Saint Mary’s installs Atlantic Canada’s first living wall

October 2, 2009

The first living wall in Atlantic Canada was installed last week at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.

The three-storey living wall is part of the university’s new $17.5-million Atrium and includes approximately 1,100 plants. Saint Mary’s living wall is the largest living wall actively cleaning indoor air east of Toronto and it’s one of the largest living walls in the world.

“The living wall at Saint Mary’s represents the matching of science, engineering and art,” said Dr. Alan Darlington, President of Nedlaw Living Walls, the company that built and installed the wall. “It is a functional centre piece for the building that not only looks great but is fully integrated into the building’s air handling system.”

Gabrielle Morrison, Vice President, Administration for Saint Mary’s University and Chair of the University’s Sustainability Committee, said, “Sustainable development is happening at all levels on campus. We believe that the University is a ‘living laboratory’ where we can create a sustainable future and the installation of the living wall is a fine example of this.”

The Atrium, currently under construction to Silver LEED® certification standards, is not yet open to students and the public.

The  living wall is an entirely Canadian solution, developed by Dr. Alan Darlington of Nedlaw Living Walls.   http://www.naturaire.com/about.php