Mainebiz

V O L . X X I V N O. X I I J U N E 1 1 , 2 0 1 8 38 P lantwerks, an interior landscap- ing company in business for 34 years, adds a touch of nature to corporate offi ce buildings that otherwise are simply enclosures made of brick, concrete, wood or steel. From its home offi ce and showroom in Salisbury, Mass., it covers a territory that extends from Boston to Portland and into southern New Hampshire. It has 14 employees (which can grow to more than 20 during the busy holiday season). Maine clients include the Portland International Jetport, Bates College, Vets First Choice, R.M. Davis, Certify LLC, Two Monument Square and Dirigo Management properties that include One City Center. Its horticultural experts (i.e. those who care for the plants installed in offi ce spaces) live in the states they service. Plantwerks recently installed a 400-square-foot living wall in the new Danielle N. Ripich Commons Student Center at the University of New England's Biddeford campus. It's one of the largest in Maine and the fi rst the company has installed at a college or university. at's where Mainebiz met Lynne Petty, an interior landscape designer and salesperson for Plantwerks, for this edited interview. Mainebiz: Tell us about the 'living wall' you created at the Danielle Ripich Commons at UNE. How did this come about? Lynne Petty: We were approached by Allied Construction's management construction team on this project. ey told us the University of New England was building an eco-friendly building on its Biddeford campus and wanted to incorporate a 'living wall' into the space. During the pre-build phase, we worked with UNE and Allied to design this wall for the particular space — to get down the parameters and size. We had to work with them to understand the structural design's details, such as the wall materials and the plumbing for the irrigation system. We also had to take into consideration what features would be added in concert with the green wall, such as the staircase. Our whole Plantwerks team — our researchers, our management, the plant brokers and growers, operations, the installation team, to our silent hero, who is our horticultural technician — became involved in creating this living wall. MB: What plants were used in mak- ing this wall? LP: ere are 950 plants in the wall. ere a fi ve types: ere's neon pothos, jade pothos, maranta, dracaena compacta and a variegated spider. MB: Is a living wall an unusual proj- ect for your company? LP: We've been installing living walls for a while, but it's becoming more common because the systems that P H O T O / JA M E S M C C A R T H Y Greening of the office Plantwerks creates a living wall at UNE's Biddeford campus B Y J A M E S M C C A R T H Y Progressi essive ve ve v • Cre re re r ati tive ve ve v • Forwa wa wa w rd Thinking • g • Reso esource ce ce c fu ful Progressive • Creative • Forward Thinking • Resourceful BREWERMAINE.GOV/BIZ Contact D'arcy Main-Boyington Economic Development Director dmain-boyington@brewermaine.gov | 207-989-7500 F O C U S Lynne Petty, an interior landscape designer and salesperson for Plantwerks, stands next to the living wall inside the new Danielle N. Ripich Commons Student Center at the University of New England's Biddeford cam pus.

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