The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. commissioned the largest green wall in North America (at the time, in 2009) as an innovative way to make its headquarters building more energy-efficient. The 2,380 sf wall features a variety of regional plants grown into living art on the south-facing wall of One PNC Plaza at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Wood Street in downtown Pittsburgh. It is estimated that each of the 602 panels, with 24 plants in each 2×2 sq. ft. space, will offset the carbon footprint of one person.

The vertical garden is expected to help to cool the 30-story building. Preliminary studies show the south-facing living wall will be 25% cooler behind the wall than ambient temperatures (2009 Press Release). The PNC Bank shows the corporate commitment to being “Green” – the conscious dedication to implement the proven technologies that contribute to the environment, the community and the greening of urban areas.

Completed in late September, 2009, PNC Bank green wall stands 10 stories above the Pittsburgh center city as part of the PNC World Headquarters. The artistic design made up of 4″ depth Green Living Wall Panels and a variety of plant material was considered as part of the geographic region allowing the design to remain constant and provide winter interest. Irrigated with 9 zones roughly 15 minutes per week, the green wall is very conservative when it comes to irrigation.

It took the design team of Philly Green Wall to engineer the installation complete with custom trim and catch basin details. Logistics of lifting and installation were also the responsibility of Philly Green Wall. The Green Living Roof Panels were grown off site and delivered already mature ready to hand on the wall. No easy task, PNC had to remove a large portion of the granite to accommodate the GLT specification. Overall, the project weighs 24 tons when fully saturated.