Last updated on September 18th, 2017 at 01:52 pm
Whole Foods Market’s new Midwest flagship store in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood—at the historic Ashland-Belmont-Lincoln intersection—is wrapped on three sides by a 10-foot-high vertical garden with more than 5,000 plants, created with the “LiveWall” system.
The new Whole Foods Market is 75,000 s.f.
“The living wall softens the building’s exterior while providing beautiful greenery along the busy pedestrian corridors,” said Grey Novak, project manager for Novak Construction, which served as general contractor on the project. “It is a unique landscape feature that everyone in the neighborhood can enjoy.”
LiveWall is a patented living wall system that is the result of four years of research and development by the creators of LiveRoof, a green roof system. LiveWall green wall solutions are engineered with horticultural and structural features specific for indoor and outdoor environments. LiveWall supports plants as nature intended—roots growing down; stems and leaves growing up.
Nick Aholec, construction project manager in the Midwest support office for Whole Food Market, added, “The living wall complements both the new landscaping added outside the store as well as the existing landscape of the neighboring area. It represents what Whole Foods is all about: organic, natural and intimately tied to the neighborhoods we serve.”
Installed by Classic Landscape out of West Chicago, the green wall totals 4,740 s.f. and is divided into three sections: north, south and west. The LiveWall system comprises modular planter boxes; the plant selection was customized from a palette of seven different perennials based on the anticipated patterns of light each side would receive throughout the day.
About Classic Landscape
Classic Landscape Ltd. is family-owned and -operated commercial landscape company that has been operating for more than 53 years. It provides complete landscape design build services and landscape installation. The hardscape division handles the design and installation of pavers, natural stone and segmental block retaining wall projects.
About Novak Construction
Novak Construction, founded by John Novak in 1980, is a general contractor and construction management firm known for its well-rounded portfolio of projects in the retail, restaurant, industrial, corporate, institutional, healthcare, hospitality and multi-family/mixed-use sectors. It consistently has been named as one of Chicago’s top general contractors. In March 2017, Novak Construction was named a finalist for the 29th Annual Chicago Commercial Real Estate Award-General Contractor for the Whole Foods Lakeview project.
