Featured Landscape Tip
Urban Greenscaping
ProGrass facilitates its partnership with a client with the goal of enhancing the urban environment, resulting in a creative and sustainable landscape solution.
When the American Institute of Architects LEED-certified building in the Pearl District of Portland was being renovated, feedback from the community indicated a strong desire for greenscaping around the building. Desiring to make any landscaping as sustainable as possible, an innovative drip irrigation and water filtering system was installed.
The irrigation system that was installed by ProGrass allows for rainwater coming off the front of the building to filter through the special landscape planters. Impurities that should not enter the watershed are filtered out by the soil and plants before reaching the storm drain system. Rainwater from the rear of the building is collected in an innovative catchment system located in the building's basement.. As one of the oldest buildings in the Pearl, the AIA's basement was formerly a horse stable, allowing for the space for the catchment basin. Collected water is used for on-site irrigation of the street plantings.
The hardy, drought-tolerant plants and grasses installed by ProGrass thrive in an urban environment. Chosen to soften the streetscape and add color, they will also remove CO2 from the air.
