TA-23-C082 – IEQ Project at a Children’s Library

University students designed a small Biowall for a new children’s wing of a public library as a service learning project. A Biowall is an aesthetically pleasing plant-based wall that also gradually removes contaminants from the air in a building by circulating it through the loose growth media where the plants are grown. The Biowall device consists of a stainless steel frame mounted into the recess of a wall, with separate sub-systems for controlling the air, water, and lights used to sustain the plants. Key aspects of the design were CFD and psychrometric analyses of the growth media to achieve air flow and moisture levels for optimal plant health and air cleaning. Although this Biowall is too small to make a substantial contribution to air cleaning in the large building, the installation is an engaging way to introduce concepts like Indoor Environmental Quality and sustainability to children who visit the library.