular in this region as the population grows and commercial and residential development increases. “They’re simply more inviting to occupy,” says Furbish. Developers want customers to feel welcomed and a green wall tends to do this, explains Furbish.
On the Horizon
In a state of perpetual creativity and motion, Furbish and his team strive to be ahead of the cutting edge, looking for innovations still in the pipeline and just developing across the nation and worldwide. Adept at retrofitting “green” applications onto existing technologies or working from the ground up, the Furbish Company understands the latest green developments and has its radar tuned to what lies ahead in the great green beyond.
Kymberly Taylor is the Assistant Editor of ChesapeakeHome.
Sources:
Furbish Company: furbishco.com or 443-874-7465
Air Quality Solutions: natureaire.com
