Award

M A R C H 2 0 2 3 | 49 Green Roofs & Walls P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y GS K Y Sustainability aided in repairing a lost opportunity to establish a solid human and environmental con- nection, and installed and maintained the green roof that wraps around the edges of the building above the glass enclosure area, providing a sustainable and biophilic aspect to the design. The second winner, 60-80 Atlantic Avenue, are linked office buildings comprising the adaptive reuse of a historic building and a contemporary expansion. The project incorporates various green roof designs across the building, including a range of growing mediums from sedum to wildflowers for a diversified aesthetic and meeting of biodiverse needs. Nedlaw Living Walls continues to wow the construction industry with its superior living wall bio- filter technology that cleans indoor air and improves building performance. The freestanding Solus by Nedlaw is just the latest in its innovative offerings. The unique patented design maximizes root expo- sure to the airflow allowing the system to remove 75 percent of VOC's on a single pass, producing high- quality indoor air with minimal energy usage. Austin Smith, living walls and living roof consul- tant, says that while business is great, there are still some hurdles to be overcome in 2023 and beyond: "The biggest challenge I see is helping designers, architects, and developers understand the value of a solution like ours beyond the upfront cost. The value engineering stage of a project can often focus on the face value numbers and not the long-term cost savings benefits of a technology like indoor air bio- filtration. Indoor air quality is gaining momentum as a serious factor to consider when designing and building or renovating a commercial space. More building owners are looking closely not only at the return on investment on a solution like ours that can reduce building operating costs, but also how the indoor environment impacts the buildings occu- pants," explains Smith. One product really making waves in the green wall sector is the Mobile Versa Wall by GSky Plant Systems, Inc. The self-contained mobile living green wall is extremely sturdy and safe and includes lights, irriga- tion, and a timer. It simply needs to be plugged in. The option of being either two-sided, or for added func- tionality can be obtained with a whiteboard on one side, is also making the product extremely desirable. Each individual four-inch plant in the Versa Wall receives its very own water and does not require constant watering. The individually potted plants also allow for the quick and easy replacement or the addition of seasonal colours. "The popularity continues to grow as we've shown these walls can work. Ten or 12 years ago there were all kinds of issues like leaks, but the technology has improved and evolved, and people recognize the multiple benefits from well-being and purification of the air to sound absorption," explains Hal Thorne, CEO at GSky. Another great offering by GSky is the exterior Versa Wall XT that utilizes hearty, one gallon, indi- vidually potted exterior plants and can be seen at Vancouver International Airport, Simon Fraser University, and Morgan Crossing mall. The XT's potted plants and modular tray technology greatly reduces the start-to-finish time frame, is easy to install with fewer moving parts compared to the growth time, and more detailed irrigation that is required for pre-planted systems. "Potted plants are a great option because you can replace the plants should something happen and even change them, so they always have living and full plants. These walls are very versatile; Morgan Crossing wanted a maple leaf design in the wall, later a big M, and then later again hearts for Valentine's Day, and we made that possible," says Thorne. A Versa Wall XT, Morgan Crossing, Surrey, B.C. PROUD TO HAVE SUPPLIED 30,000 SQ. FT. OF SLOPING GREEN ROOFS AT CANADA SUMMER GAMES PARK. LEADING EDGE GREEN ROOF TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERED GREEN ROOF ASSEMBLIES FOR Storm Water Management . Solar Power Generation . Roof Amenity Space . Parking Decks . Urban Architecture . Foot Print Restoration . Low Maintenance Vegetated Roofs 905.690.1661 WWW.ZINCO.CA ZinCo Canada Inc. Zinco Canada.indd 1 Zinco Canada.indd 1 2022-11-20 8:52 AM 2022-11-20 8:52 AM

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