DIVISION OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONS OFFICE OF THE UNIVERSITY ARCHITECT Lilia Gonzales University Architect

General Services Complex, Suite 1801 1247 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-1247 Tel. 979.845.4370 lilia.gonzales@tamu.edu http://universityarchitect.tamu.edu

COUNCIL FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT “TRACK B” REPORT

Project Name: Issue Date:

Living Wall at Langford Building 4/20/2018 Project Requestor: Individual/College or Division/Department or Unit Date Request Received: Jorge Vanegas, College of Architecture 3/13/2018

CBE Sub-Councils Reviewed (reports attached): X DRsc X TRsc FUPsc X Msc Other

Report copies provided to: CBE Co-Chairs, CBE Coordinator, CBE Sub-Council Chairs Jorge Vanegas, Bruce Dvorak, Ahmed Ali

Status: Not Approved Approved X Approved with Caveats

Caveats: For full details see the attached Sub-Council Reports X DRsc X TRsc FUPsc X Msc

Summary of Caveats:

Design Review sub-council – recommend approval with caveats • It is understood that the project duration will be at least one year in order to monitor its performance during

all growing seasons. After one year, College of Architecture leadership should determine whether the installation is successful and approved to continue. The University Architect must be notified once a decision is made.

• If the project is short-term or upon its termination, any necessary concrete repairs or patching must be funded by the project or the College of Architecture.

• Request consideration to leave some of the modules as unpainted for research purposes to investigate whether painted or un-painted modules will hold up better over time.

• Project should develop educational signage in compliance with Campus Master Plan standards. • Request research of ways to control the physical temperature of the modules or to keep individuals from

touching it, in response to concerns about whether the modules will cause a safety hazard if touched during the summer heat.

Maintenance sub-council – recommend approval with caveats

• The living wall must be maintained by the department, to include all labor, material and cost associated with maintenance of the living wall.

• Take into consideration the pooling of water during irrigation and provide sufficient drainage for the area. • If the project is abandoned or deemed complete, it is the responsibility of the department to restore the area

to its original condition. • Ensure that there is no impediment to fire/life safety egress. • Return to the Msc council with further information during design development.

Technical Review sub-council – recommend approval with caveats

• Facilities Services: The project team should coordinate with SSC Grounds Management for landscaping and irrigation concerns.

Comments from the University Architect: Based on the CBE sub-council reports, the project is approved with the condition that all caveats are addressed and information regarding outstanding items as noted in this report is provided to the University Architect. Final design must be submitted to the University Architect for review and approval.

COUNCIL FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT DESIGN REVIEW SUB-COUNCIL

DESIGN REVIEW SUB-COUNCIL REPORT From: Ms. Lilia Gonzales

Design Review Sub-Council Chair Date: April 20, 2018 Subject: Living Wall Professor Bruce Dvorak and Dr. Ahmed Ali presented a request for installation of the Living Wall project. This project proposes the temporary installation of a modular living wall system, to be located on the south face of the Langford B building. If approved, this project would be funded by a Tier-one Program (TOP) grant. The Living Wall project is in alignment with the Campus Master Plan objective to transform the campus into a Living Learning Laboratory. The project team has collaborated with General Motors who donated twenty tons of sheet metal, which is offal from automobile production (such as car window cutouts) and would normally be sold as scrap. A team of students helped to develop a module design that can effectively and efficiently utilize the irregular size of the material. If the project is approved, these modules will be constructed by the students. The modules will be hung on a steel frame which will then be mounted to a concrete wall and positioned in front of an existing brick wall. Each module will be irrigated and controlled individually, and will be planted with drought-tolerant plants that are native to Texas. These plants are mostly evergreen. If one plant dies, that particular module can be easily removed and replanted. The students studied the relationship between color and heat gain, and ultimately proposed to paint the modules a silver/metallic color with a light to medium green powder coated finish behind. This not only helps protect the cut edges of the metal, but also provides interest and ties back to the origin of the material from the automobile industry. DRsc members like the concept, but expressed concerns with maintenance. It was suggested to use the modules as a method of researching whether painted or un-painted modules will have the best long-term results. The project would be evaluated after one full growing cycle or year. If the College of Architecture leadership determines it to be successful it could then become a permanent installation. Recommendation DRsc members voted to recommend approval of the Living Wall project with the following caveats:

• It is understood that the project duration will be at least one year in order to monitor its performance during all growing seasons. After one year, College of Architecture leadership should determine whether the installation is successful and approved to continue. The University Architect must be notified once a decision is made.

• If the project is short-term or upon its termination, any necessary concrete repairs or patching must be funded by the project or the College of Architecture.

• Request consideration to leave some of the modules as unpainted for research purposes to investigate whether painted or un-painted modules will hold up better over time.

COUNCIL FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT DESIGN REVIEW SUB-COUNCIL

• Project should develop educational signage in compliance with Campus Master Plan standards.

• Request research of ways to control the physical temperature of the modules or to keep individuals from touching it, in response to concerns about whether the modules will cause a safety hazard if touched during the summer heat.

cc: DRsc Members

COUNCIL FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT MAINTENANCE SUB-COUNCIL

JK Will l iams Building, Suite 202 1181 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-1181 Tel. 979.862.7777 Fax 979.862.7778 http://finance.tamu.edu

MAINTENANCE SUB-COUNCIL REPORT From: Ralph R. Davila Maintenance Sub-Council Chair Date: April 4, 2018

Re: Tier One Proposal Grant – Living Wall on Langford B

The Maintenance Sub-Council (Msc) reviewed a revised request by Architecture Dr. Vanegas, Tier One Proposal Grant – Living Wall on Langford B. The Msc council agrees with the concept with some concerns that were discussed. Recommendation The CBE Msc voted to recommend approval in concept with the following caveats.

1. The living wall must be maintained by the department, to include all labor, material and cost associated with maintenance of the living wall.

2. Take into consideration the pooling of water during irrigation and provide sufficient drainage for the area.

3. If the project is abandoned or deemed complete, it is the responsibility of the department to restore the area to its original condition.

4. Insure that there is no impediment to fire/life safety egress. 5. Return to the Msc council with further information during design development.

Please contact me with any questions. Cc: Msc Members

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE DEAN’S OFFICE Jorge Vanegas Dean

Langford Architecture Center A202 3137 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-3137 Tel. 979.845.1222 Fax 979.845.4491 jvanegas@tamu.edu http://www.arch.tamu.edu/

Memo Date: March 9, 2018 To: Dr. Carol A. Fierke, Provost and Executive Vice President Dr. Jerry Strawser, Vice President for Finance and Administration and CFO, (Co Chairs of the Council for the Built Environment–CBE) From: Dr. Jorge A. Vanegas, Dean Subject: A Formal Request to Approve the Execution of a Tier One Proposal

Grant - Project: Living Walls on Campus

Howdy. I would like to formally request approval by the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) for the execution of a Tier-one Program (TOP) proposal: Living Green Wall. This is a proposal for a temporary installation of a modular living wall system on campus located on the south face of the Langford B building. The installation is set up to continue as a long-term installation, if desired. This project seeks to implement a living wall on campus to demonstrate multiple objectives of the 2017 Campus Master Plan Update including: 5.8 Campus As A Living Laboratory, sustainable features, knowledge sharing, collaborations with industry partners, and interdisciplinary high-impact learning. For your information, both Dr. Shannon Van Zandt, Interim Head of LAUP, and myself as Dean of CARC, have approved this project, pending review and approval by the CBE. Please let me know if we need to provide any addition information on this matter. Appendix A, which is attached, provides details. For more information about the project, please contact Professor Bruce Dvorak and Dr. Ahmed Ali.

Appendix A

Langford B Living Wall Design + Build ProjectStudents Fall 2017:Panwang Huo, MArch CandidateNiti Taria, MLA CandidateKarishma Joshi, MLA Candidate

Principals Investigators:Ahmed K. Ali, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of ArchitectureBruce Dvorak, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture

Langford Living Green Wall Design + Build ProjectStudents Spring 2018:Panwang Huo, MArch CandidateBirdsong, Louis, BLA CandidateJoshi, Karishma, MLA CandidateKong, Lingyu, MLA CandidateShi, Yu, MLA CandidateTataria, Niti, MLA CandidateYang, Haoyue, MLA CandidateYang, Yuanjia, MLA CandidateZhao, Yanzi, MLA Candidate

UT Austin, living wall at the School of ArchitecturePermanent installation. Collaboration between the School of Architecture and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

http://soa.utexas.edu/events/workshop‐living‐wall

http://soa.utexas.edu/events/workshop‐living‐wall

http://soa.utexas.edu/events/workshop‐living‐wall

Langford Living WallTexas A&M University

A proposal for a temporary installation of a modular living wall system on campus. Installation could become long‐term, if desired.

2017 Campus Master Plan: Living Laboratory

2017 Campus Master Plan: sustainable features

Living Walls

2012 TOP GrantLangford A Green Roof 

and Living Wall Research Site

2012 TOP GrantLangford A Green Roof and Living Wall Research Site

Langford B Proposed Living Wall Site

Dr. Ahmed Ali meeting with GM representatives

“We have to reach the state where by-products are viewed the same way we view product development — part of constant improvement and innovation.”

-John Bradburn, General Motors

Offal from car window cut out

Offal Material: waste from production of automobiles

General Motors’ steel offal is a surplus raw material produced by its stamping operations. These are consistently sized, high‐quality pieces of steel that are produced when windows and other spaces are stamped out of body panels on the assembly lines. Because of their consistent size, shape, and quality, these steel pieces are valuable for much more than traditional scrap markets. Offal pieces are 0.5 to 3.2 mm thick, have various coatings, and total 1,500 metric tons per year. 

B781470” X 58”

C176867” X 24”

C186073” X 21”

B375872” X 32”

Prof. Bruce Dvorak meeting with students about the design of the living wall module, Fall 2017

Students working on development of living wall module, Fall 2017

Panwang Huo, inspecting “offal” sheet metal donated from GM.

Simulation of plant layout

Relationship between color and heat gain Sr. No. Picture of Vehicle Color of Vehicle Surface Temperature 

( in° F)

1 Dark Grey 131.3

2 Copper Greyish  122

3 Black 132.9

4 White 108.5

Note: All temperatures were measured on the surface exposed to sun, unless specified. 

Sr. No. Picture of Vehicle Color of Vehicle Surface Temperature ( in° F)

5 Persian Blue 129.3

6 Dark Green 123.8

7 Light Golden 125.7

8 Pearl Silver 91.9 (in shade)

126 (in sun)

Relationship between color and heat gain Sr. No. Picture of Vehicle Color of Vehicle Surface Temperature 

( in° F)

9 Dark Maroon 131.3

10 Red 123.8

11 Bright Red 125.2

12 Florescent Green 91.9 (in shade)

126 (in sun)

Note: All temperatures were measured on the surface exposed to sun, unless specified. 

Light green powder coat finish

Metallic silver gloss finish

The plant species included in this option are:Agave LophanthaHesperaloe ParvifloraVerbena x hybridaYucca louisianensis 'Granted Wish'Liriope Muscari ‘Tokai Rinpa’Artemisia ’Powis Castle’Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'

The plant species included in this option are:Agave LophanthaHesperaloe ParvifloraVerbena x hybridaYucca louisianensis 'Granted Wish'Liriope Muscari ‘Tokai Rinpa’Artemisia ’Powis Castle’Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'

Plant Details Sr. No.

Plant Name Picture Characteristics  Water Requirements  Maintenance 

5 Agave Lophantha Common name ‐ QuadricolorType ‐ SucculentsHeight ‐ 1’ to 2’

Bloom time ‐ infrequentSun ‐ Full sun

Dry (Excessively Drained)  Low

6 Yucca filamentosa 'Wilder's Wonderful'

Common name ‐Wilder's WonderfulType ‐ EvergreenHeight ‐ 2’ to 4’

Bloom time ‐ June to JulySun ‐ Full sun to part shade

Dry (Excessively Drained) Dry Mesic ( Well drained)

Low

7 Verbena x hybrida 'Blue Princess’

Common name ‐ Blue PrincessType ‐ Perennial Height ‐9” ‐ 1’6”

Bloom time ‐May to OctoberSun ‐ Full sun

Dry Mesic ( Well drained) Low

8 Yucca louisianensis 'Granted Wish'

Common name ‐ Granted WishType‐ PerennialHeight‐ 3’ ‐ 8’Sun: Full sun 

Dry (Excessively Drained)  Low

Plant Details Sr. No.

Plant Name Picture Characteristics  Water Requirements  Maintenance 

1 Liriope Muscari ‘Tokai Rinpa’ Common name ‐ Big Blue LilyturfType ‐ Herbaceous perennial

Height ‐12”Bloom time ‐ August to September

Sun ‐ Full sun to part shade

Dry (Excessively Drained)Mesic (Average moisture) Dry Mesic ( Well drained)

Low

2 Hesperaloe Parviflora Common name ‐ Texas Red YuccaType ‐ Perennial, Leaves ‐ Evergreen 

Height ‐ 2’ to 3’Bloom time ‐ Summer

Sun ‐ Full sun to part shade

Dry (Excessively Drained)  Low

3 Artemisia ’Powis Castle’ Common name ‐ Powis CastleType ‐ Herbaceous perennial

Height ‐ 2’ to 3’Bloom time ‐ Sporadic blooms in late 

summerSun ‐ Full sun

Dry (Excessively Drained)Dry Mesic ( Well drained)

Medium

4 Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' Common name ‐ Elijah BlueType ‐ Ornamental grass

Height ‐ 1’ to 2’Bloom time ‐ late summer

Sun ‐ Full sun

Dry (Excessively Drained)Dry Mesic ( Well drained)

Low