Page 50 - I-Plants Magazine special 2021 Biophilic Design Awards issue - regular res

Platinum Award 50

Green Walls & Vertical Gardens, Interior & Exterior
$100,001-$250,000

Project:
The offices at 4th & 5th IPIC Entertainment

Congratulations to:

GSky Plant Systems, Inc.
Delray Beach, Florida, U.S.A

The story behind this design and installation:
The Offices at 4th & 5th IPIC Entertainment Delray Beach, FL A major Florida exterior art piece was what the town and developer requested
for the project and our greenwall system was an ideal choice. It was chosen not only because of its proven success but it also allowed for an
intricate plant design to match the intended building. When construction of the massive 84,300 SF complex in Delray Beach, FL began there
was a lot of concern that a concrete jungle was going to take over the small beach town. The green wall was proposed for the SE corner of
the building which would encompass nearly 2,000 square feet to “green” the building and enhance the tropical appeal of the town. Our
in-house Designer, had lived less than one block from this area and realized the vantage point for most would be driving or walking south
on busy Federal Highway, one of the main routes through town. She presented a biophilic design leading viewers’ eyes down the one-way
street with its sweeping interactive curves and textured colorful tropical foliage. The wall is 22’ tall by 80’ wide using 1716 1’by1’ stainless steel
panels with rock wool inserts. They hold 20,580 plants in 9 varieties that make up the design. Plants were chosen not only for their color
and growth habit but for their ability to adapt to the vertical aspect they would live in going forward. The panels were planted at a local
nursery and allowed to grow for 4 months before being delivered to the prepared site for the biophilic art install. The customized irrigation
system for this project is made up of 14 zones and automated irrigation drip irrigation, with a fertilization injector built into the system
programmed according to the season and need of the plants to minimize water usage. A boom lift is used every 2 weeks for maintaining,
evaluating and pruning the plants. A family of Iguanas have taken up residence in the wall but so far don’t appear to be eating
the foliage --- or maybe they are just helping to keep it pruned! How biophilic is that! The lights that highlight the wall at night were not
originally spec’d into the job but as soon as it went up the owners wanted to highlight it at night as well so that delayed completion for
awhile. “The green wall at IPIC instantly became a focal point for our city and downtown area,” says Carol Perez with Grant Thornbrough &
Associates Landscape Architecture. “The green wall through its shapes, colors, and textures of the plant material is an artistry for the entire
community to enjoy.”
What makes this
design biophilic?

The plants cover a con-
crete facade on the build-
ing facing the street
helping not only visually
but also muffles noice
from traffic while clean-
ing the air. The systems
waste-reducing drip ir-
rigation system minimizes
water usage. The design is
consists of soft interweav-
ing curves leading your
eye down the one way
street naturally as well.

The panels, 1716 one by one pan-
els planted with 20,592 plants.
It grew for 4 months until being
delivered for the install.
A view of the
curvilinear
design from
an angle to
begin seeing
the different
weaving in
and out of
the plants,
texture,
depth &
dimension
that gives it
much more
interest.