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Collection by Kelsey Keith

Great Green Walls

Not for the feint of heart, but for the green of thumb: A living wall is a vibrant way to celebrate nature in tandem with architecture. Peek through our archives for another look at living walls and vertical gardens.

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The Zizmors' son plays in front of a living wall created by urban landscaper Kari Elwell Katzander of Mingo Design.
The Zizmors' son plays in front of a living wall created by urban landscaper Kari Elwell Katzander of Mingo Design.
EF080423 001
EF080423 001
The perennial plants on the green wall were plotted out as a piece of verdant abstract art. Edibles, like strawberry, thyme, and rosemary, are planted within children’s reach.
The perennial plants on the green wall were plotted out as a piece of verdant abstract art. Edibles, like strawberry, thyme, and rosemary, are planted within children’s reach.
At 86 feet long, the vertical garden at Bay Meadow's Welcome Center is one of the largest in the Bay Area.
At 86 feet long, the vertical garden at Bay Meadow's Welcome Center is one of the largest in the Bay Area.
Far from pandering to the whine of youth, this urban play garden fosters thoughtful interaction in a protected setting within the bustle of San Francisco. Concrete slopes are hemmed in by vertical garden walls. Photo by Marion Brenner.
Far from pandering to the whine of youth, this urban play garden fosters thoughtful interaction in a protected setting within the bustle of San Francisco. Concrete slopes are hemmed in by vertical garden walls. Photo by Marion Brenner.
“Your first impression is that the house is very closed,” says David Barragán of the building he designed with Jose María Sáez in Quito, Ecuador. Stacked concrete forms, developed by Barragán and Sáez and used as planters along the front facade, offer privacy and integrate the building with the site.
“Your first impression is that the house is very closed,” says David Barragán of the building he designed with Jose María Sáez in Quito, Ecuador. Stacked concrete forms, developed by Barragán and Sáez and used as planters along the front facade, offer privacy and integrate the building with the site.