Grant Map EU

The Subito Advising company implements innovative research and development projects. Innovative green technology is being developed under the 4NatureSystem brand – Verticalization, enabling the introduction of nature in the form of live plants to places where it is important to reduce care processes. He develops his products with the best specialists in the field of work ergonomics, design and optimal plant cultivation.

The subject of the project was to develop a significantly improved innovative product, which is a mobile vertical garden – a ready module with a built-in irrigation system. The scope of the project included cooperation with two research institutions. Cooperation with the Institute of Industrial Design involved the development of a new design project in functional and visual terms. The cooperation with the Institute of Horticulture was aimed at the best possible refinement of plant cultivation parameters in a vertical system, acquiring new knowledge regarding aspects of plant cultivation in specific conditions including soilless conditions, parameters of the substrate used and plant species as well as indicating solutions that will contribute to developing the highest quality product – a safe vertical garden with a beneficial effect on human health. The project assumed conducting research on improving the technology of building various variants of vertical gardens in terms of construction materials – durable, including resistant to weather conditions. As a result, a product was created with much better visual and functional design, more user-friendly and refined in terms of growing conditions and parameters.

Project goals:The aim of the project was to prepare an innovative product – a small green wall of live plants, which will be automatically irrigated and easy to install inside and outside the building. Experts from two research centers have been involved in the development of this mobile vertical garden. The Institute of Industrial Design has redesigned the design of the originally used system, focusing on the functionality and visual effect of the new product and using design thinking methodology. IWP also prepared a marketing and sales strategy. The Institute of Horticulture has developed optimal conditions for growing plants in a vertical system, focusing on a beneficial effect on human health. Specialists conducted research on improving the technology of building vertical gardens in terms of construction materials, so that the finished product is durable and resistant to weather conditions. As a result of these works, a visually attractive, functional and user-friendly product was created, ready to be placed on the market not only Polish, but also European.

Standard green walls, or vertical gardens, are large wall-mounted structures that require electrical and plumbing connections. An innovative solution in the developed project is the combination of advanced technology, nature and good design. The 4Nature Smart product uses the latest technology – irrigation and lighting is intelligently controlled via a mobile application on the phone. Thanks to this, operation is simple and plant care is minimized. The product is characterized by sophisticated design, mobility and modularity. Simple assembly and disassembly makes it possible to move the green wall to another room or building, and all you need to install is an electrical outlet. When selecting plants, the ability of the species to moisturize and remove contaminants from the air is taken into account. Therefore, the product improves not only the mood of people in the room, but also the quality of the air they breathe.

Project meaning:As part of the project, 4Nature Smart was created – a designer plant frame controlled from the phone. The result of design work is also the proprietary technology of the 4Nature System modular vertical gardens, which is the basis for all 4Nature System products – Vertics: e.g. a new line of mobile walls in the loft style (4Nature Basic) and green walls made to size (4Nature Wall). An application was submitted to the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland, and utility models were registered in the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (Alicante).

The innovation, functionality and design of our products has been recognized by the jury of the Good Design 2018 competition – we received the main prize in the service category. Automatically controlled and irrigated green walls were present at the “Designed in Poland” booth organized by PAIH at IMM 2019, and based on the 4Nature System technology, a prototype of green furniture (conference booth) attracted interest at ORGATEC 2018. The 4Nature Smart product was also appreciated IMM in Cologne a year earlier, in 2018 – we received the ARCHITONIC award.

The 4Nature System technology developed as part of the project is used in a new project financed by the National Center for Research and Development, (which will result in the development of an innovative line of office furniture combined with vegetation. As part of the grant in cooperation with the Polish Association of Ecological Construction (PLGBC) and the Silesian University of Technology, a study was carried out on the impact of vegetation on the comfort of office workers. In 10 large companies (e.g. SKANSKA, IKEA, PKO BP), for 12 weeks, with the participation of 93 employees and 34 plant prototypes, we analyzed the impact of living nature on office workers. It was checked how the air parameters change, employees’ feelings were also analyzed. The results are very interesting and confirm the need for contact with nature in the office.)

In the beneficiary’s opinion:”By introducing technologically advanced solutions from live plants, we act soothingly to hurrying people, we affect their health by providing purified and moisturized air. The modularity of the 4NatureSystem solution allows you to add dedicated functionalities (aromatherapy, mechanical air purification from low suspended dusts). The ICT platform responsible for plant care processes based on machine learning, built into 4NatureSystem, enables integration with a building management system (BMS) and ensures minimization of plant maintenance costs. This is part of the sustainable development of society and supports green construction. ”