Oakland Green Interiors is proud to share that for the third year in a row, we received international recognition for our plantscape projects here in central Ohio! Each year, the International Plantscape Awards celebrate innovative, impactful plant design from companies around the world, and we are honored to have two of our recent projects recognized among this year’s winners. These awards reflect not only creative vision, but also the collaboration, craftsmanship, and care that go into every installation we complete.
A Biophilic Build Out at Sarnova
This year, we received a Gold Award in the Design category for a comprehensive plant display at Sarnova HQ in Dublin, OH. This project had it all: interior plant displays, exterior plants, faux plant walls, and, best of all, a Plant Library. Employees can use this unique feature to “check out” a plant for their desk for a week and then return it to the library for service and care by the Oakland Green Interiors horticulture team.
At the heart of the space is a dramatic three-story staircase, where we installed a modular grid system filled with replica plants to create a lush, layered focal point. Rather than installing a traditional irrigated living wall in the stairwell (which would have required complex drainage and lighting) we engineered a system that delivered the same look while remaining cost-effective, serviceable, and code-compliant. The result is a striking vertical moment that employees experience multiple times a day.
Several built-in planters allowed for the seamless integration of live plants into gathering spaces, conference rooms, and transition areas. In one key location, we collaborated with a fabricator to extend the depth of a shallow concrete planter, ensuring long-term plant health rather than short-term aesthetics. From sculptural rock elements beneath the stairs to coordinated containers across three floors, every detail was designed to feel intentional and cohesive.
Our design ensured that all key employee spaces had a connection to nature, and the result is a bright, beautiful, and life-filled workspace — one where biophilic design isn’t an accent, but an experience woven into the workday.
Why This Project Earned Gold
Three-story staircase installation with artificial plants on a modular grid system
Hybrid live + replica strategy for visual impact and long-term sustainability
Custom fabrication solution to fix planter depth and assure plant health
Full-building style cohesion across multiple floors and installation types
Employee engagement through a rotating Plant Library program
Ongoing bi-weekly maintenance plan to protect long-term success
Coffee, Conversation, and Plants: A College Campus Pop-Up
Along with our Gold Award, we were also thrilled to receive a Silver Award from the International Plantscape Awards for a unique exterior planting project featuring a best-of selection of gorgeous fall landscape plants.
We were approached by our client to create a plant display for a temporary pop-up coffee shop that would be open for 10 days in the autumn on the campus of The Ohio State University. Flexing our landscape design skills, we curated a fall-forward palette of trees, shrubs, and grasses that created an inviting, cozy space for students to gather, grab coffee, and connect.
The project required significant adaptability. Originally scheduled for early October, the installation was cancelled midway through the first install day and later rescheduled for late October — pushing the run into early November. That meant redesigning much of the plant palette to achieve a lush, colorful look at a time of year when many deciduous plants have already dropped their leaves. We sourced late-season Japanese maples, ornamental grasses at peak texture, structural shrubs, and select evergreens placed strategically for balance rather than dominance.
This project was challenging on many fronts: it was installed in a busy central campus courtyard; dozens of vendors were on site during the compressed three-day installation window; and the plant displays needed to be designed to be temporary, but appear permanent. We received rave reviews from our client and the students who experienced the space and are honored to be recognized for such a unique, high-visibility project.
What Made This Installation Stand Out
80+ fall trees, shrubs, and grasses installed in a 2-hour window
Rental-based installation method for efficiency and sustainability
Seamless coordination with multiple production vendors
Lush, autumn-forward design in early November conditions
Safe, durable plant selections for a high-traffic campus plaza
