How do we make the world greener at Flora Urbanica? Read our story

Nature is the greatest inspiration for humanity. It gave birth to many inventions, previously unimaginable, but now very common. Our system for the green walls – Flora Panel – is no different. It creates the best possible environment for plants to breathe life into our grey cities. So why did we take this path and what preceded the creation of the Flora Panel?

But before we get into the details of our story, did you know, that: 

• The Velcro was created by examining a spike from the Burdock plant, where thanks to the microscope we could see little hooks, that makes them so sticky?
• The teeth of lumberjacks have been already invented by the jaws of Longhorn beetle larvae? 
• Reflective vests have their origin in cat eyes, which reflect bright light back at night?
• Bulletproof vests, surgical sutures and special ropes were made 10x stronger thanks to analyses of Madagascar spider’s web?

We have so much to learn from mother nature. And this is where our story begins…

How do we merge nature into grey cities?

Luboš Machala, one of the founding members of Flora Urbanica, has dedicated his entire life to the study of growing techniques and plants. As a child, he worked in a family business that specializes in growing trees in plant nurseries. When deciding what to do with his life, nature was a clear choice.

During his university studies in garden architecture management, he was fascinated by green walls and roofs – a system that allows him to grow live plants on structures that cover the entire roof of the house or the exterior facade.

This is where his dream was born – A company that will bring nature into people’s everyday lives. To gain more knowledge in this field, he travelled to St. Tropéz in 2010. There he found the best system of green walls at the time – from sphagnum. 

Attempts to create his own system based on growing in sphagnum and stainless steel structures enabled him to establish the company Arch Vegetal in 2013, which was one of the first in the Czech Republic to build green walls and roofs. In 2014, we built the largest vertical garden in the Czech Republic, for which we received several awards for architecture and LEED Gold certification.

Enthusiasm and hard work pays off

Nevertheless, development continued and gardening companies began to focus more on the sustainability of green walls. Where complex and expensive for sphagnum walls had no place. However, there was no system on the market that would meet our demands and our clients. So we started doing it ourselves.

Ten years of experience with building the green walls and intensive research bears fruit. Our drawings became reality and at the beginning of 2020 Flora Panel was born. Along with it, we created a new company – Flora Urbanica, to create solutions that will bring nature back into our lives.

What is the main message of Flora Panel?

An universal solution that will make your house unique. We designed the system to suit even the most demanding clients and meet high requirements, but it is so simple to use that you can build it yourself at home.

What other benefits does the Flora Panel offer?

• Use of various growing techniques – substrate, semi hydroponics or hydroponics.
• It does not waste water – it supplies plants with exactly as much water as they require. 
• 100% recyclable – Flora Panel is made only of polypropylene and aluminium, which prolongs product lifetime and is fully recyclable. 
• Suitable for the exterior – Material is equipped with UV stabilizers, which brings longevity to your green facades. 
• Jungle in the interior – various tropical plants will bring new life into your bedroom, as well as offices and receptions.

Symbol of sustainability and detail 

There are several green wall systems on the market, but the demands of clients who want a cheap and at the same time high-quality solution are growing.

However, we provide them with this solution thanks to many years of experience. “We have been working in this field long enough and we have seen a lot of mistakes that have been made in the implementation of green walls. We have therefore designed the professional Flora Panel system to eliminate these errors. We have thus met the demanding requirements of our customers,” explain it’s product founder Luboš Machala. “We are glad that thanks to this simple and sustainable solution, our cities will become even greener,” adds co-founder Filip Goldman.

Simple and fast maintenance

As plants are constantly changing and evolving, it is crucial to create a system that lasts a long time and saves time and money. What makes Flora Panel unique? The easy exchange of plants in the Flora Panel allows, unlike other growing methods, to immediately revive the green wall or exchange old, unsightly or diseased plants.

Growing technique variability

Long-term cultivation of plants in green walls proved to be the best in hydroponics. Of course, you can still use the good old organic substrate, which is cheaper. If you want a green wall or a façade think for yourself, for how many years your investment should last. Because the chosen growing technique and the final price of the product depend on it.

Long-term investment

Do you want your green wall system to have to be rebuilt after a few years, which can be expensive, or do you prefer to use a system that allows you to grow plants for a long time without interfering with the system, i.e. no renovations or repairs are needed? These criteria are also one of the most important investment factors for developers, who focus mainly on the price-performance ratio.

Effortless living pictures

Living pictures are an ideal solution for people who want to revitalize their home and are not looking for a complex green wall or facade. The green colour calms the mind and a living object in the room brings joy. Plants have always belonged to our lives and homes, we love them and we like to take care of them. 

Při vývoji systému Flora Panel jsme mysleli i na ty, kteří s pěstováním rostlin nemají zkušenosti nebo s tím někdy bojují. Údržba zeleného obrazu je proto co nejjednodušší, stačí ho zalít pouze jednou za tři týdny a díky modernímu způsobu pěstování v hydroponii zůstává okolní prostředí krásně čisté a rostliny šťastné. Pěstování ve Flora Potech umožňuje libovolnou manipulaci s rostlinami a tím přizpůsobení nebo měnění designu dle vlastního přání. 

Work that gives us purpose and meaning

We have already made dozens of green walls and pictures, which can be seen mainly in Brno and Prague. We cooperate with VUT Brno on the R&D. Their expertise will shine new light on the benefit of green walls. Together with our partner Isover, we developed the most sustainable solution for the green facade – Extensive facade.

“We enjoy our work and we love our product. We really enjoy overcoming any challenges, and so working with nature gives us a sense of purpose,” says the founders of Flora Urbanica. You can view our green paintings, walls and the Flora Panel itself in the portfolio and order it in the e-shop. We will be happy to bring nature into your lives!