EILO's annual green trip to Amsterdam with Plant Designs

EILO (European Interior Landscaping Organisation) is the leading association for interior landscaping and indoor green spaces, bringing professionals together from across Europe as a knowledge base to share expertise and inspire future sector development.

On this green excursion, Plant Designs joined almost 70 colleagues and experts in our industry in learning and exchange, whilst taking a look at the Netherland’s most impressive planting companies and projects.

A company that operates globally, and one we use extensively here at Plant Designs, Nieuwkoop is a nursery that specialises in imported plant cultivation. They provide planters and plants that are perfectly acclimatised to indoor climate conditions.

We split off into groups to learn about the logistics of the company and the full process of how to acclimatise large plants and trees. We also learned about how they had developed a spray booth system using water-based paints to custom spray their pots to any colour the client wishes. But perhaps most interesting and innovative was what was essentially a plant version of a car wash, to spray the leaves of the plants and remove pests.

We visited another inspiring nursery which is impressively CO2 neutral – Fachjan Project Plants. This plant and accessory supplier is also involved in various stages of the project, from the initial meeting to overseeing the plant installation.

We explored their extensive nursery and greenhouse, and learned all about their involvement in the field of interior planting. We were especially in awe of their hundreds of 30-40 foot trees, the tallest being Bucida Buceras (Black Olive tree). The trees form a lush canopy which looked incredible from above and majestic from below – making us feel so tiny!

Zuidkoop specialise in green projects spanning indoor landscaping, floral art and plant designs for exhibitions and trade fairs. We were shown their impressive studio – full of innovative creativity and tools – and led through their entire process from design through to maintenance.

We were fortunate to be able to explore Technical University Campus, a building that houses offices, event and meeting rooms, an exhibition space, and of course plants!
Loads of lush greenery here, creating a much needed warm and inviting space for students, lecturers and visitors alike – all realised by Zuidkoop. Extra fun fact: one of the large trees on the ground floor, Ficus Altissima, sheds its leaves once a year.

And just like that, the first day was over!

We started off the morning of day two with inspiring talks from four experts in interior landscaping sector. Specialists from the companies NL Greenlabel, One Big Green and Indoor Green Lighting talked about the themes of sustainability in urban spaces, highlighting the need for creating spaces for rest and contemplation as an integral part of the design.

They also informed us on new software for easy plant maintenance logistics and LED lighting solutions as a response to both darker spaces and UV glass panels prevalent in modern construction, helping to give interior plants the light required to thrive. Lastly, Donker Groep presented the brief and outcome for their award-winning plant dome in the AFAS Experience Centre, where we learned how they worked with the tricky shape and irrigation of this awe-inspiring spherical living wall.

We stopped off at the gorgeous Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam – an oasis of biophilia and sustainability. We were fascinated by how experiential plants can be. The architecture reflected the planting creating an immersive and inspiring space for more than just plant lovers.

Directly inspired by Indonesia in both its planting and architectural design, a lush jungle sprawled throughout the space – perfectly evocative of Indonesian rainforests. A subtropical garden in the atrium was a significant feature to behold, brought to life by Copijn. With a careful selection of native Southeast Asian plants and palm trees, this botanical space and innovative rainwater irrigation system was truly extraordinary.

An undeniably beautiful space; we wish we could have stayed there!

Our final visit of the trip – Booking.com’s head office and a green haven for their employees. Once entering, we were immediately greeted with a beautiful botanical staircase full of thriving plants. This lead us to a light-filled atrium with a green wall spanning several floors. On the 3rd-floor balcony, people could find respite in the many towering trees and flora.

Designed by Koninklijke Ginkel Groep and Makers of Sustainable Spaces, with the vision of making this the greenest workspace in Europe, this for us was the epitome of biophilic design. Achieving both aesthetic and function, we marvelled at how nature was seamlessly incorporated into the fabric of the building – a fantastic end to our Holland trip.

We had a wonderful time in Amsterdam and were truly inspired by the countless green projects we saw, getting essential behind the scenes insight for a deeper understanding of our industry’s processes and progress. Now we’re now back on home turf, full of fresh enthusiasm and knowledge to bring to all your future planty projects. Thank you again to EILO for inviting us on this green journey – we looked forward to the next one!