TAMU Living Wall #2

The second living wall on the Langford Building at Texas A&M is now complete! This living wall system uses very little soil, but has a moisture absorbent fabric wrapped around the roots made from recycled water bottles. Since the plants …

Living Wall Planting Party

First year MLA students from the Department of Landscape Architecture assisted Master of Urban Planning student Carlos Vela (JC) in the wrapping of plants in preparation for Living Wall #2. The process included removing plants from containers, removing soil, cutting …

Living Wall 2 construction, by Juan Carlos Vela

Week of July 8^th to July 12^th

This week, Kirk and I managed to install the rest of the irrigation system for the second living wall, which proved successful. The only issue we noticed was that the water pressure for this wall was much stronger than that of the first wall, which we assumed to be a result of its close proximity to its water source and fewer drip lines running through it.

Following the completion of the irrigation system, we proceeded to wrapping up some of our plant specimens and inserting them into the pockets of the second living wall using a similar design style as the one used by Patrick Blanc. So far, we’ve only managed to plant about 10-15 specimens, but we are definitely pleased with how the project is turning out. Our next step is to continue wrapping up the remaining plant specimens and insert them into their respective pockets/panels using the design concept that was discussed prior to planting. While this phase of the project has only just begun, we are very excited to see the end result of our hard work and effort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Irrigation for Living Wall #2, by Juan Carlos Vela

Week of July 1^st-5^th

For our last meeting during Summer I, Kirk and I began to work on the irrigation system for the second living wall. This was my first time working on irrigation, so I was glad that Kirk was patient enough to guide me through the process. We managed to get most the irrigation work done, with the exception of the water line that connects with the drip irrigation system of the living wall. But, on the plus side, I got to learn how irrigation systems work, especially when dealing with a drip system, which requires just the right amount of water pressure.

Completion of Living Wall #1, by Juan Carlos Vela

Week of June 3^rd-7^th

For the first week of summer classes, Kirk and I proceeded to plant the remaining modules for the living wall we built this past spring. The only specimen we failed to plant last time was Asian Jasmine, which was undeveloped at the time that the wall went up. Once the Asian Jasmine specimens got settled in the modules, we went ahead and installed them with the other modules, hence completing the first living wall. Now, the only thing left to do for this wall is to install a wooden frame around it, for which we already have the wood to begin assembling it.

Living wall construction

by Juan Carlos Vela, Graduate Student, Urban Planning, April 24 to May 8, 2013

After planting all the modules, we proceeded to construct the living wall on the rooftop of the Langford architecture building. These modules did not include those designated for the Asian Jasmine plants since they were not yet fully established. On the first day, we managed to mount the plywood boards onto the concrete wall, but not without some challenges along the way. We were very fortunate to have the aid of Jim, the wood shop supervisor, who provided most of the tools used for mounting the plywood. We spent the following weeks mounting the aluminum strips and plant modules onto the plywood structure we had made and ended up finishing the wall a day before the end of the semester. Due to time constraints; however, we were unable to install the irrigation system and frame as planned. This will likely be addressed over the summer, but in the meantime, the wall will be kept hydrated by having someone spray it with water as needed. In the end, we were lucky to have such a great team of students who were more than willing to assist with the various stages of this project. Without our teamwork and the guidance of our instructors, this project would not have been possible. Furthermore, the experiences I’ve gained through this project should prove most useful in my final studies regarding the relationship between urban green infrastructure and active/healthy living. These experiences will also help in developing strategies for promoting and implementing these type of systems within urban areas and future developments.

—Juan Carlos Vela

Planting

by Juan Carlos Vela, Graduate Student, Urban Planning, 4-17-2013

After months of planning, construction of the living wall has quickly got underway and is beginning to show progress. Today’s session was a continuation of the planting process, which consisted of combining drainage medium, soil, and plants into the plant modules that make up the living wall. Each module holds about ten plants and is designed in a slanted pattern to help keep the plants and soil from falling out. With 100 modules to plant and about 10 species to work with, we truly had our work cut out for us. If there is anything I learned from this process, it’s that designing and installing a living wall is much more complex than just planting plants vertically. Proper plant selection is crucial in producing a long-lasting system and providing opportunities for biodiversity.

—Juan Carlos Vela