Case Study
Madison Centre Living Wall
The Challenge
The owner of a new state of the art Class A building in downtown Seattle was looking for an artistic feature to complement their two-story Grand Rotunda common area located on the building’s second floor. Working in collaboration with the building’s architect, we were invited to design, install and maintain a two-story living wall. Incorporating the construction features of the wall including the plumbing, lighting and electrical was going to be a significant challenge, especially given the space was used extensively throughout the day by the building’s tenants and guests.
The Proposal
Our proposal included working collaboratively with the other contractors already chosen to work on the building construction. This would expedite the construction process as these contractors were already familiar with the building’s core electrical, plumbing and lighting systems. We designed a nearly 800 square foot wall containing over 4400 plants. For the plants to be watered and maintained, we needed the use of two scissor lifts to gain access to the upper levels of the wall where we began the installation of the 640 plant trays, irrigation and drain lines. When designing any living wall, lighting is a significant factor in the success of the plants to remain alive and healthy. Working with the lighting consultant, we planned a solution that would use full spectrum lighting programmed remotely to operate 10 hours a day.
The Solution
The desired plant design was to create an organic feel which would work in harmony with the design of the rotunda. The owners wanted a sustainable green feature to support their Silver LEED certification. The final installed solution was a mixture of light and dark plants creating a cascading, rolling hill of green textures. The “Great Room” has become a significant resting place for people to step out of their concrete jungle during the day and be immersed in the biophilic experience created in the Rotunda space. The final product won a Platinum-level International Plantscape Award.
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