This green wall feature is located on the exterior patio of the 520 West 28th Street residential building designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. The wall serves as a visual connection to the building's façade and a functional green wall, but weight restrictions and variable planter weights made using concrete unfeasible. Our work process involves analyzing the best material for each specific project. In this case, we proposed using a custom GFRP (glass fiber reinforced polymer) mix instead of concrete.

Due to the wall's complex geometry, we used a 7 axis KUKA robot for its fabrication with a high precision. To achieve the finish proposed in the Architect’s design, we applied two gray colors that were designed to resemble natural concrete. We accomplished this by adding a proprietary mixture of aggregates to the gelcoat of the GFRP panels and exposing them through a sandblasting process.

The structural support for the wall was designed and engineered by Kinetica, while a local contractor handled the installation. The FRP panels were fabricated in Mexico and shipped for installation by a NY union company.