Living walls are environmentally friendly add on to large structures of glass and metals. Not only adding on aesthetically but also benefit the environment significantly. The American Lung Association has found; that the air quality of Dallas is not good to breathe.
Since, the air quality around the world is depleting, architects and builders are working towards purifying the air around them, creatively and sustainably.
The high rise building planned to develop in Dallas, Texas is bringing a significant amount of greenery. The tallest living wall of North America is located at 1899 McKinney Avenue. A 26 story building will rise to a height of 320 ft (97.5 m), that holds about 40,000 plants. Therefore, aims to capture over 1,600 pounds of carbon dioxide and produce 1,200 pounds of oxygen annually.
The dream of the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rastegar Property Company, Ari and Kellie Rastegar, to be a part of the Dallas Skyline, in such a way that it enhances the quality of life of residents and surrounding community
The high-rise was designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz. A countered glass tower with 270 apartments in 26 floors and heavily landscaped balconies. A coffee shop and a retail space are planned for the ground floor. The building with have a pocket park and an underground garage. This in turn will make the streets more walkable.
Zach Smith, Zauben’s CEO, the firm handling the design of the living wall, stated about how living walls can positively influence the city of Dallas. They aimed to help champion the sustainability goals of the city and create an example that other forward-thinking cities can follow.
He added that for large exteriors, the company designs with evergreens and arborvitae as they perform well over the seasons and even in the most extreme climates. In the final renderings, the design team has pulled inspiration from the natural Texas landscape to create a one-of-a-kind immersive experience for the residences. Also, they have planned to source the plants from local nurseries.
“The living wall is located on a balcony that is part of a leased unit,” Josh Eadie, vice president of real estate at Rastegar Property Company, told GlobeSt.com. “We have four sets of balconies for select units, typical to high-rise multifamily buildings, and these living walls are on the north and south balconies.”
The developers have proposed sensors to monitor plant health and an efficient irrigation system. According to the anticipation of the Josh Eadie, the building design would include a watering system with pumped-in drip lines, independent of the building’s fire-life system.
Rastegar is offering a fresh perspective on how developers can grapple with some of the most urgent environmental issues, including air quality and carbon emissions.
The residential project is proposed to finish by 2022 or 2023. The designers and developers hope to make Dallas city more pedestrian-friendly, green and walkable. Also, bring more green space to the corridor.
