by Brianna Crandall — June 1, 2016 — When patients arrive at the Spectrum Health Medical Group Heart and Vascular Center on Bradford Street N.E. in Grand Rapids, Michigan, they are now welcomed by a living, thriving symbol of heart health. The Center’s green wall features a distinctive design of three heart shapes expressed in dark red foliage within a background of green plants.
For the Center’s clinical and support staff, as well as the patients, the green wall offers an unexpected extra, notes LiveWall, the company chosen to install the green wall. It was designed and installed as a freestanding, two-sided structure visible all year from the parking lot and sidewalk leading up to the Center. The side facing the building is a vertical garden with a variety of vegetables and herbs.
The planted heart side faces out towards the parking area to welcome patients and staff; it features perennials, with Heucheras (Coral Bell) forming the three red hearts.
“As a growing, changing emblem of healthy hearts, the heart planted wall invites patients, their families and our staff into the Center,” said Sarah Chartier, sustainability program manager, Spectrum Health. “The vertical herb and vegetable wall invites them to think about healthy eating and the sources of our food.”
Measuring 5’4” high by 20’ long, the green wall was constructed last year with the LiveWall system selected from LiveWall, LLC, the green wall subsidiary of Hortech, Inc., of Spring Lake, Michigan. The planted heart side faces out towards the parking area and features perennials, with Heucheras (Coral Bell) forming the three red hearts. The vertical edibles side grows a variety of vegetables (including tomatoes, green peppers, Swiss chard, kale, and leeks) and herbs (such as oregano, basil, rosemary and mint).
The vertical edibles side grows a variety of vegetables (including tomatoes, green peppers, Swiss chard, kale, and leeks) and herbs (such as oregano, basil, rosemary and mint).
The decision to install the green wall came out of broader conversations about sustainability, local sourcing of food, and promoting healthy eating habits. Spectrum Health has two community gardens, one at its South Pavilion facility and the other at the Spectrum Health Continuing Care Center. “In the area at the entrance to the Center, there was limited space for additional landscaping,” said Bruce De Vrou, project manager, ground services, Spectrum Health Hospitals. “As a vertical landscape feature, a green wall was more practical than a garden.”
Dave MacKenzie, president of Hortech and LiveWall, assisted Spectrum Health in planning the green wall installation for the Center. MacKenzie suggested a two-sided, freestanding wall. The idea for the heart design was the inspiration of Kathleen Nickerson, R.N., charge nurse, clinical team, Cardiovascular Medicine, Spectrum Health Medical Group.
“In 2013, I learned from the LiveWall ArtPrize installation, ‘Back to Eden,’ that a planted wall can be an art piece,” she said. “I wanted our green wall to have a heart — a design that would convey a living, healthy heart.”
