Growwest Biennial of the Americas Interior Landscape Proposal
February 24, 2010
Team leader: Karla Dakin
Team members: Andy Creath, Celia Curtis, Jennifer Bousselot, Leila Toderlund, Lisa Lee Benjamin, Mark Fusco

Project narratives:
1. Vinedelier
Traditionally vines cover walls, needing structure to climb. Rapidly growing, vines provide insulation and cooling while improving air quality. From a Permaculture perspective, vines are the quickest “live” way to manipulate the climate of a building.

Vinedelier takes a playful look at our expectations of vines and interior light. This interior landscape hangs below the skylight on the 3rd floor. Vines hang down in loops and swirls resembling a baroque chandelier. This is a world where the vines compete with the audience for the light, creating a shady space beneath a skylight. They do not cling to walls but hang like a curtain that the audience can walk through and touch. The light filtering down through the skylight fuels the plants.

Technical details: Vines are pre-grown in planter boxes in green houses. The boxes will rest on the dropped ceiling grid and be tied down. The vines will then be attached in various places to resemble a chandelier. Other vines will drape to the floor. A watering system will be provided to give the vines the minimum water they need to survive.

2. Cactus Column Condoms
What better way to sheath and protect your columns while giving the building occupants a vertical garden, than our cactus column condoms. This project is a green wall system that uses recycled materials for the structure, requires no watering system, no maintenance and just light to thrive. Additionally, cacti are native, climate appropriate and intriguingly beautiful.

Technical details: Based on a 20’ height, each column will have the rough dimensions of 20 s.f. per side totaling 80 s.f. of fabric structure. The structure will be sewn in 4’ x 1’ modules taking up 5 pieces per side of column totally 20 pieces per column. The module pieces will be mounted by grommets attached to all thread bolts welded to the columns.

The plant material is cacti, native or climate appropriate, planted with little soil in a pocket like system.

There will be a collection/waterproofing system for the little water that will accumulate after 2 hand-watering per month.

biennial of the Americas

Karla + team
This is a cultural celebration of innovation, imagination and artistic achievement of the Western Hemisphere. If we (as a group) take on this challenge, it comes with the responsibility of carrying through something truly innovative and full of ingenuity. Quoting the definition for the biennial of the Americas - this installation need to be 'rooted in four interconnected themes: innovation, sustainability, the arts, and community.

So far I think the cactus screen/wall/curtain - hanging living installation with a 'western' translation is viable, has potential and more importantly: fits within the parameters. I think we (before/as we are submitting our proposal) should consult and team up with an artist - not to say that karla, lisa or any of us are not artists, but for recognition from outside after the fact, when this installation is up. I am speaking from experience from other projects like this, where the number one mistake was to not get the artist on board from the very beginning. We should give this artist our thoughts and ideas and have that person work on form/performance and function for this installation + the more detailed budget will be a result of his/her work. The artist fee should be included in the budget.
I emailed a working Xcell spreadsheet with the numbers so far to you + Karla - I will give you a call in a little later this morning.
Leila

cactus pilars

Hey karla i was just thinking mike make lots out of metal and could maybe make some free standing cactus columns?

Vindolier Budget:

200 Vines @ $15 $3000

green house rental, 3 mos $3000

containment, 100 long $1500

dirt $ 300

irrigation $2000

structural engineer $1000

lighting $1000

attachment system (wire?) $ 200

delivery: set up / take down $ 300

subtotal $12,300

Sub Total plus 10% fees $13,530

Cactus columns condom (per column cost): systems (could be used on 1^st floor).

Structural Engineer $1000

grow lights $1500

Structural fabric:20 sf per side, 80 sf,

4’ x 1’ modules, 5 pieces per side,

80 pieces per column $2000

Attachment system, all thread bolts $600

Cacti, 3 plants per s.f., 250 $1000

Soil $200

Collection/waterproofing system $300

Delivery charges: set up and take down: $300

Subtotal per prototype column $6900

Sub Total plus 10% fees $7590

Every column thereafter $6590

biennale of americas meeting notes

Concept and budget meeting:

Euro biennales—scaffolding more important. How the frame work is set up, how things are put together is more important that what the plants are. We need an interesting form. The green screen thing is not really that interesting.

Is there some material that comes from buildings that we could use? Check out

Habitat for Humanity, Resource 2000

Limited light and water resources.

We should choose first or 3^rd floor, which has the most light. Marks likes the 3^rd fl, where the site is close to the bathroom so we have some access to water and more natural light- better if contingencies. Bad part about 3^rd floor is access, which is limited. Small elevator. Open stairway.

First floor- access is better

But what is main objective? As Growwest is representing this, we want to not limit ourselves to one site in the building.

Possible plant material: Cacti, ferns and vines.

We can’t touch the building because of historic status. How to attach to building? What are the other questions we need to ask?

Schedule- proposal due this week- Feb 26^th. Finalize idea during march-may. Installation June. Opening July 1^st- 30^th.

Nominate Karla to be point person.

Cactus columns in 1^st floor. We need to work out program elements and then choose plants. Cacti are different from any green wall out there. Native and drought tolerant plants. Maybe a partial combination of vines and cactus. Vine are more viable for an indoor environment.

3^rd floor- something dropping from the ceiling- planters on steel grids planted with vines. Jungle feeling. We could do cactus columns also on the third. Maybe do something that folds and curves.

Alternatives not included in budget: Fog Hog- use it- Or dry ice installed on a daily basis. Or Mee system, commonly used in greenhouses, put on a timer.

Use module systems so easy to install.

This material including budget is for Growwest members only.

Ideas:

1. Vine-do-lier or Vine-do-labra. Only 3^rd floor. Enclose space so it is dark, the opposite of a light. And then you emerge into the light and see the cacti columns. From a permaculture perspective, vines are the quickest way to get shade on a building. This project is the inverse of light; it is about shade, cooling, and improved air quality.

Planter boxes that rest on dropped ceiling grid. Tied down. Long plastic, 8” deep. Or concrete trough (this could be reused or sold elsewhere). We could use black plastic pots (#1 or #5) and put them on plywood.

Structure that resembles a chandelier to spread vines out and they drape to the floor.

Lighting installed in dropped ceiling or down lighting

Vines: Andy will look into greenhouses. Ivy, Ficus repens, Hoya, Peas, Chinese lace vine, Silver lace vine. Bouganvilla, Ask for DBG horticulturalist for help.

2. Cactus columns condom (per column cost): systems (could be used on 1^st floor).

Use grow lights , each column will have the rough dimensions of 20 sf per side, 80 sf, fabric structure; 4’ x 1’ modules, 5 pieces per side of column, 80 pieces per column

Attachment system, all thread bolts welded to steel structural posts and attach to fabric with grommets and caribiners.

Plant material is cacti, native or climate appropriate, with little soil in pocket like system.

There will be a Collection/waterproofing system for the little water that will accumulate after 2 watering per month.

Budgets (based on material costs only. No mark up for installation, labor)

vertical garden images and ideas

hi

so will this be a permanent installation? who will be maintaining it? how big is the art component? what size are the spaces approximately?

Two things/ ideas/ concepts for the base- premise come to mind.. (as now being in a city that is flooded with vertical systems.. very few look good over time....)

my suggestion since it is inside would be a hydroponic system or woolly pocket, or epiphyte/ tillandsia attached to some artsy piece as they actually grow this way and only need misting so you avoid a watering system .

hydroponics: for this space.. both below could provide light and a water resivour

I have two ideas for this.... a friend in Boulder who would be great to collaborate with on the working components for the hydroponic system.. he used to work for aero grow and has a very effective and trust worthy system down.... I will connect you through email ( depending on size i would imagine components being between $1200- $4000... i am also working with the inka guys linked below on an upcoming project and they have a great system( they will custom build anything) as well their prebuilt self contained can run from $4000- $9000( with win generator and solar panel) ... they also in march with have 3 20" foot tall rotating hydroponic towers they will be wanting to sell/ display after the flower and garden show in march which we could get access to... i will research cost, get pictures on those and we could plant ourselves...( the interior piece is tricky and they have lighting, water etc worked out as it is a whole other ball game)

Woolly pockets: i know this isn't rocket science but they work, they look beautiful and there are many creative ways to arrange these on interesting backgrounds.. these are all about the plants you put in them.. but long term these seem to perform the best. plants are growing how the want to...they are $25-$50 per pocket depending on size.. with plants and soil I would say $75- $150 per piece as you would want nice plants.. great with bromeliads,philodendrons etc..

you could use a drip system to water if the installation was high... would need a resivour with a pump

air plants, epihphytes etc...: this concept which flora and many others are so hot about .. does make alot of sense as these plans perform many of the desired air purifying traits and naturally grow with no soil and minimal water and are used to growing vertically.

each tilllandsia/ bromeliad runs between $3.00-$15.00 a piece wholesale... $6.00-$30.00 retail... you could construct the back panel out of what ever you like( recycled wood, metal) hang them from wire, drape them etc...

i also have one of my light boxes from Live light we could use too? 2 of them are in SF in AIA show... but i have one in denver and one more in steamboat.. 0range and a pink one..i can fill with plants.. see pics below

this has the most flexibilty and is still alive

i think there is a lot of ways to be creative here and also create something beautiful and educational!

below are some images to get ideas and juices flowing!

talk soon

http://inka.fm/

http://www.woollypocket.com/

website update

I think it would be best to do this in 2 phases to save $. Please add to list.

Phase 1 :

• Update 5 speakers when confirmed
• Get a contact button ( to who or how to manage is the question)
• Change Fusco's contact company
• Press release (we can list this on the blog instead) as well as dbg site
• a quick rundown on last years event (speakers, content, reaction?, other ideas?)

Phase 2:

• Final schedule
• any other updates
• sponsors and level