Page 41 - I-Plants Magazine special 2021 Biophilic Design Awards issue - regular res

Gold Award trellises and plant vines on them to create the 41
height the client is asking for. Again, there is
worry about the wind factor, so the installation
Green Roof or Rooftop Gardens (containerized) team devises a plan to secure the trellises to the
bottom of the containers. We then fill with soil
$40,001-$75,000 and prep the Mandevilla. They come pre-grown
on their own wooden trellis, so we carefully
unwind each vine from the exiting trellis and
Project: wind it up the new one. What a tedious process!
The vines are looking good, now we fill in with
The Moonrise Hotel underplantings of Setcreasea Purple heart and
trailing pink flowering vinca. New seating is ar-
ranged, and the moveable planters are placed
Congratulations to: between seating areas to create nooks where
those who gather can have some privacy cre-
ated by nature. Other free-standing planters are
Growing Green Inc placed in groupings near entrance to the roof-
top, the bar, and the side terrace. Most of these
Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S.A plantings are anchored with white flowering
Dipladenia trees, Croton Mammy, and Jasmine
bushes. Under-plantings finish off the look
to these lush new planters. The roof top has a
completely different look and feel to it – it feels
alive, fresh, comfortable, someplace you want
to stay a while. The white flowering Mandevilla
look especially stunning at night and compli-
ment the glowing “Moon” that hangs overhead
the rooftop. What makes this design biophilic?

This space is generally open to the public, but can also be rented out for special events
and makes a great wedding venue. We have hosted our own company events in this
space before and the idea of being inside in a protected area, but the views of the
beautiful rooftop garden just outside is a draw. When you are inside looking out, you
just can’t wait to go out those doors and get a closer look at the plants. This space
rents for top dollar now that we have helped them create a rooftop garden. For this
design, we really worked to incorporate nature in the space – lots of lush plants climb-
ing up the trellises and spilling out over the sides. That visual connection with nature
that plants provide was really the element that was going to get people to stay a while
longer (and spend a little more $). As humans we are naturally drawn to nature, and
by incorporating plants on the rooftop we helped to create comfortable and inviting
spaces. This is a rooftop garden, so the fresh air and sunshine are plentiful as well as
a view of the stars at night or the city lights. The ability to be outside on a rooftop, but
have the comforts of a luxury patio and a garden feel make it a place that visitors want
to come back to over and over again.