Green Air
Overview and Objectives
The Victor Apartments comprises 56 apartments and eight penthouses, as well as ground-floor retail and
hospitality. The defining feature of this building is the incredible, full-height ‘living’ atrium brought to life
with greenery and intersected by criss-crossed sky bridges that provide resident access to their homes.
Within the entrance, guests are greeted by an 11-meter-wide and 3.8-meter-high stacked plant wall to
create a living wall feature. The inside of the building then opens up to a full-height atrium of five levels.
Eleven green walls, each 1 meter wide and 2.8 meters high, were incorporated across four levels of the
atrium. On the opposite side of the green walls, we created a bespoke balustrade planter to help visually
break down the ‘mass’ of the building and soften the overall look. Additional low-floor standing trough
were scattered on the levels to further connect the overall design.
All these plantscape elements allow the guests to have a constant connection with nature from the
moment the entered the building, transition through the space and to the last moment before entering
their apartment. This lasting experience is crucial to maximise the benefits of biophilic design to
ultimately create environments that support human well-being. We believe this installation has a positive impact on the residents in how they start and end their day.
Execution and Milestones
We were brought on board by The Victor’s developer at a very early stage of the design process. His big
vision, from the outset, was for a landmark building with a plant-filled atrium and cascading plants. Our
brief from him was simple… here’s the render, how do we make this happen?
In total, over 2,000 individual plants were required, 90 percent of which were propagated and grown in our
greenhouse nursery. This process has involved a huge amount of planning and took eight months to
complete, to ensure that all the plants were well-established.
We approached the atrium with a carefully considered plant design strategy, recognising that conditions
shifted dramatically from the lower to the upper levels. The atrium features a full-height skylight, flooding
the space with natural light, but this created a gradient of environments rather than uniform conditions.
At the base, light is lower, requiring shade-tolerant species. As we moved upward, the intensity of direct
light and humidity increased, demanding more resilient and sun-loving plants. By tailoring the plant palette
to each zone, we ensured that every level thrives and a flourishing vertical ecosystem.
Innovation and Sustainability Integration
Our green wall system is the result of years of industry experience and innovation. Each panel is
constructed with durable felt pockets designed for strength, stability, and long-term performance. The
system provides a safe, pH-neutral growing medium that encourages strong root development and reliable
plant health.
The felt allows roots to grow directly into the fabric, ensuring consistent water distribution and preventing
plants from becoming root-bound. These optimal growing conditions support a wide variety of plant
species, while additional individual felt wraps around each root system allow for easy installation and
replacement.
Consequently, at just 60kg per square metre when saturated, our green wall systems are among the
lightest on the market. This provides a significant advantage when designing and engineering the building
itself.
The walls are fully irrigated and controlled by strategically timed watering cycles, ensuring each green wall
receives the precise moisture it needs based on its location and environmental conditions. This reduces
water waste, supports plant resilience, and lowers overall maintenance inputs, making the system both
environmentally responsible and resource-efficient.
The engineered balustrading system was designed to integrate seamlessly with standard glass
balustrades, transforming functional safety barriers into living architectural features. Each section
incorporates secure planting modules that allow foliage to cascade into the atrium below. The system is
fully engineered rated, ensuring compliance with safety standards while introducing a distinctive biophilic
element.
Maintenance and Longevity
The media that plants are sitting in is a newly developed hydro-culture media, making it is semi
hydroponic, which allows us to use a system that requires a lot less water. The other advantage of the
media we are using is that it is very lightweight, which is an important factor when you consider the
complex structures and the engineering required for large planstcapes.
This plant media also has high water-absorbing properties to store water and release it when required by
the plants. The sterile mix maintains a neutral pH balance. When used appropriately, the nature of its
sterile properties provides an environment in which soil-born pests and diseases cannot survive. The high
drainage supports healthy root system and limits rotting which allows us to increase plant varieties,
including New Zealand natives.
To ensure long-term success, the site is serviced on a fortnightly basis by specialist horticultural
technicians. In addition, the green walls are maintained by trained abseilers every few months, ensuring
the entire installation is expertly serviced and kept in optimal condition. This careful balance of innovative
media and professional maintenance supports the health and diversity of the planting.
INDUSTRY NEWS
POSTED 11/2025
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