Green UP Wilson! Vertical Garden Campaign

                                             

• Anna Wille & Claire Doemland • • Environmental Studies: Community Organizing for Sustainable Living •

• Prof. Mallory McDuff • Warren Wilson College • Spring 2013 •        

Vertical gardens at Warren Wilson College as a means to increase environmental stewardship and energy efficiency of campus buildings

 

Table of Contents    

 

   

I. Needs Identification

II. Initial Research

III. Stakeholder Analysis

IV. Further Research

a. Tools

b. Results

V. Strategies

a. Planning Chart

b. Toolkit

VI. Implementation

VII. Evaluation

   

   

 

Needs Identif ication  

 Our   team   identified   a   need   for   a   campaign   to   weatherize   and  insulate  energy  inefficient  buildings  on  campus.  Our  goal  was  to  find  a  solution   for   diminishing   the   environmental   cost   of   energy   use   using  existing  biological  systems.         Warren  Wilson  College  has  a   long  history  of  being  a   leader  and  example   in   the  United   States   for   sustainability.     However,   as   a   school   that   has   existed   since   1890,  Warren   Wilson   has   many   old   buildings   that   are   not   energy   efficient.     Tearing   these  buildings  down  would  not  only  not  be  expensive  and  wasteful;  it  would  be  hurting  the  identity  of  the  campus  establishment.    Previous  efforts  to  increase  the  energy  efficiency  of  existing  buildings,  however,  were  going  largely  unnoticed  by  the  student  body,  such  as  the  geothermal  energy  efforts  in  Orr  and  Larsen,  or  unfinished,  like  the  solar  hallway  in  Witherspoon  and  the  green  roof  on  the  Library.    We  noticed  these  facts  while  living,  working,  and  attending  classes  at  Warren  Wilson  College.      

 In   order   to   attain   the   support   that   would   be   needed   to   bring   any   large-­‐scale  

project   to  completion,  we  would  need  to  create  a  campaign  that  would  be  student-­‐led  community-­‐wide.    In  order  to  get  it  noticed,  our  campaign  would  have  to  be  something  new  to  campus:  creative,  beautiful,  and  inspiring.      

Sustainability is woven into the fabric of WWC. It is grounded

in our rich history of place and purpose, embedded by generations of community members who have modeled our fundamental commitment to connect values to action.

Green Living Guide        

Our   initial   idea  was   inspired   by   research   on   biomimicry   from   scientific  minds  like  Janine  Benyus  and  Michael  Pawlyn.    Biomimicry  is  the  process  of  finding  solutions  to  everyday  architectural  and  mechanical  problems   in  natural  systems  that  organisms  have  spent  eons  evolving  to  perfection.    We  thought  we  could  one  form  of  biomimicry  to  suit  our  purposes:  adding  plants  to  existing  architecture.    

 Plants   on   roofs   and   walls   have   shown   to   have   a   slew   of   environmental   and  

energy-­‐saving  benefits.    A  roof  garden  or  living  wall  would  be  attractive  to  the  public,  a  visual   conversation-­‐starter,   and   something   to   be   proud   of   as   a   member   of   the  community.     Furthermore,   the   design,   building   process,   and  maintenance   of   such   an  architectural   anomaly   would   be   good   community   projects,   and   the   finished   product  would  be  a  good  educational  tool  for  areas  in  work,  learning,  and  service.    

Init ial Research     The   very   beginning   of   our   research   centered   on   deciding   what   type   of   living  architecture  we  should  build,  and  where.    We  learned  from  a  brief,   informal  interview  with   Stan   Cross,   the   director   of   the   Environmental   Leadership   Center,   that   there   are  more  than  just  the  different  surfaces  of  a  building  to  put  plants.    When  it  comes  to  roofs,  for  example,  there  are  roof  gardens—  interactive  gardens  in  which  you  can  hang  out—and  living,  or  green,  roofs—  self-­‐sustaining,  non-­‐interactive  mats  of  small  plants,  usually  grasses.        

      We  decided  on  the  project  of  a  vertical  garden  because  the  designs  appeared  to  have  the  most  practical  benefits  to  any  building  we  would  to  apply  them  to  and  because  they  did  not  have  the  same  safety  restrictions,  being  on  a  wall.    The  safety  restrictions  were  very  important  to  us  because  we  wanted  the  project  to  be  students  led,  designed,  and  maintained  as  much  as  it  could  be.         We  then  looked  into  examples  of  vertical  gardens  for  reference  and  inspiration.    There  have  been  many  great  masterpieces,  particularly  those  done  by  the  genius  botanist  Patrick  Blanc,  around  the  world.    Some  have  also  been  closer  to  home.        Patrick Blanc’s work:

Roof  Garden  

•   Pros:    •   Increase  biodiversity,  CO2  sequestration,  aesthetics.  •   Create  a  unique  space  for  community  gatherings.  

•   Cons:  •   SigniWicant  re-­‐inforcement  to  building  for  support.  •   Students  not  allowed  on  roofs:  safety  hazard.  

Green  Roof  

•   Pros:  •   Increase  biodiversity,  CO2  sequestration,  aesthetics.  •   Easier  to  build  and  maintain  than  roof  garden  

•   Cons:  •   Some  reinforcement  needed  for  support  •   Students  not  allowed  on  roofs:  safety  hazard.  

Vertical  Garden  

•   Pros:  •   Increase  biodiversity,  CO2  sequestration,  aesthetics.  •   Insulates  and  weatherizes  building  through  structure.    •   Very  visible  to  bystanders  •   No  roof-­‐related  safety  hazard.    •   Cons:    •   Complicated  structural  design  

An  entire  street:  Paris,  France  

A  bridge:  aix-­‐en-­‐Provence,  France  

A  museum

:  Madrid,  Spain  

Vertical Gardens and Consumerism:

Vertical Gardens in U.S. Universities

A  strip  mall:  Milan,  Italy  

A  Barn:  Greenwich  Connecticut  

The  Largest  in  the  U.S.A:  

Drexel  University  Philadephia,  PA  

Examples  near  us:  

Duke  University  Durham,  NC  

And:    

Queens  University  Charlotte,  NC  

           

Benefits of Vertical Gardens:

1) Water Quality When rain falls on the exterior wall of a building, it will carry chemicals and particles found on that wall (paint chips, concrete dust, grime) into the water system. A vertical garden not only eliminates this issue by catching the rain on the plants rather than a bare surface, it also uses natural root systems to filter and purify any contamination that might have entered the water through the air. 2) Air Quality The carbon sequestration that plants do to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen is enough to allow for this categorization. Plants also filter out other gasses and particulates that can be found in air such as sulfates, a coal byproduct and notable hazard in the area, and nitrates from motor vehicle exhaust. Particular species can even filter out more dangerous and difficult chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, ammonia, and trichloroethylene. Further studies show that vertical gardens reduce sound pollution and damper the effects of wind tunneling or lack of ventilation between buildings. 3) Energy Use The structure of the vertical garden design in this project effectively traps a layer of air between the back of the garden and the wall. This creates relatively efficient insulation for the building and thus reduces heating and cooling needs in the building. Over time this reduces the energy use of the building, saving money and hindering the environmental cost of A/C. 4) Biodiversity Though Warren Wilson Campus is not lacking in effort for promoting biodiversity on campus, it is worth mentioning that vertical gardens increase the amount of life anywhere substantially. The flexible nature and specificity to which the design can grow allows for almost any kind of plant to live on this vertical garden, including rare, endangered, or wildlife-attracting species. 5) Human Health We all know that the quality of our air, water, and general environment affect our health: too many particulates in the air leads to an increase in asthma and other lung problems, sound pollution affects sleep patterns, contaminants in our water upset our stomach, etc. Studies have shown that an increase in plant biodiversity increases the amount of microbes that live around you as well-- and this is a good thing! The immune system becomes stronger and more resilient the more biodiversity it's exposed to.      

     

After  all   the  research  we  had  done,  we  had  to  decide  which  of  the  buildings  on  campus   had   the  most   need   for   a   vertical   garden.  We   listed   the   buildings   on   campus  according  to  most  structural,  aesthetic,  and  environmental  need  they  showed.    The  main  contenders  were  Jensen,  DeVries  Gym,  Gladfelter  Cafeteria,  and  Kittredge  Theatre.    

 We   chose   Kittredge   Theatre   because   of   its  

overall   impact  on   the  campus  community.     It   is  near  the  main  road  to  and  from  campus,  as  well  as  the  one  of   the   largest   and   most   accessible   parking   lots   on  campus.   This   affects   the   environmental   impact   that  the  vertical  garden  would  have  since  traffic   is  one  of  the   greatest   contributors   to   greenhouse   gasses,  chemical   and   sound   pollution.     It   also   affects   the  visibility   of   the   wall.     This   is   particularly   impactful  because   Kittredge   Theatre   is   greatly   lacking   in  aesthetic   appeal,   being   large   and   concrete.     Since  Kittredge   is   highly   visible   from  many   places   on   and  near   campus,   the   vertical   garden  would   be   a   hugely  positive  change.    Lastly,  Kittredge  is  not  efficient  as  a  structure  in  either  its  heating  and  cooling  capacity,  or  soundproofing   the   Theatre   or   practice   rooms   from  outside   noise.     The   use   of   a   vertical   garden  both   for  soundproofing  and  insulation  would  benefit  Kittredge  Theatre   more   than   any   other   building   on   Warren  Wilson  College  Campus.        

     

Stakeholder Analysis  Stakeholder Chart: This  graph  serves  as  a  visual  representation  of  the  influence  and  importance  of  some  of  the  groups  in  our  campaign.  Size  indicates  importance  to  the  campaign  and  location  indicates  dynamic  relationships  between  groups.          

                 

         

       

     

   

           

 Summary:  

Student  Body   Work  Crews   Administration   Community  •  Students  are  the  primary  drive  for  any  change  that  occurs  on  campus  •  Would  be  a  visual  change  in  their  lives  

•  Work  crews  would  be  involved  in  the  building  and  maintenance  •  Would  learn  more  building  techniques  

•  Staff  in  Adminis-­‐tration  would  be  key  in  getting  app-­‐roval  and  funding  •  Would  be  able  to  promote  WWC    

•  People  living  near  and  visiting  campus  often  see  Kittredge  first  upon  arrival    •  Would  be  a  positive  first  impression  

Student  Body  

Swannanoa  &  Asheville      Community  Members  

Future  Community  Members  

Landscaping  Crew  

Landscape  Design  Sub-­‐Crew  

FMTS/  FMCS  

Plumbing  Crew   Building  

Services  

Work  Crews  

Active  Kittredge  Participants  

Theatre  Faculty  &  Crew  

Environmental    Leadership  Center  

Administration  

Buildings  and  Grounds  Committee  

Constituents: Allies & Opponents • Who they are • Their roles on campus • Their motives for being involved •

• Special Characteristics • How they might affect the campaign • • How they get their information • Thoughtful questions to ask them •

• Any additional info we might need about them •  

A) Students    Students  would  be   the   primary   constituents   affected  by   this   campaign.   Living   on  campus  and  paying  tuition  to  be  a  part  of  the  community,  students  are  the  driving  force  behind  the  way  the  school  is  run.  Most  care  about  campus  sustainability  and  getting   involved   in   campaigns   on   campus.   Their   vocal   support   alone  would  push  the  campaign  to  success;  any  indication  of  their  dissent  would  immediately  end  all  efforts  in  this  project.  Most  students  get  their  information  through  word  of  mouth,  though   flyers   and   posters   have   been   somewhat   effective   methods   of  communicating.      Thoughtful  questions  to  ask  the  student  body  might  include:    

• How  do  you  feel  about  sustainability  efforts  on  campus?    • What  are  your  thoughts  about  a  vertical  garden  on  Kittredge?    • Would  you  like  to  get  involved  in  this  project?    

 Additional  information  that  would  be  helpful  in  understanding  this  group:  

• Answers  to  the  questions  above  • Their  opinions  of  Kittredge  Theatre  as  it  is  • How  often  they  pass  by  Kittredge  

 B) Work  Crews  

 The   work   crews   on   campus   are   made   up   of   students   and   qualified   supervisors  designed  for  a  specific  task.  They  help  make  the  school  function:  crewmembers  sort,  file,  create,  demolish,  plan,  assemble,  and  fix  all  corners  of  the  campus.  Work  crews  would   be   involved   in   the   designing   process,   building,   and   maintenance   of   the  vertical   garden,   so   their   commitment   is   important   to   the   overall   success   of   the  project.  They  have  all  the  influence  and  power  of  the  student  body  with  the  skill  set  to  back  their  claims.      

• Landscaping  Crew:    The  Landscaping  crew,  supervised  by  Tom  LaMuraglia,   is   the  crew  that  designs,  plants,  and  maintains  all  outdoor  landscaping  on  the  main  campus  (excluding  the  wooded  areas,  garden,  and  farm).  The  vertical  garden  would  fall  under  their  care  for  maintenance   issues  once   it  has  been  built.  The  Landscape  Design  Sub-­Crew  would  also  be  involved  in  the  plant  design  process.    Tom  makes  all  the  decisions  for  the  crew  so  all  questions  would  be  directed  to  him.      Thoughtful  questions  to  ask  Tom  might  include:       •  How  do  feel  about  this  project?       •  Would  you  like  to  be  involved?     •  What  sorts  of  plants  would  you  like  to  see  on  the  wall?    

Additional  information  that  would  be  helpful  in  understanding  this  group:       •  What  resources  might  they  have  that  could  help  us?      

• FMTS/CS:    Facilities  Management   is   the   crew   that   directs,   controls,   and   supports   all   of   the  work  crews  on  campus  involved  in  building.  The  vertical  garden  would  impact  the  flow  of  work  heavily  so  it  would  be  best  to  have  the  administrators  of  FMTS/CS  on  our  side.    Thoughtful  questions  to  ask  FMTS/CS:       •  How  do  you  feel  about  this  project?       •  Would  you  like  to  get  involved?    Additional  information  that  would  be  helpful  in  understanding  this  group:       •  Who  would  be  the  best  person  to  talk  to?       •  Who  would  be  the  most  likely  to  support  us?       •  What  are  our  chances  of  getting  help  from  this  group?      

• Building  Services:    Building   Services   provides   technical   support   for   the   small,   housekeeping   sort   of  mainten-­ance   that   is   involved   in   the  buildings   on   campus.  Having   the   support   of  building   services   would   provide   tools   and   the   know-­how   for   planning   on   this  campus.    Thoughtful  questions  to  ask  Building  Services:       •  How  do  you  feel  about  this  project?       •  Would  you  like  to  get  involved?    Additional  information  that  would  be  helpful  in  understanding  this  group:       •  Who  would  be  the  best  person  to  talk  to?       •  Who  would  be  the  most  likely  to  support  us?       •  What  are  our  chances  of  getting  help  from  this  group?        

• Plumbing  Crew:  Plumbing  crew  handles  all  of  the  plumbing  works  on  campus.  Their  knowledge  in  the  areas  of  water  flow  in  general  and  on  campus  will  help  in  the  structural  design  of  the  vertical  garden.    Thoughtful  questions  to  ask  plumbing  crew:       •  How  do  you  feel  about  this  project?       •  Would  you  like  to  get  involved?    Additional  information  that  would  be  helpful  in  understanding  this  crew:       •  How  much  time  do  they  spend  on  outside  projects?       •  Who  would  be  the  best  person  to  talk  to?      

• Theatre  Crew:  The  Theatre  Crew  is  involved  in  everything  around  Kittredge.  A  small  crew,  they  would  not  have  the  resources  to  help  maintain  the  vertical  garden.  However,  their  involvement  is  key  in  getting  this  project  off  the  ground  because  of  their  intrinsic  connection  to  the  building.    Thoughtful  questions  to  ask  Theatre  Crew:       •  How  do  you  feel  about  this  project?       •  Would  you  like  to  get  involved?    Additional  information  that  would  be  helpful  in  understanding  this  group:       •  How  they  feel  about  Kittredge  currently     •  How  much  influence  they  have  on  making  change  happen?      

 

C) Administration    The   administrators   of  Warren  Wilson   College  make  most   of   the  major   decisions  about  how  the  school  is  run.    Though  they  are  influenced  by  what  the  students  have  to  say,  they  also  make  decisions  based  on  factual  evidence  on  the  practicality  of  the  issue  at  hand.  Their  main  goal  is  to  make  Warren  Wilson  College  the  best  it  can  be,  according  to  what  the  students  want,  what  the  state  requires,  and  what  will  keep  the   college   afloat   in   future   years.   The   administration   is   divided   into  many   small  pieces   made   of   boards   and   committees;   primarily,   we   will   be   dealing   with   the  Buildings  and  Grounds  Committee  and  the  Environmental  Leadership  Center.  These  committees  get  their  information  from  the  school,  those  proposing  things  to  them,  and   through   their   own   research   and   prior   knowledge   in   the   subject   area.   The  administration   need   to   know   very   clearly   what   the   students   want,   how   this   is  beneficial  to  the  school,  and  a  detailed  plan  for  action.      

• Buildings  and  Grounds  Committee:    This  committee  is  made  up  of  staff  and  students  with  some  knowledge,  experience,  or  interest  in  the  building  process  on  campus.  The  group  decides  whether  building  plans  are  approved  and  can  be  put  into  action.  Members  include  Liz  Brace,  Steve  Farrell,   Tom   LaMuraglia,   Ian   Robertson,   Deborah   Anstrom,   Beau   Ohlgren,  and  Bo  Dossett.      

• Environmental  Leadership  Center:    The   Environmental   Leadership   Center   is   the   center   for   sustainable   action,  especially  at   the  student   level.  Stan  Cross,   the  director,   is  particularly  concerned  with  student  led  sustainability  actions.  We  will  be  applying  for  a  seed  grant  fro  the  project  from  the  ELC  later  in  the  campaign,  and  the  success  of  the  campaign  may  hinge  on  getting  this  grant.    

 D) Faculty  

 The   faculty  of  Warren  Wilson  would  be  a  good   resource  of   knowledge  on  plants,  like  Amy   Boyd   and  Natasha   Shipman   of   the   Biology   Department,   or   practical  knowledge   on   building   and   Warren   Wilson   bureaucracy,   like   Joe   Young   of   the  Chemistry   Department.   The   faculty   would,   in   turn,   be   able   to   use   the   vertical  garden   as   a   teaching   point   in   their   courses,   as   well   and   enjoy   all   of   the   other  benefits  it  provides.      

E) Community  Members:  Extended  and  Future    There  are  several  groups  of  people  on  the  periphery  of  the  Warren  Wilson  College  community.  Some  of  these  are  the  people  who  live  in  Swannanoa  or  Asheville  and  come  by   for  events   like  plays  or  contra  dancing.  A  great  many  more  are   the  pro-­spective  students  who  visit  and  must  decide  whether  this  is  the  place  for  them.  The  impressions  that  we  give  as  a  school,  particularly  first  impressions  they  have  upon  arriving,   determine   whether   they   will   decide   to   be   a   committed   member   of   our  community.  It  would  be  helpful  to  the  college  to  contact  these  people  in  the  scope  of  the  project.      

 

Further Research   a) Tools

       

b) Results

  From   the   research  we  did,  we  got  a   fairly  good  handle  on  how  we   thought  we  were  going  to  go  about  the  project:      

We   found   from  our   interview  with   Steve,   the  Campus  Architect,   that  Kittredge  Theatre  was  not  under  any  other  planning  process,  and  would  not  need  any  structural  reinforcement  to  build  a  garden  on  it.    Stan  Cross  lent  us  support  and  feedback  from  his  position  as  director  of   the  Environmental  Leadership  Center.  Tom  LaMuraglia  gave  us  the  support  of  the  Landscaping  Crew,  and  set  us  off  in  the  right  direction  for  research  on  structure  and  maintenance.    Amy  Boyd  advised  us  on  the  sort  of   tests   that  need  to  be  conducted   in   order   to   pick   plants   that   would   survive   on   the   wall,   while   Natasha  Shipman   let   us   in   on   a   good   source   for   local   plants   at   affordable   prices.   Finally,   Joe  Young  advised  us  on  the  state  legislature  involved  in  getting  our  vertical  garden  up,  as  well   as  who   on   campus  might   be   a   good   resource   of   knowledge   for   any   point   in   our  research.      

Interviews  on  Campus:  

•  Stan  Cross  •  Steve  Farrell  •  Tom  LaMuraglia  •  •  Amy  Boyd  •  Natasha  Shipman  •  Joe  Young  •  

Student  Survey:  

•  Dispersal:  Student-­‐l  •  Response:  178    students  •    

Interview  off  Campus:    

•  GSky  Plant  Systems,  INC,  Representative  •  

Web  Searches:    

•  Structure:  DIY  vs  Pre-­‐Made  •  Materials  and  Prices  •    •  Plants:  Types,  Sources,  Prices  •      

  The   survey   was   created   on   surveymonkey   and   emailed   out   to   the   student-­‐l.    Within  the  first  five  hours,  the  survey  received  more  than  120  responses.    To  date,  178  responses  have  been  recorded  by  surveymonkey.  The  following  demonstrations  of  the  responses  were  from  the  first  100  responders.      Question  1:    From  what  you  know  about  Warren  Wilson,  how  much  more  work  do  we  need  to  do  towards  sustainability?      

               Comments/  Explanations:                    Question  2:    How  often  do  you  pass  by  Kittredge?            Question  3:    What  sort  of  impact  do  you  think  a  vertical  garden  would  have  on  the  campus  overall?      

 

Question  4.    We  are  designing  a  full-­scale  vertical  garden  to  be  built  on  Kittredge  Theatre.  Please  let  us  know  your  thoughts,  comments,  or  concerns  about  this  project!      

       

 

               

   

   

         

               

   

         

 

OMG  DO  IT  PLEASE!!!!    

I love this idea! Hopefully the construction part of it will be done well and future maintenance on it (in terms of repairs) will be minimal. Bringing in student crews to help would be awesome to see as well.  Do  it!!!!  It  is  

sure  to  appeal  to  perspectives,  alumni,  and  trustees.    

Sounds  like  a  great  idea  

Yes,  please.  That  big  grey  wall  is  hideous.  It  was  the  first  thing  I  saw  when  I  visited  campus  and  I  was  immediately  turned  off.  A  vertical  garden  would  make  it  exponentially  more  attractive.  

Awesome!  I  want  to  help!  

I  think  this  idea  is  incredible!  It's  no  secret  that  the  color  and  cement  which  is  Kittredge,  is  unfortunate  at  best,  and  a  vertical  garden  would  be  fantastic!  I  would  love  to  have  more  color  and  clean  air  on  campus.  My  only  concern  would  be  the  maintenance.  Would  a  vertical  garden  be  self-­‐sustaining  after  a  period  of  time?  If  not,  who  would  care  for  it?  Landscaping,  or  perhaps  another  designated  crew  entirely?  

Do  it!  It  would  look  so  cool!  

I'm  not  really  sure  what  a  "vertical  garden"  is…  

Let's  do  it!  Sounds  fun,  practical,  inspirational,  and  educational  for  Warren  Wilson  and  the  surrounding  community.  

Great  idea,  only  wish  I  wasn't  graduating  so  I  could  see  it!  

    In  order  to  determine  the  best  system  of  vertical  garden,  we  researched  different  Do-­‐It-­‐Yourself   (DIY)   and   pre-­‐made   vertical   garden   designs.     We   also   contacted   a  company   that   specializes   in   growing,   building,   and   maintaining   vertical   gardens   for  large   companies.     GSky   Plant   System,   INC,   is   the   company   that   set   up   the   vertical  gardens  at  both  Duke  and  Queens  University.    Brent  Brock,   their  sales  representative,  was  very  quick   in   responding   to  my  questions  and  gave  me  a  quote   for  about  $165  –  $200  per  square   foot.    After  explaining   to  him  the  way  Warren  Wilson  College  works,  and  that  we  would   like   to  do   the   installation  ourselves.    GSky’s  price,  excluding   labor,  tools,  and  equipment  still  ranged  from  $135  -­‐  $165  per  square  foot.        

We  decided  that  we  needed  something  a  little  different.  Pre-­‐made  wall  materials  using  Florafelt  Vertical  Garden  Planters  would  cost  only  about  $22  per  square  foot.    Add  this  to  the  plant  prices  we  gathered  from  the  Painter’s  Greenhouse  website  (about  $2.50  per  square  foot),  and  the  total  price  would  round  out  at  just  under  $25  per  square  foot.  These  prices  do  not  include  irrigation,  however,  which  we  later  discovered  to  be  one  of  the  most  difficult  parts.  The  DIY  vertical  garden,  without   looking  at  bulk  prices,   sat  at  just   under   $20   per   square   foot   (including   bulk   discounts,   the  whole   project   could   be  done   with   $15   per   square   foot).   The   design   was   developed   by   Patrick   Blanc,   and   is  simple,  cheap  and  elegant.    

Of   the  plants   that  can   live  on   the  wall,  the  limiting  factor  is  more  the  weather  than   the   design.     The   wall   must   be  monitored   carefully   for   hours   of   sun-­‐light  throughout  the  seasons,  wind  and  chill  factors,  as  well  as  precipitation.      Other  than  that,  though,  the  wall  can  be  populated   with   any   kind   of   plant.   Of  the   larger  picture,   a   few  bits  of   advice  stand  out:        Keep   in   mind   that   the   plants   will  change  the  biosphere  around  them:  plan  to   put   shade-­loving   plants   under   sun-­loving  grasses  and  the  like.      Plants   that  grow   larger   than  8   feet   tall  will  droop,  covering  any  plants  below.      Native  plants   tend   to  do  better   in  most  vertical  gardens.            

       

 

Strategies A) Strategy Chart  

     

B) Strategy Toolkit

 

Plan  

Talk  to  People  

Research  

GET  BUILDING  

Get  Funding  

Get  Volunteers  

Implementation A Great Start…

Our  project  began  with  the  plan  to  use  biological  systems  to  weatherize  and  insulate  energy-­‐inefficient  buildings.  The  idea  of  building  a  vertical  garden  on  Kittredge  was  kick-­‐started  in  early  March  by  some  very  positive  and  encouraging  interviews  with  Stan  Cross,  Steve  Farrell,  and  Tom  LaMuraglia.  By  early  April,  we  had  a  pretty  solid  idea  of  how  the  construction  of  the  vertical  garden  was  going  to  go,  and  had  designed  posters  and  made  a  website  in  support  of  the  campaign.    

 

   

A Sudden Change… The  campaign  hit  a  speedbump,  however,  in  mid-­‐April.  The  team  had  yet  to  get  in  

touch  with  the  Buildings  and  Grounds  committee  to  set  a  date  to  propose  the  idea.  Feedback  from  Natasha  Shipman,  Joe  Young,  and  Stan  Cross  began  to  reveal  flaws  in  our  knowledge  and  planning.  Furthermore,  finding  funding  for  such  a  large-­‐scale  project  was  going  to  take  time  and  effort,  and  was  not  something  that  we  had  planned  into  our  schedule.    The  idea  changed,  then,  to  only  have  a  small  portion  of  the  wall  made  into  a  garden  so  that  we  could  have  a  measurable  success  for  the  purpose  of  this  class,  and  a  visual  example  for  promotion  of  the  full-­‐scale  project.      A Dynamic Plan…

The  plan,  new  reformed  and  re-­‐imagined,  is  the  result  of  hours  of  deliberating  the  issues  at  hand.  Our  timeline  is  short,  and  funding  low.  New  state  regulations  have  halted  new  building  projects  because  of  permitting  and  supervision  requirements.  Our  garden,  therefore,  will  not  be  on  the  wall,  but  a  couple  feet  away  from  it.  This  will  also  allow  curious  passerby  to  look  at  how  the  construction  is  made,  from  the  wall  to  the  plants.  The  structure  will  only  be  4  ½  feet  high  by  7  feet  wide  (our  original  design,  but  on  its  side)  because  there  are  few,  if  any,  regulations  for  constructions  under  5  feet  in  height.      

We  have  turned  in  a  final  proposal  to  Stan  Cross  in  the  Environmental  Leadership  Center  for  funding  for  the  project.  We  got  full  funding  and  congratulations  for  a  job  well  done.  We  also  presented  to  the  Buildings  and  Grounds  committee  for  Friday,  May  3rd.  They  did  not  give  us  outright  approval,  but  showed  widespread  support,  and  asked  several  valuable  questions.  They  also  gave  us  a  few  possible  solutions  to  the  problems  that  they  anticipated  with  the  project.  Ian  Robertson  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  he  would  provide  us  with  some  funding  for  the  project  if  the  ELC  did  not  completely  cover  us.  We  plan  on  returning  to  them  once  again  when  the  design  is  finalized  to  get  final  approval.  Several  students  have  already  volunteered  to  help  with  the  construction  next  semester  and  the  research  and  planning  that  will  have  to  be  done  over  the  summer,  so  we  do  not  anticipate  this  part  taking  very  long.  We  also  plan  to  request  Steve  Farrell  supervise  to  make  sure  no  issues  with  regulations  or  hazards  arise.    

 Between  building  and  now,  we  will  be  continually  surveying  our  stakeholders  

and  the  instructors  who  have  been  involved  to  assure  that  we  are  doing  the  most  we  can  to  communicate,  adjust,  and  build  the  garden  in  a  way  that  will  be  welcomed  by  the  school.    

     Undaunted, we continue…

Though  our  original  design  and  idea  has  changed  dramatically  in  a  short  period  of  time,  there  is  still  hope  for  a  full  vertical  garden  on  Kittredge.  The  structure  blueprints  have  been  made,  and  weekly  meetings  with  Sarah  Elliott  from  Landscape  Design  Crew  are  getting  the  plant  blueprints  underway.  Our  hope  is  that  the  sample  we  construct  now  will  inspire  funding,  action,  and  the  completion  of  our  full  project.      

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Implementation Timeline

     

     

Task   When?  Interviews  with  stakeholders   March  15-­‐  April  8  

Plant  and  material  research   April  8th-­‐13th  

Structural  cost  research   April  8th-­‐13th  

Created  a  blog  to  inform  people  of  what  was  happening   April  10th  

Measurement  of  Kittredge   April  12-­‐14th  

Decision  of  which  type  (prefabricated,  kit-­‐based,  or  original)  materials  to  use  

April  17th  

Poster  creation  and  display   April  17th  

Submitted  a  grant  proposal  to  the  ELC   April  18th  

Examination  of  state  legislation  about  new  building  structures  and  adjustment  of  campaign  accordingly  

April  27th  

Buildings  and  Grounds  Committee  Meeting  and  Feedback   May  3rd  

Campaign  Presentation  to  classmates  and  stakeholders   May  9th  

Research  and  Fine-­Tuning  of  Sample  Structure   Summer  2013  

Buildings  and  Grounds  Committee  Approval   Fall  2013  

Build  Sample  Structure   Fall  2013  

Research  an  fine-­tuning  of  Full  Structure   Fall  2013  

BUILD  FULL  STRUCTURE   WORK  DAY  2014  

Evaluation  Since  the  vertical  garden  will  not  be  built  within  the  timeline  of  this  class,  self-­evaluations  focused  on:  (1)  how  successfully  the  project’s  goals  were  disseminated  across  the  campus  and  (2)  how  well  we  communicated  and  interacted  with  the  faculty  involved.    In  order  to  find  this  information  we  gave  out  two  surveys,  one  of  which  was  electronic  and  sent  as  a  student-­l,  and  the  other  was  a  one-­page  questionnaire  that  we  personally  handed  to  the  faculty  we  thought  would  have  the  best  insight  about  our  campaign.      Faculty  Survey  Results:        

Participants  who  responded  before  05/06/2013:    Stan  Cross  Deborah  Anstrom  Tom  LaMuraglia  Ian  Robertson  

                  Participants  from  whom  we  are  still  waiting  for  a  response:    

Liz  Brace  Steve  Farrell  

    The  full  responses  from  the  faculty  are  attached  (assembled  in  order  of  most  to  least  interaction  time),  but  the  main  point  we  gathered  from  these  surveys  was  that  we  still  have  some  structural  aspects  to  fine-­‐tune.  Most  of  these  questions  came  up  during  the  Buildings  and  Grounds  Committee  meeting,  and  are  very  valid,  professional  questions,  mostly  on  plumbing,  which  I  (Anna)  am  not  very  adept  at  understanding  and  thus  have  had  some  difficulty  with.  However,  all  of  the  responders  had  very  positive  feelings  about  the  idea  and  the  possibility  that  it  will  succeed.       It  was  also  very  interesting  to  see  the  different  perspectives  that  came  from  Deborah  and  Ian,  who  had  been  at  the  same  meeting  and  only  knew  me  (Anna)  through  the  time  I  was  presenting  and  answering  questions.    Deborah  was  certainly  more  critical,  which  I  appreciate,  while  Ian  was  extremely  supportive  and  seemed  to  have  different  expectation  for  how  the  presentation  would  go.  Stan  and  Tom  had  both  had  more  time  working  with  me  and  thus  had  very  similar  opinions  about  the  project  and  my  work.      Question  2:  Please  rate  the  presenter’s  professionalism  on  a  scale  of  1  to  5,  with  1  being  very  unprofessional  and  5  being  very  professional.      

Stan:  5  Tom:  4  

Deborah:  2  Ian:  5  

Question  3:  Please  rate  the  presenter’s  preparedness  on  a  scale  of  1  to  5,  with  1  being  very  unprepared  and  5  being  very  prepared.      

Stan:  5  Tom:  4  

Deborah:  2  Ian:  4  

     

 Student  Survey  Results:           The  survey  that  was  sent  out  got  more  than  150  responses  to  date.  However,  due  to  restrictions  in  the  free  version  of  surveymonkey,  only  the  results  of  the  first  100  responses  could  be  seen  and  analyzed.  The  survey  was  divided  into  two  sections:  general  questions  to  ascertain  student  response  to  the  idea,  and  exposure  questions  to  get  a  feel  for  the  reach  of  the  project  around  campus.    

For  example,  in  the  first  section,  we  asked  questions  like  “How  much  more  work  does  Warren  Wilson  need  to  do  toward  sustainability?”  or  “How  often  do  you  pass  by  Kittredge?”  and  “What  sort  of  impact  do  you  think  a  vertical  garden  would  have  on  the  campus  overall?”  The  second  section  simply  asks  the  people  who  took  the  survey  whether  they  had  heard  about  the  vertical  garden  before  taking  the  test.  This  section  was  very  revealing  in  that  the  responses  we  got  were  overwhelmingly  positive.  Even  the  most  negative  and  critical  response  in  the  open  field  question  had  rated  the  impact  to  be  “neutral.”    What  this  section  also  revealed  was  the  lack  of  communication  and  understanding  for  how  this  project  would  be  implemented.  People  asked  questions  like  “what  is  a  vertical  garden?”  and  “What  sorts  of  things  will  grow  on  it?”  as  well  as  questions  about  how  this  could  possibly  have  an  environmental  impact  or  not  be  a  waste  of  water/energy  resources.    

                                             

The  second  section  was  very  simple,  and  asked  whether  the  people  who  took  the  survey  had  known  about  the  vertical  garden  before  taking  the  survey,  and  if  yes,  how.    Though  the  statistics  on  the  survey  say  that  almost  44%  of  the  people  who  took  the  survey  knew  about  the  project  beforehand,  I  believe  that  this  is  biased  because  the  first  people  who  took  the  survey  were  involved  in  the  project,  and  also  some  who  answered  regarded  the  email  with  the  survey  in  it  as  having  known  about  the  project  beforehand.  Of  those  who  knew  about  it,  most  had  heard  of  it  through  word  of  mouth  or  from  seeing  posters  around  campus.      

 

        When  we  asked  whether  any  of  the  people  who  took  the  survey  had  visited  the  website,  only  6%  of  all  the  survey  population  had.  However,  after  the  survey  went  out  to  the  student  body,  the  website  got  more  than  200  page  views—  within  the  next  12  hours.          

From  these  results  its  clear  that  the  project  has  a  lot  of  work  to  do  in  order  to  succeed.    Figuring  out  the  answers  to  the  questions  that  faculty  pose  about  plumbing  and  maintenance,  as  well  as  getting  the  public  to  better  understand  through  the  more  strategic  use  of  surveying,  tabling,  and  access  to  the  website  (which  is  most  certainly  the  best  medium  for  getting  out  all  the  information  to  the  public).    But  with  careful  planning,  adaptability,  and  energy,  we  have  no  doubt  that  we  will  one  day  see  the  full  project  on  Kittredge  Theatre.