A rule of thumb in design is this—if there’s an element that you want to ‘go away’, emphasize it. For example, if I’m working with a column in the middle of room, it’s an obvious distraction as just a column and stands out terribly. But if I give that column purpose by making it a major element in the room, it goes away because now it’s purposeful—it’s supposed to be there. The idea of creating a vertical screen in the narrow area between the unit and the patio is a good one, but there are several ways to do this—certainly the bamboo shoots is one. The overall design of the home should be taken into account—you mention white brick. Perhaps you could do some stacked stone with potted plants in front. I would suggest getting out and really looking at al the different material combinations—not just one, that could be blended to create a purposeful screen. Be aware of a couple of things though—you need room around the unit so it can properly function, and you also need to be able to easilly get to the unit for servicing.