GREEN SPRINGS - NEW YORK, NY
SCOPE: Garden Wall Prototype
SIZE: Varies
CLIENT: Varies
40 million bed springs are dumped on to landfills each year in the US alone.
By combining the two rapidly growing industries of green wall systems and mattress recycling, "Green Springs" intends to help reduce landfill waste and to encourage the beautification of urban landscapes using discarded bed springs to create green walls and roofs.
These "Green Springs" can function as free-standing screens, attached to existing walls and buildings or as horizontal trellises to create green roofs. Green Springs intertwine plants and climbers, utilizing a simple irrigation method (ideally using re-cycled water) which , when mature will generate a vegetated habitat, give year round color, and create a lush green space without encroaching on or using valuable land.
Green Springs, used in conjunction with the planter box can be used to green and enhance the beauty of any bleak urban façade. The planter mounted outside any window and connected to the spring that is attached to the façade, allows for climbers to grow on to it and thus greening the façade.
Cantilevered above windows with a planter below, various climbers can connect to the springs via cables and create a canopy of greenery and shade above the window. Non-clinging ivies and climbers can be used to avoid any damages to the walls. They may be flowering, annual or perennials and depending on the direction the façade is facing a variety of different types of plants may be used on the green springs.
Green Springs absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, and reduce greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. They reduce energy consumption by keeping the building cooler in the summer and greatly reducing "heat island" effects.
Green Springs can also be used in parks functioning as free-standing screens, or be attached to existing structures along any transportation route or highways. They can function as a simple, beautiful and playful trellis that provide a natural green separa.