Dearborn and Spring Lake, MI. (March 22, 2017) – People in Michigan do not have to wait until summer to enjoy green spaces that bring nature to them. When they stop into Brome Burgers & Shakes in Dearborn, they receive a “green” welcome even on cold, cloudy days. The restaurant is home to an array of growing plants as well as Brome’s ethically sourced, creatively prepared, simply delicious, and reasonably priced food. The restaurant’s living architecture features two LiveWall® green walls that enable diners to enjoy eating “outside” even before warm weather invites them out onto the restaurant’s outdoor patio.

“Green walls, also called living walls, are structural systems that cover walls with growing plants. Attached to an existing wall or freestanding, erected indoors or outdoors, green walls transform unadorned walls into vertical gardens,” said Dave MacKenzie, president, LiveWall, LLC. “They make interior spaces more appealing and relaxing and improve indoor air quality.”

“We are all about sustainability, green living, wholesome food, and self-awareness about the environmental impact of our choices,” said Sam Abbas, founder, Brome Burgers & Shakes. “The green walls took a surface that would have otherwise just been painted or wallpapered and brought it to life.”

Completed in June 2015, the Brome Burgers & Shakes green wall installation totals 309 square feet, divided in two sections each 16 feet long by 9 feet 10 inches high. In total, the green walls have 168 LiveWall modular planters, which contain inserts planted with a mix of six different tropical plants that thrive indoors.

Bell’s Landscape Services, Inc. (Wixom, MI.), which has provided commercial and residential landscape construction and maintenance for more than 38 years, recommended, sold, installed, and maintains the LiveWall system. “We won a Gold Award for Creative Landscape – Green Initiatives from the Michigan Green Industry Association for this project,” said Mike Bell, chief executive officer.

Brome Burgers & Shakes is in a corner building that was constructed as a retail store in the mid-1900s. An adaptive re-use design developed by the Hallarsan Group (Detroit, MI.) renovated the long vacant 3,700-square-foot space and created a modern, open, light-filled restaurant. The sustainable design preserved the cedar trusses of the original 15-foot-high ceilings. During construction, the original concrete floors were revealed and refurbished. In addition to the featured green walls, the indoor plantscaping includes a front-window planter. Its greenery is reflected in the glass top of the adjoining counter, which seats eight.

“Every decision we made about the space reflects our responsibility to the environment, said Abbas. We hope to inspire our customers, suppliers, competitors, and contractors to appreciate the values that inspire us and express them in the ways they live, do business, cultivate food, and enjoy it. Everyone’s response to our green walls has been so positive. We plan to integrate green wall systems into all our future locations.”