“There are a variety of reasons a client will request a green wall. Mainly it’s the ‘wow’ factor and the return on the investment from the eco-marketing capabilities of our walls,” George Irwin says.
Irwin is founder and CEO of Green Living Technologies International of Rochester, New York. The company has been manufacturing, designing and installing green roofs and walls since 1999. Irwin has designed green walls all over the world, including one that blankets the side of the PNC headquarters building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
PNC’s 2,380 square foot living wall is soil based and includes plants acquired locally. The living wall system used on the project is made up of 602 2 by 2 foot square panels and is anchored directly into the reinforced concrete masonry of the building. Local engineering and design firms provided onsite assistance for the project. It took about eight weeks.
The wall is watered with an internally controlled irrigation system for about 15 minutes a week. The eight varieties of plants used on the wall are evergreens, with some flowering in the spring. The original swirly rendering was drawn by Irwin’s daughter, who was eight at the time.
The frames manufactured by Living Technologies are made of recycled aluminum or stainless steel and are anchored to wall with an interlocking bracketing system.
Green Living Technologies International offers two and three-day certification programs for installing green roofs and vertical gardens. The sessions are held all over the world and group rates are available. For more information visit: agreenroof.com/news-events/training-info/.
