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"Green Infrastructure" is emerging as an effective tool for Reversing Environmental Damage.

How do "Living Walls" fit in?

They are a BMP just like Rain Gardens, Bio-Swales, Permeable Pavements, Green Roofs and other LID Methods. They are a "tool" in the project designer's toolbox.

Living Walls are not a magic bullet but rather part of a strategy to treat the planet better in an effort to help ourselves. To be effective, they must be well thought out and executed.

The minute the word "Living" is used.....it becomes all about plants and what they bring to the structure!

Plants fascinate me and their ability to transform the perception and function of a typical, needed structure has been my mission for many years.

In design circles we are inundated with buzzwords such as Biophilia, Biomimicry, Green-space, Ecology, Sustainability and plants are central figures in those buzzwords.

Humans are embracing plants in our spaces like never before and finding ways to pull them into close proximity -- within buildings, on buildings, outside buildings, streets, highways and even roofs for a myriad of benefits.....including food security.

All the benefits and intentions of a living wall are achievable.

If a specifier fully understands and controls the variables of a proposed living wall, they can achieve all the benefits aesthetically and environmentally.

This education session will shed some light on Living Wall "Maintenance" and discuss several determining factors and offer some strategies for success.

I love that Living Walls come in many forms and service capacities.....but all of them depend on healthy plants for success.

Like These Beauties

Up Next

I look at living walls from a different perspective than any other person I know.

Lots of people understand living walls because they install them and they sell them but very few look at them as critically and as deeply as I do.

My role as a consultant with no product alliance enables me to be very objective.

I look at living walls through the eyes of an inventor, and product designer.

I am always looking at the ease of manufacture, the materials that things are made out of and the ease of installation and its effect on plant health.

Why?....because the ultimate success of the living system is always in the designers control and all living walls can be successful if one looks at all the variables correctly.

Maintenance......the mere mention of it has been a deal closer in the wrong direction for my entire career in the Living Wall niche!

Product Selection:

Every "Living" Wall System needs to address maintenance -- Well thought out systems are not afraid to answer the tough questions. By following all the steps, maintenance is minimal and success is high.

How much "care" is needed to provide long-term plant health and ensure the facing is covered in healthy plants?

How much will that cost?

(it's different for every system and project)

Fear of failure and un-met design expectations can overshadow the benefits of any Living Wall system and therefore prevent the specification of one in the first place. (bummer for us all)

Don't forget about the role of proper micro-climate assessment and plant selection!

The vertical living wall business does a better job of positively discussing maintenance, however, owners still seem to select walls as the super trendy visual amenity that they are.... and then not maintain them until its a problem!

It’s more undefined for structural living walls, so living walls may just get omitted late in the project to save money —— but its due to undefined plans up-front, failing to alleviate fear of unknown, high costs.

The previous 7 questions are most undefined in structural and landscape living walls -- but hold true for many vertical systems as well

  • maintenance does cost money and no surprise when you are intentionally keeping plants alive and healthy
  • living wall care starts as soon as the wall is built v.s. nothing right away with a non-living
  • living wall care is usually less costly than other turf and landscape beds
  • structural walls can cost anywhere from $1/sf to $3/sf of face area per year...depending on lots of variables
  • vertical walls are all over the board with plenty of variables and can cost $5/sf to $30/sf of face area per year

Vendors and trade associations will need to develop maintenance cost ranges for the various living wall niches they serve in order for their sales volumes to grow as they should in this environmental and economic climate.

Maintenance begins with the wall designer!

Per my previous sessions, potential products need to be properly understood and selected.

The well thought out and specified system then has to be constructed per the plans and specs and all directives followed.......I can tell some horror stories.

We are not finished with the presentation but we want to make sure there is enough time to answer questions.....my favorite part!

  • Product Selection
  • How To Promote to Clients
  • Costs and Benefits
  • Maintenance Strategies
  • Job-site Install Issues
  • Deep Dive by Wall Type
  • Sorting Out All the Vertical Offerings

Other Education Topics:

To Engage Greenwall Ventures: info@greenwallventures.com | www.greenwallventures.com | 314-279-8905

Why select Living Walls and why do I love them?

My Perspective on Living Walls is..... Very Different

Living Structural Walls

for Roadways and Bridges

Before

After

Living Landscape Walls for

Site Grade Changes

That Effect the Building

Vertical Living Walls

for

Small Private Spaces

and

Large Public Places

Wire Walls and Concrete Crib Walls for Site Grade Changes that Disappear behind Natural Beauty.

Living Reinforced Steep Slopes for

Erosion Control and Habitat Restoration

Living Landscape Walls

in Any Climate or Region

Living Vertical Walls for Gardening and Farming

Inside or Outside of Buildings....even on Roofs!

Answer to Q1:

Living Wall Education Series:

The "M" Word

Answers to Q3-Q7:

Maintenance cost should be put in perspective to other costs on a project and not just left to look like a big extra. How about adding 1-2 years of maintenance cost to the initial bid package?

Q&A Time

If the variables are controlled and the best practices are specified up front, with well designed products....maintenance will be cut to the bone before the wall even gets built!

Vertical Living Wall

in Commercial Application

Structural Living Retaining Wall

in Residential Application.

No poll will be launched on this one but your participation in Q&A will improve this session.

Today's Tips only scratch the surface but are significant!

Maintenance Seems To Engage Fear?

An ongoing series of informative presentations by Living Wall Consultant and Inventor, Mark Woolbright

of Greenwall Ventures, LLC

Designers need positive and complete answers from product vendors in order to create a "game plan" that can be written into the specifications to ensure success.

Recent Blog Post

Answer to Q2:

There is no such thing as a Free puppy and this beauty will have to be maintained.

  • wisely planted with vines that cover with lots of redundancy cuts costs
  • way less cost and intensity to maintain than the turf and surface level planting beds
  • big list of positives and many can now be quantified

Sold as No maintenance but it will need some?

  • weeds will grow in the cracks
  • back-fill fines will bleed onto the face and look bad
  • graffiti will have to be removed
  • more impervious surface will cost somebody
  • Earth Retention
  • Greenspace
  • Habitat
  • Urban Cooling
  • Decrease stormwater runoff
  • Stormwater treatment
  • Carbon sequestration
  • Improved air quality
  • Earth Retention

  • Increase Urban Heat Island

  • Increase stormwater runoff

Thanks for Attending Our Session

Review this topic on our blog at the link below.

https://greenwallventures.com/greenwall-blog/f/the-m-word-that-has-cost-my-favorite-niche-dearly

Greenwall Ventures, LLC | Saint Louis, MO. | 314-279-8905 | www.greenwallventures.com

Become An Advocate For Living Walls And Take Advantage Of More Vertical Space

Join mailing list and follow our blog and social media posts to increase your understanding of Living Walls. Add us to your project team.

www.greenwallventures.com

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