BENGALURU : Who would have thought that the humble mosses which often grow unnoticed in our backyards would become such a piece-de-resistance of home decor? Moss walls, moss terrariums and even moss graffiti are capturing urban imagination, thanks to their low maintenance and design-friendliness.
A PERCEPTION U-TURN
Mosses belong to the earliest category of plants. They are not typically plant-like in that they do not have developed roots. Instead, they absorb moisture and nutrients from the air. This makes them capable of growing on any surface, even without soil. This property of growing anywhere, sometimes uninvited, once created an industry of moss-cleaning in the west. But now, in a U turn, architects around the world are returning to using moss to cover building facades, creating a sense of primitive, unorchestrated nature in the middle of cities.
BIOPHILIC DESIGN
This movement is inspired by the idea of ‘Biophilic Design’– a theory that states that humans evolved in nature, hence long for closeness to it, and mimicking nature in buildings has a therapeutic effect on them. Mosses, with their raw feel, are considered effective in evoking such a sense of being amidst nature.
MAINTENANCE
Moss walls are also gaining in popularity because they are relatively low maintenance. Even if they dry out, they come back to life when it rains. However, not many people are comfortable living with a dry look in dry season. In order to keep them green, mosses need to be misted regularly. Also, mosses need sunlight, which rules them out from being used indoors, which is where urbanites spend the chunk of their time and need more Biophilic interventions.
MAINTENANCE-FREE ALTERNATIVES
In response to this need, the plantscaping industry found a solution in natural preservation technologies. Mosses are now available in ‘stabilised’ forms, where their sap is replaced with a natural humidifier. Stabilised mosses need no water, no sunlight, and do not grow any further. These can thrive virtually maintenance-free in any indoor environment with ambient humidity above 40%, which is typically the case with air-conditioned buildings.
AIR-CLEANING ART
Stabilised moss-walls are also generating enthusiasm among architects and interior designers because they can get creative with them. Since mosses can be formed into any shape, a moss-wall can indeed be a work of art. Stabilised mosses also clean toxins commonly found in air-conditioned buildings and absorb noise, combining health and aesthetic benefits.
(The author is co-founder of greenopia.co)
MOSS VS PLANT WALLS
Most stabilised moss walls currently use non-Indian species, which have a much lusher look compared with the sparser Indian moss. This drives up their upfront cost. However, their lifetime cost turns out to be less than half of regular plant-based walls, owing to the savings made on maintenance. The idea of using moss as an aesthetic element is still catching up in India, but with imaginative installations, architects are paving the way.