Phoenix living wall Photo by Bill Timmerman
Phoenix living wall In a quest to make the desert city of Phoenix more comfort-
able, sustainable, and more in harmony with its natural environ- ment, the leaders of this project created a habitat garden that thrives on the urban structure that embraces it. The living wall was inspired by the sheltered canyon habitats of the Sonoran Desert and the settlement of Hohokam Indians that lived on this site. It was proposed that the water the building produces — condensate from the air conditioning system — be used to support and allow nature to thrive within the urban desert context.
At its peak flow, the building generates more than 800 gallons of condensate water per day from 15 of its air-handling units. Typ- ically, this water would be directed into the sanitary sewer system. Instead, it is collected, stored, and used for irrigating the garden. Condensate is harvested and stored in two collection tanks. One of the tanks is located on the second floor of the Convention Center, where a window to Building Condensate Collection Point is a visual display to conventioneers of the condensate col- lection point before its entry into the habitat garden. The conden- sate generation is directly correlated with seasonal irrigation demands of the garden. The harvested condensate is UV-treated for purification, then pumped outside. In celebration of water's movement, the purified condensate descends through three stainless-steel discs, trickling down an Arizona rain chain before its journey through a steel angle channel to nourish the living wall. The overstructure living wall is constructed of steel columns, wire mesh, lightweight soil, filter fabric, volcanic rock and then planted with a native seed mix and seedlings such as Octopus Agave, Yucca, Chuparosa, and Brit- tlebush. All water runoff from the wall is then diverted via runnels to the adjacent sunken water-harvesting garden. The gardens and architecture do more than just exist together; they each make it possible for the other to thrive. The building supplies the desert gardens with condensate water and the landscape provides com- fortable outdoor gathering spaces. You can read more about these and other award-winning
projects by visiting www.greenroofs.org and clicking on the "Awards of Excellence" section of the site. For more information about CitiesAlive, visit www.citiesalive.org.
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Phoenix living wall Photo by Judeen Terrey
Steven Peck is founder and president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC), a membership- based industry association developing the green (vegeta- tive) roof and wall industry in North America. GRHC's mission is to increase the awareness of the economic, social and environmental benefits of green roofs and green walls, and other forms of living architec-
ture through education, advocacy, professional development and celebrations of excellence. For more information, visit www.greenroofs.org.
