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Through prototypes and trial and error the design team developed a form suitable to hold plant life and achieve the architect’s vision of a stalactite layered with a dynamic living composition. A month was spent engineering 5 stalactites, ranging in three different sizes. While the stalactites were engineered and planted at our headquarters, we developed custom wood frames in order to transport them to the job site. This picture is of all the stalactites and stalagmites delivered to the site 2 months in advance in order for the plants to begin acclimating to their final environment.
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The precise placement of the stalactites was a balancing act that required 4” anchor bolts to be tapped into the warehouses’ concrete ceiling. A chain block then slowly lifted the unorthodox plant sculptures into place, where they remain today. Our OSHA certified crew safely operate a lift and scaffolding system above the canopy. The team was harnessed to the scaffolding at all times and utilized PPE.
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Careful analysis of the landscape architect's contour map generates a plan to realize it accurately on site and achieve the desired proportions of a subterranean cave.
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4 EPS blocks are laid out precisely in a predetermined pattern as a base for the garden contours that will be softened by soil. Additional Styrofoam pieces are cut and adjusted on site to complete the contour puzzle and provide the architects intended slopes for planting. A custom soil is mixed. There are two types of soils used in different proportions, a lightweight nutrient rich soil to ensure the success of the plants and a heavier soil mix to minimize the amount of settling and erosion. Between the foundation and soil medium is a layer of jute mat that fits the contours of the landscape. The jute mat is critical in preventing erosions especially on the more extreme slopes.
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Once the planting medium is added the dynamic composition of plants are placed by the installation team according to the designed planting plan. As the event deadline looms, the tropical fantasy scape is born, and the humidity of the space changes dramatically within hours.
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The coordinated efforts of our design and installation team’s precision deliver an inspiring and alive event space in what only hours before was a cold and drafty warehouse. The months spent developing the planting scheme concept and sourcing the materials is realized in vivid and interactive stage set that will inspire the thousands of visitors about to experience it.
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Our passionate horticulturist nourishes the garden and logs the success of particular plant varieties and microclimates achieved in the garden. Data collected at least three times a week includes temperature, light, and humidity readings. This provides the architects with invaluable information and inspiration for the design development of the future park. Our horticulturalists continue to maintain the complex landscape, which includes over 3000 individual plants and over 70 varieties. The plant variety varies drastically from edibles to specimen moss to tropical to local native plants.
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Visiting groups, including young students who have been enlisted by the architects to help envision the future park, are engaged by descriptions of the periscope light technology and the diversity of fauna it supports. A particular fascination is the edible section staring herbs, vegetables and a pineapple which provoke curiosities about the future of underground, and perhaps even space station gardening.
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Featured in this picture is the first of its kind solar technology used in this project. The technology captures natural sunlight and transports it to places unexpected, such as an abandoned warehouse or underground, allowing us to minimize the use of energy by utilizing sunlight instead of artificial light. Sunlight provides a full spectrum light, including blue and red, which allow plants to flourish in unnatural habitats. The solar technology tracks the movement of the sun, delivering sunlight to its desired destination for the entirety of the day. This exhibit utilizes three solar collectors and is performing above expectations.